The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-08

/ ing fort He did not say whether he should vote
i for regiment Of mounted mon or not. He thought
however, he was ready 10 do 80, inasmuch a. il
had been recommended by the President, and In
sisted on by the department, as necessary To the
protection OF the Oregon emgrants. But he behey-
| ed that We have enough, and that the better plan
i would DO 10 mount portion Of those now ia the
service. We had already two Of the finest cavalry
regiments in the word-the 6rst and second drs.
goons. And he thought that the amendment Of the
! gentleman from Ohio, 10 raise regiment of rife.
men, amounted to nothing because under the act of
1913, the President had tho power to make rihemen
| to- morrow.
Mr. Y, in the course OF these remarks, yielded
| the floor for purposes Of explanation, 10 Messrs
! BRINKERHoFF, JEFFERSON DAVIS, STAN.
TON, RArHBUN, and MCCONNELL,
Mr.. HARRISON read the section OF the act re-
fered to- (remarking that il did not give the Pres-
dent the power to raise the Kind Of force required
for this seIyice,) and which is in the following
words;
| find be u further enacted, That the President
shall be, and he il hereby authorized, whenever he
may deem the same expedient. 20 cause not exceed
ing two Of the regiments Of infantry 10 DO armed
| and equipped, and 10 serve a regiment Of rife
men, and one other Of the regiments Of infantry to
be armed and equipped, and to serve as a regiment
Of light-lnfantry."
/ Mr.. q. w. JONES then continued. He was
(he was understood TO say) correct in the opinion
he had formed. He had not understood tho law as
authorizing the President to mount any portion Of
the infantry, but To make riAemen and lighlinfan-
ry Of them. What, then, the proposition in
the bilR twas 10 increase the army by the add
/ ton OF one other regiment beyond the increase
which had been already authorized. And upon
i what ground That on this particular service We
must have hardy western pioneers--hunters-that
the present army was Of class and character Of
men unit for the service. But what did this bill
| PROPOSE To enlist men, and TO make them com
Ponent part OF the regular army also. He under
stood something Of western character; and he ap-
/ peaed to every member from that portion Of The
| Union to say, whether these hardy, independent
iberty-loying men wonld take the bounty proposed
| by this blR No; IL the bill was passed, men would
be enlisted Of precisely the character as that
now composing the rank and file Of the army, what
ever that might be. II the kind of men indicated by
gentlemen was desired, IL would be necessary to
change the whole character Of the bill Ito convert it
into bill authorizing the organization ola regiment
OF volunteers, with power TO elect their officers
Ito select them from the ranks or otherwise, az
they pleased. Then would there be something 10
stimulate their pride and ambition.
I Mr.. SAWYER desired to ask question. The
gentleman suggested that the officers should be Ia
ken from the rank and file. Could this be done un-
der the constitution Of the United Statesi
Mr.. JONES Ny proposition was, that instead
Of raising a regiment OF regulars we should au-
thorize the raising Of a regiment Of volunteers for
this Oregon service They could then take their Of
fcers from where they pleased; and, in his opinion,
the only way in which an American citizen should
ever serve soldier under this provision, tina,
he should elect his own officers.
! Mr.. J. moved that the committee rise, with view
to the adoption Of resolution in the House terni-
mating the debaie.
Mr.: MCCONNELL hoped the motion would not
prevail.
The question was taken, and the COMMITTEES re-
fused to rise.
Mr.. w. w. CAMPBELL then obtained ,hs
floor, and addressed the committee generally on the
subject Of native American principles and in vim
dication Of the course Of that party.
i Mr. c. yielded the floor for explanation or inqui-
4 ry to Messrs. RArHBus, LAKE, and Woop.
Mr.. WOODRUFF followed in the same train Of
argument, and replying to some Of the positions
heretofore assumed by Mr.. DRoMeooLE.
Il Mr.. w. having made allusion to the influence
Of the foreign vote in Illinois, upon the decision Of
the late presidential canvass
i Mr.. McCLERNAND rose and asked the gentle
man from New York for permission to explain
And consent being given, Mr. McC. said that he had
understood the gentleman to say in effect that the
electoral vote Of the State of Illinois had been given
to Mr. Polk in the late presidential election in con-
sequence Of the foreign VOTE called OF that State
Il Mr.. WOODRUFF said that he believed the
wings had attributed the vote Of that State to that
| cause, ..'
Mr. McCLERNAND said the gentleman was no.
materially misunderstood by him. He desired to
say that il the democratic masses of illinois
who gave the vote of Illinois to Mr.. Polk. The
vote in his favor reached the pre-eminent majority
of about Is 600, and was made up no doubt, Of ma
tives and foreigners, but principally of nativc-born
voters. 1.-THE foreign vote united it only added an
other proof of their sagacity and patriotism.
Mr.. CHAPMAN obtained the floor, and yielded
Mr.. ST. JOHN, who gave notice of the following
amendment: ....' r.....s. -a...s..-
"Strke out $780, and insert 640' in lieu thereof;
and add after the words head of a family the
nd acre m each 9TH Ia If
such family" Z Eaa
i Mr.. CHAPMAN resumed and proceeded at
length in reply to Mr.. LEVIN and other gentlemen
who had spoken upon that side Of the question, to
give his views of the native American question,
tracing the history of that party from its inception
to the present, and condemning their obecs-ths
extension Of the period Of probation to foreigners to
81 years-as the most dangerous, the most fertile Of
evils, and the most runous proposition that was
ever advanced on this floor. He deprecated in
strong terms the efforts of the advocates Of this
| cause, like those of the kindred measure Of abo-
tlonsm, to mix them up respectively with every
question: of whatever nature was brought before the
consideration of this House. He defended the char
acter IN every respect, Of the great of the for
gnpopuiatIon, who have come to identify themselves
i with us, and make this their home, and condemned,
IN every point of view, the proposition to deprive
them OF the inestmable privileges Of citizenship for
u years. which would be for the whole life Of many
of them after they arrive on our shores.
.Ie Iomciuueu wan few remarks upon the merits
ofdhe bill. He wanted to see this regiment raised.
He wanted to see it mounted, to extend its aid and
be controlling force from one station TO another on
the route to Oregon to keep back and hold in check
the Indians, and afford protection aud security to
our emgrants.
Asa matter of economy, he wanted the whole or
portion of them las might be necessary mounted,
to save this government 100000 year In the trans
porting the United States mail to American citizens
4 who have gone thither to open up empire OF
drfr baa e. IL - ~
present oppressive system Of taxation abolished and
brought down to the REVENGE standard, and then he
wanted all proper economy observed in the expendi
lures the government but ifthe present system were
continued, which would raise thirty or forty mil
lions by the taxation Of one portion of the CON-
muny for the benefit Of another, if there could be
devised any system Of distribution--any system by
which il should be drawn out Of the treasury, and
carried back to the pockets Of the people thus OPP
pressed he would go for il; but when we came