Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-04-02


Special Message
DOCUMENT
hrylaii0a 10 TIE erpsuicscg b psegsasige tlr ,73
st1sy offences n TIC cosultYg
Wan DEPARTMENT.
December -, lSs5
Sir herewith return 10 youthe res8lufop
which you sent 70 fne on the 2Sd instant tn
recommendations in my report Ia the Pyesilsn-
Of the 2slgh ultimo have reference "a M
manent peace establishment. Under any IN.
cumStances, am convinced thar our sea caasf
and northern frontier should have hrre,
force stationed on them than they now have
or the department can now place there by AM
proper disposition il can make Of the rerpsi
army atthls time. The number Of ifoops now
in Texas, cannot, under present circulns,aa.
ees, be icssencd. There ought not to Be- less.
indeed think there should be more uoops 81,
the Indian frontier Should the suggestion
the report, to increase the rank and fle 81 CON
panies 70 sixiy-eight or eighty-iour priyats.
be approved BY Congress and carried ogi.
there would be disposahlc regularforceffbe
forts and Notifications on the seaboard and nor
thern and western frontiers; butihis force weeH
not furnish adequate garrison IN case ofaRap
pretended attack. Besides. il woud rcqur
some months to raise the men, in lie old req
menis, and get them in position Should tbs
suggestion meet with favor, still think jha,
authority should be given to the President 70 ac.
cept the services OF yosun,eercompanies squad
rons, hattalions, regiments, and State troeny
for term not exceeding one year Our stu
alton may be such that, for the mere purpose of
defence, these volunteer troops OF miltin, 10
the number Of fifty thousand. may BE- needed
Under the direction of the Executive, the num-
Der actually received would be regulated BY
circumstances The present Notifications On
the seaboard, as well as temporary defence
which must be resoued to in case of threatened
hostlities. must be garrisoned; and thenumbg
have mentioned, IN addition to our regular
force, unless it was greatly increased. would
certainly not be more than sufficient to pul tbs
country in reasonable state OF security IN case
ola war with Great Britain On the northern
frontier, where there are now stationed only
about four hundred and eighty men, provision
should be made for placing, on the shorteslno
tee, n force equal 10 that IN Canada which
could be brought To assail that frontier if hostit
ties from that quarter should be reasonably an
pretended. There are at this time about sey
en- thousand regular British troops in that Pre-
vince. should prefer, in ease il was neccssa
nv TO call in the aid ofthe militia for the defence
of the country 10 obtain the troops required by
the acceptance Of volunteers, rather than BY
the present mode Of making requiston on
the executives Of the States, and leaving i 10
them 10 raise the number required BY draught
Sc, though it Is probable that in most ihstan
ces the number required by the latter mode
would be volunteers Volunteers would b.
likely TO do more effective service when 6r
called out, than draughied militia-men. |
would respectfully refer you 10 the acts Of Con
gress on this subject. See vol. 3. us Law,
chap. 40, session Of 1856; chap. 1919, session
of 1880
In relation % raising additional regiments,
refer YOU 10 my views as expressed in my r.
port TO the President, and by him sent 70 Con
gross.
In reference to peace establishments wouh
recommend two new regiments. j The suggcs
ton to increase the rank and file of the present
companies should not be favorably received
In the present aspect Of our foreign affairs,
this mode Of augnentng the regular force o.
the country cornmends itself TO my judgment
These regiments. should they b. raised. are e
be in addition 70 the troops proposed to be raj
sed 10 garrison the chain of posts To the Rocky
Mountains.
With this communication send 70 you
statement from the general commanding iAf }
army, containing his views of the number q
troops required TO man the Notifications, Sc
With a view to give YOU full and aulhmat I
information in regard TO the several matters
embraced in the resolution which you sent % 4
me. have required statements from The lp
gincer and Ordnance bureaus, and herewao 4
transmit them to YOU Il is, in my opinion, 4
important that the information, in all its de- \
tails. rs set forth in these documents, should
not be made public. ! trust the comnlitee
viii concur with the opriety Of this suggfs
ton.
forbear to reiterate the suggestions in ths 4
report of the chief engineer, in regard tohe iof
tifcations. temporary delences, &c, but con-
mend them TO the favorable consideration q
the committee. The appropriations which h
suggests are large, but not more so than li-
safety Of the country requires IN the conlingen q
cies he contempates. The increased expen n
diture upon permanent works Is an oulai "a
that must be made in the course or very ltT
years, and, in my judgment, sound policy % III
dictates that il should be in the power o.
government to expend Immediately, what, I'D
der other circumstances, might be allotted
such objects for two or three years. II VIII
recoected that the costs OF the pennane
works will not be increased by accelerate
the completion them. The same rsnaIl
are also applicable TO the expenditures iof 81
maments, ordnance stores, &c. But It Il sheuo
be deemed inexpedient by the cornHlaiee
present 10 Congress, at this time. Inc Mss ~
preparations suggested in the reports o.
chief engineer and the officer al the hell ~
the ordnance bureau, or If there wou@
likely to be considerable delay IN geiihg V
bill, making such appropriations, tfoa.'
Congress. would respectfully recolahte
that the appropriations forfortificatons ana y 81
and munitions Of war, asked Y
in the estimates already submitted from ~
department, should be granted without aeo.
and that the restriction which confines ne e #
penditure Of them 10 the fiscal year shQuh
so far removed as to allow resort TO oaeln u
once.
lis considered important that the woIk
forts and Notifications should be prescott n
with vigor, and at the earliest pracucaoe a
rod and that the department should Rh0' 4
what means it can command in the course #
a few months, that il may forthwith MAJ
arrangements for using them
IS equally important that it should be at gu
apprised Of the means which will be place.
lis disposal for the armament, ordnance so
Sc. now wanting TO make up fullsupp{ / IN
time is required to iabrlcaN 81
~ ordnauce So and nrepaTatOne caIhli M