Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-06-06


of his enemy He had made complaint against the Pes
dent had the gentleman from Kentucky any just ground
to do least of all ought such complaints be heard from
gentleman who insisted that there The Sc
que instead of usifyng complaint had furnished Of
the highest commendaon both the General and the Ad
mnstraon who had sent and who sustained him. Ample
hoy had been given him. and given in time, to enable him
call the strength Of the adjoining States TO his aid
Would the gentleman undertake to judge for General Taylor
and say that he had enough, when he could have
had more he had asked for them But Taylor knew his
position He was terrified at the strength Of his enemy.
He felt himself fully equal TO the emergency, and the result
had proved that he mistaken. Had the President
troops his relief then Immediately lamentation
would have been up that the Administration should send
at public EXPENSE such detachmens across the
Nueces when General had not asked for more Mr.
H. had heard complaint against either the General or the
President till the present speech of the gentleman from
Kentucky.
Mr.. H. here yielded the floor at the request Of
Mr. BRINKERHOFF, who wished to set the gentleman
from Kentucky right matter Of fact The gentleman
had charged that the President had promised Gen. Taylor four
thousand men, but that they not there Mr. b. held IN
his hand the official returns from Gen. Scott, made at the
commencement OF the session, from which appeared that
the number of under the command of Gen Taylor had
been 4079 While very true that at the time the late
battles occurred Gen. Taylor had at his disposal but twenty
three hundred effective men, it ought be remembered that
he had left five hundred garrison the fort opposite Matamo
and from four TO five hundred TO strengthen his POI
ston at Point Isabel while another detachment at San
Antonio, and few at other points in the neghborood
that when the facts looked at the gentemans whole
charge fell at once tn the ground.
Mr.. DAVIS here to explain. The gentleman from
Ohio knew ought know that the report of Gen. Scott
made the foundation that the companies full
The gentleman had said that there deficiency in full
filling the promise of the Administration. II had promised
Gen. Taylor four thousand Would that gentleman here
say that there had been any time that number Of
der the command of Gen. Taylor
Mr.. BRINKERHOFF replied that he would say there, in
his place, what Gen. Scott said in his official reurn that
a. L.Il
his command with the necessary deduction Of hundred
and ninety eight who absent duty.
Mr. DAVIS asked whether the gentleman could how
many efficient troops Gen. Taylor had had under him when
Mr. BRINKERHOFF said he would refer the gentleman
to the report of Gen Scott.
Mr.. HARRISON resumed AS to the number of efec-
tive with which Gen Taylor had achieved the late vico
ry very common army Of four thousand that
there should be six and eight per ready for duty In
instance, during the last war; such deficiency bad
amounted to IL and to IA per cent that it might
very well have happened that although forhousand men had
been sent according to pone yet deductng for the garr
absent well for the ordinary proportion not fit or
duty, that Gen. Taylor should have had but twenyhree
hundred actually in the field
Mr. DAVIS inquired whether the gentlemen meant to say
that the aggregate number of troops opposite Matamoras had
ever amounted to four thousand Or would they undertake
that the efficient force there had any time exceeded
three thousand
Mr. HARRISON observed that no official report of the
been received from him since the army took post oppo
site Matamoras but the official returns from Major General
Scott authorized him say that Gen Taylor had had under
his command more than four thousand Mr. H. here
quoted document from the duan General dated 9th Au
gust ls45, in which he stated the authority which had been
given Gen. Taylor make acquisitions for additional force
The power which had at first been confined to Texas, had
the month of August been extended to other neghborng
States. Mr. H. here again quoted the Adjutant Generals
report He added that worthy of remark that at the
time the attack made Gen. Taylor the forces he had
required had all been provided and their way. How
ever it was not MI HIS object to make party Speech to
undertake vndcate the Administration He had thrown
out these ideas only by way of reply.
Mr. II. object had been to discuss the bill reported from
the committee and he invoked gentlemen to attend calmly
and canddy while he endeavoed to the which
had induced the Military Committee TO report this BILL
And here he would say in the commencement that he
not aPpzed that that the plan which would be pursued
by the Administration in conducting this II theirs
to execute 1t belonged to Congress put at their dispose
the necessary means, if II intended to make this eff
cent and he trusted such arrangements would be agreed
to would enable the Executive bring it only
honorable but speedy termination Could any gentleman
wish that the whole force of thousand should
be disposed of upon the frontier that il should remain there
and do nothing That il should go and stand there and
till the Mexicans pleased attack IT, IT, indeed this
to be the plan Of the campaign, then he freely admitted
that there would be in appointing either major generals
brgader generals of accepting and organizing large
a force But if the plan to conduct with vgor
and make tell then the forces would not be detained the
Rio Grande but should If necessary invade the interior
of the country and compel peace honorable terms At
the time, he dscaimed all knowledge what
be the direction given to the force raised Who could
foretel what day might bring forth Should Paroles keep
himself within the walls Of Mexico might possibly become
necessary to make the capital either by the way
the coast by the way of Santa Fe both In such
might need general officers take command of the wings
of the army but much would necessarily depend the kind
of warfare which the enemy might offer. II Mexico should
present terms OF peace, then of the force would be
needed But should events render for to put
forth strength then efficient and well organized army
ought to be placed at the disposal OF the President
In the last numerical force had amounted to sixty
five thousand. How many generals had then BY re-
feng to the regular army for 1919 appeared that had
six major generals sixteen brguders in commission and two
brgaders by brevet and yet gentlemen complained Of
the increase Of general officers when pro-
posed TO add two major generals and four bgaders We
FIVE six brgaders by brevet In the last had
sixteen now had but six in ALL
The gentleman from Kentucky had insnuated that the
covert purpose OF the Administration in presenting bill like
this bad been to take the aues from the brow Of General
Taylor Mr. H. should feel himself unworthy Of the situation
he occupied unworthy of in this any other
bly, of honorable could he have consented be made the
unhoy instrument Of such purpose. The gentleman him
self could not feel higher stronger desire TO put merted
honor that brave and distinguished To steal his
laures How could such thought have entered into the
genteman's mind Had not the President given every
proof that gave him the highest pleasure minister him
the full need of honor he had molly won And had he
not given every pledge by his conduct that the would
I've retained i'd Gen. Taylos hands But how could this be
done under the law stood Gen. Scott the
only major general had could have and did gentlemen
desire TO put the whole army Of sixty thousand under
major general Did they not wish to afford him auxil
airy aid Should Gen, Scott be into the field the