The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-10-30

Z fhusp titu.s, will rseuiPei, inHl " Was
ines3.,d of r4,n art aud increasing hostility
, sifh The Indians. who, as we have beior'
, ,ema,ksd. did not bury the tomaha.k, a
III, u.nrf.I pacGcation which terminated
IN. Revolution, Oar frontiers WIRE drench
I'd will, he bood II our unprotected set
iirrs. general Washington, then fresI
dent. at each Session of Congress, reitefa
ted bis strong and eloquent representation
or these barbsrities. aud urged the neees
siiy Of investing the Executive Win pow
4. cr 10 protect The defencelrss. aud ehas
tr. The aggrrs.ors. Bot disirnstfnl ant
simproyidrat policy. which sremed To per
c.i,e no danger 50 great as that wh'el
msh, arise from placing an army NJ u1'
disposal Of the Executive, dealt oni TN
means of defence with such sparine
hand. that il aas not until one or Two a
horti,r campaigns. and two or three de-
frals, marked with unprecedented carnage
showed the irresistible necessity Of more
liberal and vigorous measures, that iht
President was enabled TO bring the wal
10 = successful elose. But 1t Mas DOT rom
the Indians alone that we at thai tune had
danger 10 apprrhend.
Our seabnard was not secure from IN.
suit and the angry recrimInatlon when
i then marked our negotiations with 6ieai
! Britain, whose Nasics governed the ocean,
admonished ms that We were too suneta-
bic on mat frontier. The President was
arc ,rdipay directed, bs the act Of March,
1894. To fnftify the principal Iotts on Inc
coast Twenty different points were IN
dlcstrd b. thu act, amoHg which, II ap-
pears. $50 pieces ef ordnance were to be-
Distributed The resident was, about
the anne time. directed TO establish three
or four arseeals. with magazines and ar
mories CONNECTED with them
IN Nav, 1905, the military establish
nent was again fixed, embracing the corps
of AriIlrrsts and engineers, two compa-
ME. If light Dragons aud four regiments
nf infantry. or about 5000 men. This es-
'ablishnent continued The same through
out the remainder nf General Washing
TOMS administration. Mr.. Adams came to
The Presidency amidst the growing iron
bles with France, and his administration
was marked. from its commencement tn
the termination of these troubles, with frr-
Quent and extensive angmentations of the
military force. The alarm of the nation
wns doubtless great and the confidence
of Congress IN the Executive appears To
have been in proportion II was s,'i-
king conversion from the chary and mis-
trustful policy Of 1902 and 1903. when an
enemy, covering our vrry thresholds with
slaughter, could induce only tardy and
sraniy measures of defence, 10 the couh
ding liberality of this period, when, in or
der To resist an eneny not YET openl, de-
elared, and separated from lis BY the At
lantlc, the nerve md strength # the na
ton were placed al the disposal OF the
Executive.
IN April, 1903. an additional regiment of
arlillerists aud engineers was raised; and
ia the following month the President wss
invested with power IA ralsc, during the
recess of Congress, 10000 men. for tn.
term of three years and 10 accept of any
company or csmpanies Of, olunterrs which
might be offered for service. The latter
clause w0old appear to have conferred
power commensurate with the force of the
entire militia, provided the spirit of v0lun
trerlng had prevailed 10 that extent. A
bout one year after his, the President was
conditionalI, authorized, IN the language
Of The act, 10 organize & cause Ia he raised
81 additional military force, To consist ol -
regiments of Infantry, one regiment and
onr bhttaliou of rlfemrn, battalion of ar
silrrists and engineers, aud three egmrnts
of coyalry. The same act limited the
number of volunteers, which could be ac-
crpted by the President, under the Indef
0lt- act of i798, tn $4,000. The amount
Of force, including rrgolars aud militia.
which the several foregoing acts empow-
cred President Adams 10 raise, under Ger
tim eSigene'rs, supposed, no doubt 10 ex-
iSi, considerably exceeded 100 900 men.
The difficulties with France were add
lnstcd IN 1900, when this formidable army
was reduced 10 four regiments OF infantry,
two regiments of artlllriisis aud engineers,
and two troops of light dag sons. Again,
IN 1902, under the pacific auspices with
which Mr. Jefferson had begun his admin
isIration, the military establishment was
still further diminished, being fixed at one
regiment of artilleiists, two .cgimrnts of
infantry, and a corps of engineers, ar a
boot 5000 men. BY the same act, tie
engineers, being formed into a separate
corps, were Itatoned nj West Point, and
made IT, constitute Military Academy,
thus laying the foundation OF that excel
lent institution, which 10 now flourshIng
with ST. much credit aud usefulness to the
country. We shall mi nov pause 10 in.
duise ourselves in such remarks as this
aIluslon 10 its origin might naturally sug.
gest.
! No change was made in the force of
the military establishment for 1902, ill
nearly the close of "a Jchrrson's admin-
lstratoo. In April, 1908, our disputes
with Great Britain having become aggra-
vat-d by several incidents which parlicti-
irly affected In. interest and honor of the
country, an additional military force was
There d'e now in the United States
twn national arm and eleven national
arsenals. Toe srmorl,s are vt Spring
hrld, Massachusetts, and at Harper's Fer
ir> Virginia. The arsenals dre nj Water
town, Massachusetts, Walerlipt s. Rome,
New York Baltimore, Maryland Wash
mglon, Dl>,rlcl nj Columbia Richmond,
Virginia Augusta, Georgia fianAlord
and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Baton