The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-10


mere politicians however profuse In their professions,
and whesher made before or after presidential
election. II was a trte saying that commerce 10
the hShdmaid Of agriculture" In this country par
ticularly, the interests Of the agricultural, nauga
ton, and commercial ciasses, were So peculiarly
identified and united, that the decline or prosperity
OF one has ever been, and will be, the same with
| the other.
Mr.. w appealed to the friends OF free trade TO
rally IN support Of measure for nphoding the just
rights OF their natural allies IN the struggle for the
great principles they were contending for. They
surely might claim Of the benefits Of this gov
eminent.
Mr.. President, continued Mr. w. - the Amer-
can people a libel and patriotic people They
will never grumble account OF necessary taxation.
They will not approve Of false economy.
l heard the iusirious man who was elected tn
ths presidency in 1923, aud who for eight years sd
ninstsred ,he government with unsurpassed psfrie-
ism and 20 6rmy, many yesrs ago sxpress opinion
which thought was cossscs - uSong nsunfrs-
tion Of the rse character OF the American people
In conversation between him and several citizens
as TO the degree Of confidence 10 be placed in the in
trlgence and patriotism Of the masses, and the gem
eral correctness Of popular decisions on political
qIesuons, "Gentemen," (said President Jackson, }
81 have full confidence that il tomorrow exigeDcy
should occur requiring twenty millions for the pub
lie service, and should appeal to my countrymen 70
furnish IL by voluntary donation, all should have to
do would be To satisfy them Of the necessity OF its
being furnished, and II would he forthcoming with
out the aid Of the tax-gaihersr in thirty days" Old
Hickory was right The American people are pa
triotic and Just in their decisions. In the words
of a distinguished statesman, used some forty-sx
years since, they will cheerully yield millions for
defence, but not cent for tribute" do not fear
their condemnation Of this bill account Of the al
legation by its opponents that the amount appro-
priated is extravagant.
The historical fact that nearly half century ago,
UaH. he IHeUe
the party that elected him denounced an extensive
naval peace establishment, and that the hostility TO
a large navy was prevalent and strong that after
his election, TO avoid exciting IL, Mr.. Jefferson
was driven to adopt the ridiculous gun-boat
system, should have little effect at this time That
verdict Of the people has been set aside. IL was
decision made under excitement The navy was
heard in their defence in the Of 1912, and since
in the difficulty with Algers, ana the result has
been different verdict in their favor. The navy
has manfully, nobly, gloriously fought its way,
inch by inch into the affections Of the American
people. II is now, and justly, too, the avorite arm
Of protection and defence for the nation, and the
people will sustain it, Why, sir, as to the fact OF
Mr. Jefferson's boat theories being argument
against allowing the additional naval force pro.
vded for in the lst section OF this BILL and IN the
amendment Of the senator from Indiana, war steam
ers,) am surprised at its being urged When MIR
jefferson went out Of Office, the possibility OF using
for practical purposes IN propehng riverboats
or merchant vessels, much less to propel those
of war, had scarcely been imagined. MIR. Fitch, the
first who suggested its application to boats for nav
eating rivers, was jeered at as visionary ex-
permentsist. With profound respect for Mr.. JEFF
ferson, and for the senator from Mssssippi, with
whom, am happy to believe, coincide in opinion
most political qaestons,) may, think. venture
to deny that Mr.. Jefferson, or even General Wash.
ington, very high authority on the subject OF
steam-vessels Of war, and the policy OF adopting
diem a. q means Of naval defence. Neither OF them
ever dreamed Of a sieamIngate. =.
Bot surely the obicctions urged in Mr.. Jeferson's
time against the navy, when we reflect on the vast
increase Of our commerce SINCE on the unparalleled
growth of our population, on the fact that. by the
accession Of Louisiana, the Fordas, and Texas, we
have now nearly three thousand miles of additional
sea-coast to defend; and on the fact that we are
about, at the hazard of war, to extend iu-
rsdction over large extent Of seacoast on the Pa
cfc ocean, cannot, at this time, be urged with pro-
priety. We were then in our infancy We had
Just recovered from the effects Of the revolutionary
struggle. There was little danger Of war appre-
hended We have since grown till we have become
| in commercial importance second only to Great
Britain, and in few years if we are favored with
peace, and if the contamination. of our destiny is
not retarded by selfimposed restrictions, we shall
oustrip that great nation in commerce as far as we
now are ahead of her in the perfection Of our po-
litical institutions
But consider gentlemen mistaken as to the ex-
bill They seemed to believe that the amount
which this bill proposes was to be repeated annual
ly. Ii is not SO. Ii is a permanent outlay. The
| additional increased annual amount proposed to be
appropriated to keep the vessels provided to be built
in this bill in repair, will be comparatively small.
Senators seemed to think-at least the senators from
| Missouri and Aabama-that because the navy was
increased, therefore we should increase the army
in a corresponding degree. think the very
verse is the true conclusion Il will justify a re-
duetion, and hope ultimately the abolition, of the
| regular standing army as now constituted-a meas
ure which, ifit (the army)is not reformed, if it is
not recognized and improved and especially if war
comes | regard called for to preserve the honor
and reputation of the nation. Upon the hypothe-
that the increase of navy necessarily called for
| corresponding increase of the army, the senator
from Alabama denounced this bill as the entering
wedge for appropriations of 10000, 900 for the
present year, and great increase of annual ex-
penses. cannot admit the force Of this reasoning.
[Mr. BAGBY here observed, shat is If it is to be
| considered war measnre."1
/ Mr.. w. proceeded. The argument have urged
in reply, considering it a peace measure, applies
with additional force to it as a ,oar measure. In
! foreign war we must rely chiefly on the navy for
defence and protection, and for offensive war also
| Our militia is our reliance on land. II we had no
regular army we could never be conquered by in
vasion. The chiefus Of our regular army should
be to keep the savages our frontier IN order. Ii
should be reformed 20 that in former times, your
commanding general and his staff should be at the
most important frontier post, instead Of being here
at the metropolis Of the Union. Your other officers
should be in the field ,lready to fight at mo-
ment's warning. Now, the chief employment
of too many il ,criing neutrality-suspicious. on
subjects of which they have information, some.
times otherwise The better compensation and
easier duties while officiating in sort of military
clerkships in bureaus here, seem more agreeable to
many than frontier life. Sir, the nrmy-no part of
the fighting army--has any business at this place;
and until you put stop to the practice, until you
pack them all OF their proper duties and stations,
L will continue to be, as now is little respected by
the people. The people Of this country never will
follow the example Of the nations of Europe in
maintaining horde Of military loafers, who render
little service to those who feed and ciothe them.
But this is not a proper occasion to say more on
this subject Mr.. w. said he would hereafter make
such occasion. .. ......
Really sir fs judcious and proper course is adopt
ed, do not believe the adoption OF this bill, after
the first outlay, will occasion an additional annual
expense of half million Of dollars; and, sir, be-
lieye one-third OF the whole appropriated by