The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-06-09
OONGRES SIONAL.
REMARKS OF MR.. CUSHING,
OF MASSACHUSETTS,
ON THE ARMY APPROPRIATION BILL
DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
MAY 26, 1912.


been to reduce it from its present nominal force of
twelve thousand five hundred to six thousand, and
then to eight thousand besides which, one of the
bills reported by the gentleman from Georgia pro-
posed further reduction, to what amount he did not
know On these various reductions, here was the
practical question for the consideration Of the COM
mttee; whether consistently with the positions he
had assumed of the admitted uses of the Army In
time OF peace, this reduction could be made compat
IDLY with the public interests No gentleman had
gone into details on the subject, or had enumerated
the various posts, and estimated the number OF men
required in each of them not the accurate gen.
tleman from North Carolina, MIR. Mckay who so
thoroughly understood the subject, from his expert
ence in past Congresses, to show that this thing
compatible with the public interests.
That was the first remarkable fact with which he
entered on this investigation. The next fact was
that in the report of the Secretary OF War and Cen
eral Scott, was minute and detailed exhibition of
the proposed dis ostion of the Army of the United
States among the various posts and an analytical ex
position of the amount required for this peace force
To this no reply had been made. The whole argu-
ment had been indefinite, vague, and nconclusive or
based on specific facts which, he should show, In no
sort, touched the conclusion.
Gentlemen shrank from the idea of the magnitude
of the Army Of the United States. What was the
number of the Army 1880 among l7,OO0,0OO OF
inhabitants. la other words, II to every 1900
souls in the United States and about AZ to his dis
trct 1t seemed to him idle to say that there was
any cause of apprehension from that force
Gentlemen had said that they relied on our mill
tia but it was admitted that we were not to employ
militia to garrison our forts.
In the next place, there were certain specific
charges of abuse in the administration of the Army
of the United States. Most Of the remarks OF the
gentleman from North Carolina Mr.. Mckay con-
sisted of this On this subject the first question was,
How long had these abuses existed Had they sprung
up this year, since the 4th OF March, lo4l The
gentleman himself had told them that they were
abuses Of long standing, Or as the negro song has IT.
" long time ago." On these specific abuses he put 1t
to the gentleman whether they not old abuses
whether the idea that military bureau here was
military post, and, therefore, that it drew double
ration, was not old abuse Why, then, had not
these abuses been previously reformed? Why bad
not the majority which he belonged, and who were
in power for twelve years, struck at them? Why
had not the gentleman from North Carolina himself
then introduced specific bill for the reformation
of these abuses, and why did he not now'
Mr.. MCKAY explained that he had alluded to what
he considered abuses in the Administration Of the
Army for the purpose of bringing them to the notice
of the House, that they might act Understandings
when a proposition for their correction should be
submitted.
MIR. CUSHING said the gentleman from North
Carolina had urged on the committee long ar
ray of antiquated abuses, which might and which
ought to have been reformed by the past Adminlstra-
tion and which, though the gentleman protested not
to have used them argument IN favor OF reduc-
tion certainly were calculated to produce bias
question, unless (Which was not very usua) the
House made exact anal ysis Of the pertnency OF
the arguments to the question pending. Mr. e. SAID
it remarkable fact that most of these very abuses
existed prior to the law of 1925 for the increase OF the
Army.
If they were an argument for the reduction OF the
Army now, surely they were an Infinitely stronger
argument against its increase then which increase The
gentleman from North Carolina advocated and urged
in the House. Mr. G.. regretted that the long speech
in vndication of his course, to which the gentlema
had alluded yesterday, never printed by him. Mr..
c. remembers that speech WELL Why, in that speech
of two hours had not the gentleman inveighed against
these abuses Such remarks would certainly have
been more relevant then than now, when they were
altogether irrelevant What the argument
There abuses in the Army-theretore the Army
nust be abolished 1t would be as good an argument
to saw there are abuses in this House-thereore the
House ought to be abolished Or, there abuses
in this Observation-Disclosures the Government ought
to be abolished. The argument either proved this, or
it proved nothing.
There remained one argument more in favor of the
amendment. One gentleman had said that an Army
of six thousand men sufficient; another, that
5000; another, that 10000 But had gentlemen in
vestgated the subject How did it appear that 5000
men would be sufficient On what details did that
calculation rest Had gentlemen who spoke SO def
nitey of results, investigated the specific want of the
service2 The Army amounted to actual force of
about 10000 capable, under existing laws, OF becom-
ing 800. And supposing the ranks to be filled,
now many men ulu IL give 10 our lIOHticIs lac SCS-
rotary showed it was but man fol every two miles
The troops could scarcely each other; they were
not enough to mount guard on the frontier OF the
country.
hear the gentleman from New York (Mr Nc
Keon) say ''iry the British army by that test Yes,
and let tell him that he cannot 90 to British post
throughout all Der vast domnons, an find no man
there to respond to salute; yet how many days ago
it since there was not man in the fort OF Anna
polls to fire gun when the Warspite landed Lord
AshhurtOnl A nd | hear some gentleman eXClam-
ing on the other side ofthe House, that not two years
ago it happened in the way that there were no
means Of answering salute In the harbor OF New
York.
M C. asked the Committee to consider the extent
and condition of the frontier of the United States
the long line of coast on the Atlantic that along
the Gulf of Mexico the exposed frontier adjoining
the British provinces the North and the long line
of Western frontier with more than 10000 Indian
warriors concentrated within striking distance of Little
Rock and st. Louis.
The gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. CampbelD
had said that the increase of the Army in 1888
had no respect to the ants of the West, but
Mr. C. appealed to all gentlemen here present
who were in the House at that time to bear
witness that the wants of the West, so far
from having had nothing to do with the mea-
sure, constituted the chief consideration for it. 1t
was the chief argument used. All must remember
with what zeal and pernaciy Mr.. Yell, now Cover
nor of Arkansas pressed the bill that very ground
the number of Indians had not diminished since that
time, and there was need that the flag OF the United
States should float before their eyes, If for nothing
eIse yet means of maintaining the police of the
borders, and preserving order among the Indians
themselves
What was the chief source of difficulty in the con-
dton of those people2 Mr.. c. well remembered
the striking explanation of this given many years
ago. by General Cass and General Clark, in docu
ment of theirs communicated to Congress. The
buffalo as if by the force of instinct retreats from be-
fore the march of civiIzation and the approaching
l.. 10 hic lam halt pf fnr
rtory intervenes always between the pioneer settle
ment of the West, and the plains over which the buff
falo still continues to within this belt the In
dian remains still obstnaIey refusing to engage in