The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-12-29


state of civilization and the ants the best that
could be devised, because alone suited to that
advancement-sre too obvious to require a sum-
mary of them all But the principal are slight
ly noticed in the following extract from the me-
mortal of the distinguished officer, to whom the
system is to be attributed;
13.-The principal advantages to be derived
from the proposed rail roads IN military point
efoietO.
In state of war they will enable to tran
sport the military men and munitions of war Of
the two central States OF the Union, and OF all
the interior districts of the twenty-four border
States, to the seven grand divisions OF the ma
tlonal frontier, without animal power. IN one
tenth part of the time and one tenth part OF the
expense that the movement would cost in the
present state of our bad roads. The proposed
rail roads would thus enable us to obtain more
useful service in war from ten thousand men,
by the increased rapidity and safety OF their
movement to the point of attack chosen by the
| invading foe, than without rail roads we could
obtain from an army of one hundred thousand
men, marched upon our common roads; as, IN
addition to saving of time, which III war is P0to-
err, and health, and lite, and money, we shall
save our citizen-soldiers from what they usually
deem the most irksome and insupportable afflc-
tions and lrivations attending their tours oil MI
litary service. we shall save them from long
and tedious marches, and from the still more try
| ing scenes of a long and continued delay in
camp, and the consequent painful separation
from soife, children, friends and business. On
the contrary, after being assembled and prepared
for action, we shall fly to meet the invading foe
| at the rate of $50 to 300 miles in "a hours
taking with US every desirable necessary OF life
for the preservation of health, activity and per-
sonal prowess so that when we meet the
enemy, we shall enjoy every desirable advantage
in every conflict, in most Of which we cannot
but be successful; and in place ofthe usual CAM
paign oftAree, six, or twelve months oil dlstreS-
sing service, we may reasonably calculate on
being conveyed, with every desirable supply
from the central States to the frontier, IN the
short spaee of so or 60 hours time, and of meet
ing and beating the invading foe, and returning
to our hsmes in a few days, or at most a lew
weeks more. Hence the great utility OF the pro-
posed rail roads in a state of war; and then On
the return of peace, when our sixty millions oil
dollars worth of Notifications, and armcrles, and
arsenals, and ships of war worse than USE
less for any of the purposes OF peace, and great
and constant expense to repair and replenlsh
them in order to hold them ready for another
war; then our rail reads, taking, as they must
take precisely the direction that the commerce
of our country takes-from the sea-board to the
central western States-will, when turned to
commercial purposes, produce revenue to the
States that own them, that will be more than
sufficient to replace in seven years time, every
dollar expended in their construction; and for
ever thereafter produce a revenue sufficient for
the support of all the State Governments, and to
nav for the education of every orphan child in
America. The proposed rail roads will do more
they will form ligaments OF union more pow
erful than bulwarks of adamant, or chains of iron
or gold, to bind the states together in perpetual
union. In designating the military men of the
central States Of Tennessee and Kentucky as the
disposable force Of the nation, we have reference
to the fact that this force rendered disposable by
the central position OF these two States--they hav
ing ne frontier to defend whilst the forces of all
the other tventy-four States rendered local
fsrces and not dsposable, by of their being
all border States-the boundary of each extend
ing to the frontier: and therefore, having from
tier of their own to defend, they thus render
ed local, not disposable.
A striking feature in this proposition is that
it rests the safety of the Republic on a we'll
trained militia, and rejects large standing
my; the former the surest defence, the latter the
deadliest foe of republic.
With regard to the constitutionality of this
matter, it is admitted by ell that some plan of
national defence is absolutely necessary. The
choice seems ITO lie between the two systems
here noticed. Now would it not be a strange
construction of the constitution, which would
admit the power to adopt the one first noticed
with the large standing army necessary to carry
it out, to say nothing of the grievous expense
the continuous drain upon the pockets of the
people in the shape of taxes to maintain such
an establishment; while it would deny the pow
er of adopting the other, which besides Its many
other advantages, would much better secure the
immediate object of defence, and, instead of
tax, prove a source Of revenue, happiness and
prosperity unequalled by any other nation of the
globe. NATIVE AMERICAN.
LATER FROM FLoRIDA.-Extract from a letter
! from Brigadier General ARMIsTED, command
ing the Army in Florida, to the Secretary of
War, dated
'sTAMPA, December -, 1910.
| aSeveral Indians, understood to be the Tai
lahassee tribe, have lately come in at Fort King,
and reported that large number would come
In few days | have directed Lieutenant
| Colonel RILEY, the commandant at Fort King,
to treat them WE'LL and urge them to proceed to
this post at once, as did not conceive it proper
in me to go back to them after their late con-
| duct.
can Indian warrior and his family, six in
number, came in here on the 9th. He is deter
mined to go West. | have used every induce
ment to procure his services as a negotiator,
but he is afraid to return to his people."-
Globe.
| ILLINOIS.
The correspondent Of the st. Louis Republ-
can writes from the seat of government of Iii