The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-26

Mr.. WEBSTER put another question To tn,

.,or fam Missouri but neither the question nor the
reply were heard, owing to the noise IN The crowd
ed galleries
MIR. JOHNSON, Of Maryland, then moved as an
amendment that the following clause DC added; Elk
cept sgeh of said appointments as shall have been
made from the line OF the army" and made some re-
marks in support Of it
Mr.. CASS followed in support Of the bill.
Mr.. CRITTENDEN agreed that mere personal
question should NOT be mixed up with the general
question. They were TO discriminate between The
regular service and one such was now called into
existence. The object was to unite them in the
most efficient manner. He thought that il ought
not to be adopted as general rule that the appoint
ments were TO be made from the army alone. That
would be to shut out the twenty millions and take
only the few thousands. The question was whether
the two forces should be so United as that the tenn
porsry would not interfere With that intended TO be
permanent The President therefore, ought to be
unrestricted in his selection. Where was the diff
Guilty Of so arranging il as that those taken into the
service should be disposed Of at the close Of the
war. They were not employed "for job" The
constitution said there were TO be no standing
mics. The soldiers were ensted-the officers re-
ceiyed commissons-"for the war" Those on
the permanent establishment were not TO be
displaced by those taken Into employment
now. He did not see the necessity ofthe increased
number Of generals but that point he deferred to the
better experience of others. Nor was il very i'm =
the Executive all the reasonable means il desired at
this crisis. He did not see why the amendment
separating the rights and pretensions of the two
classes Of ofices, should not be adopted By
adopting II the interests Of all promoted and
secured. The cessation Of the commission of the
new generals met exactly the exigency Of the
case.
Mr.. SIMMONS did not see the propriety Of pre-.
GLIDING the award or the nations gratitude from
being given to the officers at the close Of the war.
II appeared to him that the general officers should be
increased according to the necessity of the case.
Mr.. WEBSTER next addressed the Senate.
From the best reflection he had been able to give
the subject 1t was his opinion that the first section
should be allowed TO stand just il was. He saw
more difficulty in making any modification OF il,
than in taking It just as II was. The amendment
Of the senator from Maryland would appear very
Just and reasonabe-that was, taking his amend.
ment with that Of which 1t was amendment, the
provision would be that those who come in as gen.
eral officers not from the line of the army should
consider themselves terminating their services at
the end Of the He did say that there was any
injustice in that, but he could well conceive that il
might lead TO great personal injustice and ncon-
venience, because one Of these brigadier-generals
coming from civil life might develop such talent
that he would be the very last man whose ser
vices the country would desire to lose. He did
not think they could fUresee events; he did not think
that they could foresee the development Of military
character Clearly hs 10 DC dDle 10 prescribe any
rule which It would be necessary TO adopt
when the time came for the reduction Of the
army. With regard, therefore, to the first sec
ton, he would, with all respect the gentlemen bet
ter informed, who had taken different view OF it,
vote for it Just It Without intending any
formal opposition 10 any other part OF this BILL he
would say that he would have much preferred that
different view had been taken of the means of
raising army for the temporary and occasional
purpose created by the present state of affairs. He
knew very well what had been the history of their
legislation on the subject OF using the militia
Of the States since the adoption Of this consttu-
ton. The practice was borrowed from the revo.
lutionary period and had been continued with some
very decided advantages but also many serious dis
advantages-much unpleasant collision, as they
knew Now it appeared to him that they would
have acted somewhat more wisely ifthey had pro-
ceeded upon the true line Of their policy, as pre-.
scrbed by the constitution. They were authorized
to raise and support armies, bound by no rule but
the discretion of Congress. That was large, and
broad, and unqualified power. Congress was also
authorized by the constitution TO call forth the mi
litia Of the States-for the militia the militia of
the States-to repel INVASION suppress insurrectons
and execute the laws In the present bill, and that
passed the other day, these persons spoken OF
as volunteers All volunteers in the militia
proper-all were volunteers in the service Of the
United States-uness it the militia
of the States, called into the service of the
Onlteu Inc ca lRcnCy pTOFiueu lot IN tne
constitution, and that service was compusory-the
only compulsory service under this government.
In his opinion, then, il would have been better 10
have had all the military forces, regular provs-
iona, employed and paid by the government of the
United States, differed by the United States govern
ment In other words, it appeared to him that it would
have been more consistent with the acknowledged
power of Congress if these troops had been called
into the service and the officers been commissioned
by Congress itself, leaving them just as much VOL
unteers they now we're. He had heard no OBJ
lection to that except that the practice in the States
had been that the volunteers selected their company
officers, and that by the latter the field officers were
selected. That could be done just well in pro.
visional army under the sanction of law of Con-
gress, not. But there would always be consid-
cradle inconvenience in having forces paid by the
United States and commissioned by State authority.
He did not know how far they might be able to 60
on with that system, and avoid some great incon.
venence. The bill authorized the President to
cept the service of citizens by regiments, baalions,
squadrons and companies. A brigade was to con-
sist of two regiments-one might be raised in Ohio
and the other in Indiana. The service of these
regiments is accepted-who was to command
thcm' According to the proposed law the President
was to designate the general officer out of the
militia Of the States What did that come to- Why
to this that brigadier general of Indiana-a brig
adler only by State EMBELLISHMENTS the Ohio
troops in the service Of the United States 1t struck
'Nat ooiiooo o'h,ulty tuo iay III tilch way
The brigadier commanding these regiments, thus
designated by the President, was not to come before
the Senate. He was not to derive his authority
from the government Of the United States. He
could easily foresee that they could not 60 on long
with such system without great hindrance and
obstruction. Nevertheless it was not, as he had
said, his purpose to offer any formal opposition to
the bill They would grow wiser by experience;
and if the war should ast-which God forbid
they would see the proprcty of having provisional
army for short enlistment, kept distinct corps for
all purposes OF promotion and organization, des-
tined expected to be temporary and occasional in
its use and character, but nevertheless differed by
the government of the United States the election Of
the soldiers and subordinate ofcers is considered adj
visable just well as by the authority Of this gov
eminent or of the States Then there would be
difficulty expected in executing the fourth
ton of the recent law-however modified by the
present--n some of the States. The President, by
the law passed the other day, authorized to
cept the services of volunteers by regiments &C. In
some Of the States the militia was local. 1t was so
in the State Of Massachusetts,. There might be-
he did not know that there was-some provision by