The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-06-03
Feom he Phil. North American. .
CUTTING DOWN OUR NATIONAL DE

No act Of Congress during the present session has
awakened such general surprise and regret as tina,
which has invaded the effective force of the army and
navy. RetIenchment in any other shape would be
borne with much less solcilude and remonstrance-
The public regard il act of suicidal folly: ihey
find adequate excuse for IL IN the condtioh o'
the National Treasury, long as the great question
OF revenue, through the provisions OF arm, 10 ~
the hands Of Congress. They know that Gons'ess
has the power to create revenue, and tney WI" no,
in this body an act the only apology Tor wnch
lies in failure 10 exercise this power hey VI" no'
accept the exgency that exists as defence LOT 'he
deed while that exigency can obviously De removed
Honest poverty which knows no remedy inic's no
humiliation or reIroach, but penury and distress re-
sutnp from recklessness or apathy is disgrace. ~
carries in its own existence the evidence of unmlllga-
ed shame. To plead poverty therefore, IN defence
of this act of Congress, lille no effort Is made TO re-
iieye IT, and while its authors are themselves IN the
full receipt of all the emouments which the most pros
porous condition of the public Treasury could war
rant, is adding insult to injury
This Incorporate act Of Congress proposes reduc-
ton Of military and naval forces, especially the
former 10 their condition in 1921 since which time
our population and foreign commerce, have nearly
doubled These forces were considered al that Time
but poorly able TO protect the interests conhded W
them but the embarrassed state of the country, and
the weight of large public debt reconciled the ma
ton for the time being 10 these inadequate deiences
nd vet even then, sense OF security never settled
into repose it was constantly kept in state OF PetuI-
turbation by some fresh act of outrage Inc puphc
obliged to seek consolation for tie injuries anu
dshonor thus inflicted in the real or supposed inap-
~ to provide adequate deenses. But it the deences
Of that day unequal to the conided interests oil
the nation, what can they now do with that VAST &C
cession of exposed interests which has since arisen
If aggression experienced then, wha! may % eA-
pected now? If our commerce and our indian IRON
tiers were in jeopardy then, what with only the same
means of protection, must be their condition nolo
We have cooniZed our Indian tribes IN shape
that will enable them to throw their whole effective
force, at given signal, on our white settlements.
Human ingenuity could not have invented plan OF
Indian colonization more full of peril to our frontier
Our only security for an hour lies in the mutual ea-
lousies of the tribes. The deep injuries which have
been done them IN driving them away from thelr
homes and the graves OF their fathers ranke IN their
memories and they may at any time forego their mu-
tual alterations and rise in their savage strength 10
avenge these unprovoked and common wrongs
Should this occur and nothing is more likely, the
terrific tales of Florida would be forgotten IN the
horrors of the tragedy that would ensue And yet
in the midst Of this increasing peril it is proposed TO
reduce our only of defence Ito leave our ex-
tended frontier to the mercy of a foe with whom ie-
rocity is instructive, and who is spurred to revenge
by an exasperating sense of wrong
Our foreign commerce too, in the extent OF It's ex-
posture has kept pace with Indian frontiers. 1t
has penetrated every Cline spread itself over every
sea, and is now pursuing its objects among the most
naval force which we now have afioat Is utterly UNI
able to afford the protection required. All it can
pretend to do is to chasse here and there an out
rage, months perhaps years after it has been
committed But an immediate protection, sufficient
to prevent these acts of lawless violence is out of the
question. Our only resource is to suffer the injury,
and then like IA snake that has been tramped upon,
try to Stag the heel that has MANNED us. Such is
the protection which this reducing act Of Congress
extends to the interests and honor of the nation
But farther our dficu tics with England have not
yet been adjusted hardly the first step has been
taken toward satisfactory arrangement And is ii
wise and polite for in this stage of the negotiation
to deprive ourselves Of the only means of defending
the rights and maintaining the claims, which have
| asserted Shall voluntarily place ourselves in
such conditioa that mus crave from the ndul-
gence or generos ty of Great Britain what we might
have demanded from her justice Will the inability
to enfo claims render her the willing and
| prompt to acknow Wedge thcm} Does the history OF
her treaties it'll other nations warrant any such
ectation We may perhaps, in our credulity. gravey
otertaio the dea but with her it will only awaken
| sentiment Of derison. OF all the positions ia which
have been placed for the pasttwenty- five years in
reference this power the present. is the last TO ust
| fly reduction Of our naval force. 1t would be much
wiser in this uncture foresal future in its
increase than consult present exigency in Its reduc
/ ton. A few thousands expended now may proven,
| a catastrophe that will involve millions. The wises
legislation that which looks the deepest into the u-
ure This reducing act of Congress is blind even to
the present.