The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-22
CON REssIoNAL
REMARKS OF MR.. CUMmINs,

ue
Mr. CUdMINs addressed the committee as fol.
lows: .. '
Mr. CHAIRhASi / have an amendment which
desire TO offer 70 the bill under consideration
My amendment provides for paying the volunteers
who, 10 obedience 20 the call Of the governors Of the
several States, organized themselves INTO companies
and repaired 10 the places OF general rendezvous Of
10 the local depots which were designated, or who
being organized into companies, had left their homes
and were lawfully discharged by proper officers on
their way TO places aforesaid BY every principle
Of Justice and equity these troops are as much en.
tied to pay for their time and expenses those are
whose services were accepted, II was my inlen-
ton, could have obtained the floor at an earlier pc
Rod, 10 have submitted my views at some length
on this question. II is now but 1--WE minutes TO two
o'clock, when, by order Of the House, debate must
cease and the vote be taken upon this bill. owe
the privilege Of that time TO the courtesy Of my
friend from Georgia, LMr, CosB,l and for which
thank him.
Mr.. Chairman, there has been great blunder
committed somewhere, by some public functionary
IN calling out these troops, or so many more than
were needed or called for by the requisition Of the
President, through the Secretary Of War, would not
have been organized and called from their homes
and business, l had intended to have traced these
proceedings from the passage Of the act Of the 18th
Of May last, down TO the time when these rejected
troops were discharged, and TO have shown what
public funetionary was chargsable with this great
mistake--ths great want of accuracy and skill In
the discharge Of his public duties / will do so yet,
30 far as the brief time left me will permit My re-
marks will be eanfned to Ohio, a. am most famil-
lar with the proceedings there. In the series Of events
by which these yolpntssn were called out kst
Is the act Of Congress approved 18th May last.
BY the first section of that act the President is a-
thonzed ITO call for and accept the services Of any
number Of volunteers not to exceed So, b00" There
10 nothing wrong In this. The next step was cir
cuar or requisition issued on the 10th of May, by
the Secretary of War; to the governors OF Arkan-
SOS, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee,
Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and
Texas, requiring from each State a specific and
definite number oftroops for immediate service in
the war with Mexico. The number required from
Ohio was three regiments, 10 consist Of ten compa.
MES each, making in all thirty companies. The
requisiton also contained detailed statement Of the
officers necessary for organizing u. company, a
regiment, &c. There IA nothing wrong In thus
rsquisiton. IL is clear, specific, and definite. The
next in the series is the proclamation Of the govern
or Of Ohio, issued the Doth of May TO the people
Of Ohio, informing them Of the existence Of the war
and exhorting them TO patriotic and faithful dis
charge Of their duty. This, too, is right The
next m the series is general order" No. L. issued
on the Goth Of May, by s. r, Gusts, adjutant gen.
era o. NJ, by order Of the governor, and addressed
to the major generals of the several military diyi-
sons IN Ohio, informing them that "three regiments
OF volunteers Of infantry or raemen" had been re-
CURED by the President Of the United States, and
commanding them TO have the several brigades
10 their respective divisions mustered forthwith
for that purpose, and to ascertain in the
shortest possible period what number Of volun-
tecrs could be obtained in their respective com
mands, requiring the number of volunteers to be
enrolled and the number enrolled forthwith reported
to his office from which the requisite number would
be detailed. In the same order it il stated that a
principal rendezvous would be selected near Cincn-
natl, and that GAINESVILLE and Columbus were estab-
llshed as temporary depots for the purpose of or
ganization and mastering into the service OF the
United States. Here, sir, is the origin of all this
difficulty. The order is general, indefinite, and
limited, issued to and calling upon the whole popu-
laton Of the Stale Of Ohio. Why not give il some
limit Why not call upon each division for 20
many companies and no more to make up the thir-
ty' Or why not say to the volunteers, remain at
home after your companies are organized until the
requisite number has been .reported'to this Office,
and the selection made, and they notified what COM
panies were aecspteds,, No Imtation was made.
The call was general. Many called out but
few chosen. ,tGioEc GGnloD i'
General order No. 2 was issued by the same Off
csr on the 23d Of May and which is still more gen.
srsl and indefinite in it terms than the first Cleve
land, Massillon, Mansfield, and Dayton are named
as additional depots at which volunteers will be re-
ceived and mustered into the service OF the United
States. The volunteers are notified that arrange
ments have been made to furnish them with the ne
cessary supplies at the several depots, and the Off
GERS of the Ohio militia specially charged with
the duty Of forwarding the parties as fast as posi-.
BILE to their several destinations, and the volunteers
were informed that as soon as they were mustered
and received at the several depots and rendezvous
they would be entitled to the same pay as officers
and soldiers Of the United States. These, sir, are
the orders issued by the governor of the State the
commander-in-chief, through his adutant general,
the patrotc citizens Of 0hio-simn N aon CIV,
sued throughout the whole State, without Limitation
or restriction. Under these orders 900 or 100 900
men might have with propriety volunteered. How
could the officers or men on the Ohio river know
how many had volunteered on the lake shore; or
those on the Indiana line know how many had vol
untsered the eastern borders Of the State or at
any intermediate place. All were called upon; all
were exhorted in the name of their common coun-
try to turn out They did, sir, nobly and CALAMITY
obey the call and rush to the rescue. 1t was not
for the gallant volunteers to inquire whether the
governor had exceeded his authority or not, or
whether his orders were drawn as they should be
or not. Their country called them, and they
obeyed; and, sir, they must be paid. | impute to
the governor or his adjutant general no improper
motives only regret that they had not done their
business with little more skill and precision.
Many Of these volunteers are farmers. mechanics.
and laborng men, and but i'll able to bear the loss of
the time and expense they have been put to. They
have spent their time and money whilst organic
going to the rendezvous and depots--
whilst they detained there, and whilst return
ing home, Many of them called away from their
homes at that season when by it they may have
lost the benefits of crop or of summers work.
Pay them for their time and actual expense and in
many cases il will be but poor compensation for
their loss The volunteers did their duty, and
should not now be made sufferers by the unskilful
acts Of others. The agents Of the government by
unskilful conduct brought about this difficulty and
the he IL
acts Of its own agents There is one other branch
Of this subject which would like to examine; but
the brief time allowed me will not permit me to do
70. -. e" ...' -''." =" s''
rTThe annual commencement OF G Gorge