The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-23

Now. sir. (said Mr. b. it must be recollected
that the people of Illinois would be very glad TO 60
and garrison those posts. IL would DO poor ex-
cuse for raising an army 70 protect the frontier
against few struggling indians. how long was
The Texas army TO be kept In the heldl IL peace
should continue, they must soon be sent back II
there were not troops enough now, then LET the
western nhemen be employed when additional force
should be necessary and when their service was
over, let them return to private citizenship.
Mr.. CHlPMANwould not, he said, follow the gen
teman In all his random excursions; but he would say
that gave him great pain TO find that the gentemans
zeal in behalf Of Oregon had 80 much abated, and,
perhaps, il had been occasoned by the sPPrehsn-
sion that the tariff of l842 which so deep dis
grace 10 our statute book, was now in some danger
The gentleman said that there were not 81 members
who would stand up to-day for Oregon. The gentle
man had come TO the opinion that all our speeches
were made for Blfne0mbs, and that all the PROBES
sons Of patriotic zeal for the maintenance OF our
rights in Oregon were sheer hypocrisy The gem
tleman had now found that economy was indsPen-
sable in the public expenditures
Where was his economy when he voted for the
harbor billl
The gentleman from Indiana tMr. McGAUGHEvl
had forgotten that the policy Of his party required
expenditure in order TO uphold the tariff Of
1912. When that question should come before the
House, he would wish to occupy day in show
ing the manner in which that system ena-
bled dunghill sTstoeracy TO fatten on the
blood Of the millions; but that hour rule put
every one in a straightjaeket, and prevented him
from stating his views TO the country, or in such
manner as to lie understood by reporters, or by
friend or foe. The gentleman from Illinois was OPP
posed TO these regiments on the score Of their eS
pense; but he (Mr. c. would rather expend two
hundred millions on any constitutional object than
TO leave money in the treasury TO become a source
Of political corruption. No capital was TO be made
by preaching against extravaganza and against APP
preparations for legitimate and proper objects The
people Of the United States were not TO be humbug-
ged by any such pretences. They only asked for
fair distribution Of the money, not for corrupt
ing fund for purchasing up States and consolidating
the government 10 crafty few wing spectators.
They asked for such system as would impose
tax on property and not on labor. And they would
be willing TO draw the last red cent from the treas
ury, rather than il should DO the means Of conup-
ton.
He would 90 into the State Of Illinois. where mil
itary spirit was at a low ebb, and he did not be-
lieve that he could get there corporafs gusrd for
the defence of the frontier. No, sir, nor in the
State Of Michigan either He had had the honor
Of holding a commission as brgadier general in the
militia and whilst he had carried his bloodess lau-
res the gentleman had achieved great victories in the
Mormon war. He therefore deferred to the gen.
gentleman's superior skill in such matters.
"A voice. "Did you not say that Michigan could
take Canada in ninety days. How do you propose
to do that''l
Mr.. CHAPMAN. do not expect to do it by
sending troops from Michigan, or from any other
quarter, to Canada. ! expect to take Canada, not
by force, but by the spirit which manifested itself
in the patriot war. believe that that spirit which
was then crushed by British power, would rise
again, il backed by the government, and redeem
Canada. did not expect to conquer Canada by
detailing citizen soldiers from Illinois, Michigan
either
Our standing army (Mr. c. said) was 1000 men,
and it was reduced to that number not long
ago from ten thousand. We had been reducing
the army, and under what state OF facts While
we were extending our frontiers, and adding vast
territory; and while we had the Cumanches and
Seminoles, and other warke and revengeful In
dian tribes our borders, we were reducing the
army. He would ask, il, under present crcum-
stances, an addition Of fourteen hundred men to
our standing army could be considered rs extrava-
CAN'T Was il not much better than 10 employ citi-
soldiers to take turns in defending the frontier
II was libel on the spirit Of patriotism which per-
vaded people, to say that they were opposed to
such an expenditure. IL was said that we had got
seven thousand men, and that they were enough to
fog all the world, and the Indians besides; but it
was necessary, in his opinion, that we should have
a few troops in order to take Of the forts
and public property, and TO show the Indian tribes
that it the policy of this government TO protect
the western frontiers.
We withdrew our regular troops from the frontier.
1t would require no prescience to know that our
people would suffer from the malignant hostility Of
the savage tribes. II was true there might be no
war with England for the maintenance Of our rights,
for there could be no struggle for them when men
shrunk from the defence Of their country, and sug-
gested to Great Britain that it political n.y.
pocrisy in statesmen to claim any rights in Ore
gon.
Ru, UNA INV one M a;lv az IN sunnose That these
two regiments were to be raised for actual war;
Still there might be war; and in that case, unless
made this preparation, our frontier people would
be murdered by the Indisns, under British instiga-
ton, the moment the war began, and before ade-
quate protection could be provided for them
The West had been accused Of encouraging
extravagant expenditure, because they asked that
a fair portion Of the taxes paid by them should be
appropriated to the improvement of their rivers and
harbors, so to enable them to send their produce
to the East, for the purchase Of their manufactures
Here Mr.. G. went into an argument to show that
the protective tariff bore very heavily upon the
western agriculturst.
| Mr.. l. Z. HOLMES took the floor, and offered
the following amendment TO wit
Propided That all appointments of officers in the two re
giments shall be made by transfers promotion from thu
officers Of the present army Of tho United States.
| On motion of Mr.. HOLMES, the committee Their
| rose
! Mr. HARRISON offered resolution to termi
nate the debate at o'clock tomorrow.
Pending which, Che hour growing late,) tht
House adjourned.