The Arkansas banner., 1846-05-13

oi the government having placed upon the frontier of Arkansas the Florida Indians, who entertain (to say the least et ID no kind feel ings towards our citizens, or towards their neighboring tribes, and who can only be trus- ted when you have force sutiieent 10 deter them from acts of hostility; nor will time now suffice 10 dwell on the deplorable condition ol the remnant of that once brave and power fnl nation, the ChcrokceS From them the ichite men have no fear of hostities; but dis sensons among themselves, leading to intes- tne wars and murders, must eventually end in the destruction of that gallant people, if the government does not interfere, as it is in honor and by treaty boand, to protect them from themselves and from each other. Thus far nothing has been found capable ofresrnin- ing them from their own destruction but the strong arm of the government.
 MT. Chairman, the ssarmy of oecupation'' | in Texas has drained from our frontier more than half our force, and has left us almost deenceless The same complaint is justly made upon the seaboard, where many of the Notifications are left without men enough to take care of the guns. How long we are to remain in this defenceless condition, will, in great degree, depend upon the temper and tone of the Mexican government, and the movements, of the Mexican troops on the Rio Grande for presume that state of un- certainty as 10 the final result of our difficult l lles Wllh lhal government. cannot much lnn- ger exist Either peace or war must soon be definitely determined on But ill the na- 'nral course ot events, VIC cannot hope for a return ol the troops from Texas in less than twelve months, if so soon.
 therefore urge the necessity of an mme- dldte increase of the army--an increase sulIi- cient to insure quiet and protection to every l portion oi our vast frontier; and the Com mIltee on Military Affairs hnye estimated that two new regiments of rllcmen, with the ad- alton oi ten men to each company of the dragoons, artillery, and infantry, will give d force adequate 10 the cXigencies Of the service.
 Mir YELL said he desired briefly to explain the reasons which led him To prefer the plan proposed by the Committee on Military AT lars ol the House, of raising two regiments of rlilemen, to that contemplated by the Sen ate bll, authorizing one additional regiment of dragoons. He believed the service did not require an additional force of mounted men, The cavalry force was already sul- clent, if properly stationed. and with the mix ed corps of artillery and rilemen, the two ex- isting regiments of dragoons were sufficient 10 protect the whole western, south, and north western frontiers, and the route to Ore gon. They were not required for any other l portion of the country. He admitted that they were an indispensable corps for the frontiers, but argued that there was necessity to Increase their numbers, if the stock ade forts were manned by companies of riAemen The drigo5ng were only needed on the prai- rles, and to give chaee to the enemy, should they attempt to disturb the posts, or attack the emigrants on their route to Oregon.- 1 Again on the score of economy, a vast diff ference was found to ex,sl-a regiment of dragoons, according 10 the estimates received from the War Department, costing the gov ernment about $210,000 per annum while the proposed two regiments of rifldmen would be charge to the government of only about l S220, ,00O-making the cost of one regiment ol dragooIs come within fraction of the sum required for both regiments of rinemen As matter ol economy, therefore, he would l prefer the latter.
 MT. Chairman, (eon,inued Mr. YELL, permit me here to say d few words in defence of our gallant army. We have been told o the "superannuatedo and s.snpernumerary' officers of the army. ] consider the charge
 implied by these appellations to be gfaluIt- ous, and not founded i'll fact. By reference to the report of the condition of the army, il will be seen that all, or nearly all, the olli- cels are employed in arduous and Iaboriorrs 1 duties
 MT. JAMES A, BLACK, Mir, Y. yielding 1 in an explanation upon this point, said thai he report from the proper department show ed that we now have three officers to every forty. men, and ninety-ive Sssupernumcrary' officers beside. He therefore, distinctly said i that they were supernumeraries. He had always said in this House, and he repeated, l that these men are employed, butsthey are femployed in place of officers who are either on furlough, or who are incapacitated for service on account of age or disease. He l further expressed himself in ivor of ihe bill, and wished an amendment made to it prov- ding for the immediate dsbandng of these regiments when they should not be needed 1 for the defence and interests of the country.
 Mir. HARRISON, (Mr. YELL still yielding, ) upon this collateral question of supernumer- ary officers, referred for the information of the House, to the report of the commanding general of the army, made to the Secretary of War, and communicated 10 Congress at the commencement of the present session; in which. speaking of the supernumeraries, he says .'95 brevet second lieutenants, grad uates of the Military Academy--strangely called 'supernumeraries'-are" by act o Congress of the year l8-, ssaltached to com panies, and doing duty with thetn "
 MT YELL resumed his remarks, and said my friend from Georgia MT. HARALsoyI has given a true statement of the toi1dit6n' of the ''supernumeraries." They are the young cadets who have not been made second lieu tenants, but who are all. 1 believe, actively engaged in the service, and doing duty, some ! of them as lieutenants, and some, believe, even in the commando companies Thus they are on duty without either the pay or the honor of a commission for the stations which they fill with so much credit to them selves and advantage to the government.
 feel that il is due, MT. Chairman, to the service, and to those young officers, to place them right before the country. It is but