The daily union., 1846-05-04

"dtscretOn" with rank anu amuehOo-easOfb only
with glorious death. .., ..... .F .
Another INSTRUMENTATION OF gentlemen Is, that
the creation Of this regiment looks towards hostility
with Great Britain. The President recommends II
for no such purpose. Independent and irrespective
Of the insecurity Of our relations with foreign
tons, humanity and sound policy require IT. Con-
gress and The eOuntry seem TO be iniany uneon.
seions OF the fact that We have valuable and grow
ing commerce upon the prairies OF the Far West,
and the lives Of American citizens there TO protect
against the treachery, piracy, and hoAully Of nu-
nieTous waTke bands Of savages. These interests
are distinct from the interests and security OF the
immediate western frontiers. In 1883, perhaps, the
first regiment Of dragoons was raised in 1896, the
second. The hrst was Commanded by General
Dodge, nov by Colonel Ksarneyi the second, by
Colonel Twiggs. They were designed, as far as he
understood TO protect the frontiers and 70 restrain
the saysges inhabiiing the frontiers from warring
upon each other. AT tho time they were created,
frontier extended only from lake Superior to the
Sabine. Since then, il has been extended from the
Sabine, several hundred miles, through rowing and
savage bands, 10 the Rio Grande. IL these regi-
ments were only Sufficient for the service 10 which
they were originally assigned, much less are they
competent 10 that which demands the atlsetion OF
the government now, and still less, since The second
regiment has been ordsrsd 10 joint srmy Of oosn
pation, under General Taylor, upon the oonhaes OF
Mexico. ... -. ......
The regiment now proposed ia desisusd neither
for the exiseDcy of eollsion with England nor for
the froniieT service mentioned. Ii is specially do
signed 10 protect American snigration and ths COM
merce Of the praires The magnitude Of these In
lerests will appear from the suboined extract Of
publication which lately appeared in the "Union"
newspaper, and for the correctness OF the state
ments OF which Mr. MIC. youehed the authority Of
Mr.. William Glpin, gentleman Of honor, inteIi-
genee, and Verscity, and who had visited Oregon by
the overland route, and was now citizen OF lnde-
Pendenee, Missouri. He says
-Four great Trails adsts towards the west from indie
%" The Missouri river 70 the north into the countries Of
the Crows Blackiset Orosventes Blood Indanl Assini
bOins and than forty tribes rich In furs Wild
wsrliks, and numerous The trade Of the Missouri n'sr
embraces l2O. 900 Indians
-! The Oregon trail passing BY the Great Platte to the
sheyennes HalfBTeeds, Arapahoes ATiekarses shosho
uies, BsnnaekI and Yutas-eS,OO1
Upon this uai are the osageS Pawnses Cumanches
Eiowss ArspahOes, sheysnns', APaches, Yutss-n all
4OO0O
- The Texas trail passing for the part thro ugh
the territories Of the Chocaw Cherokees and other loca
ted lndians-45 900 in number
These Indians are all nOmadic tribes Of the great plains
subsng buffalo and other game-as elk deer antelope
grsy bear beaver otter PorenPlne koahd the natural
shoShonee Bannsck Crow, and Baekieet tribes reside
within the Rocky mountains but visit the plains to hunt
An immense commerce /. carried on with these ttibss
and through the countries which they inhsbit
LIST The trade In buffalo robes buffalo calves furs rel
tries horses mules buekskns mOcessns cuTiosiiss and
~ The Mexican trade In specie merchandise gold
dust robes Periss blankets, horses mules Mexican sad
Sd An immense emigration to Oregon and Cslio Ma
by One n and to Texas BY another The former perod
cal with the seasons the latter constant both vigorous
well established and annually augmenting in value and
numbers ......
Under these separate heads. behold the value in money
companies, partnerships and lndifidusis.
"fhe supplies for the Indian trade transported In
the Rocky mountains along their whole range from New
1l Ms.ieo to the British boundary line s,..oooo
At si each 10000
othei Items calves buckskins peltries 36 900
Added these Is the OF the annuties paid the
Indians Of the frontier which into the horder states
in exchange for merchandise and cattle
zone thousand Americans engaged, directly and in
directly, in the prosecution OF this trade ..... ..
"The Mexican trade passing across the Indian country
penetTstes far Mexico city, aud 0uymas and Mstst
Ian upon the Pacific No doubt upward Of 81 900 Of
capital and 400 employed in this trade which Is
from the drawback given by the last Consrsss
The trade returns annually besides robes furs pethes
mules and horses 500 900 in Mexcah silver coin and gold
dust The exports to Mexico silks woolen and cotton
fabrics shoes cutlery wagons pleasure carriages playing
other routes from Arkansas Texa, also share in this
Mexican aportion Of the returns OF which
home by sea
"The emigration Oregon. passing into that territory
by The sources Of the Platte and Arkansas rivers has
been '
I'm lsa2. 1877 men, women, and ehidren in isI3, $40
men, women, and children and 800 head Of cattle; in
1874 l47S men. women and children and 5000 head Of
and 1900 head OF cattle and sheep.
These emgrating parties, together with smaller ones
by sea from the mountains and from California make the
American population Of Oregon about sOoo which added
$50 British gives the strength Of the white population
The emigration to Texas has been yet many times
greater than that to Oregon and great traffic attends
the passage Of many parties through the Indian coun
tries" ..t
The regiment proposed Is intended to protect these
interests and the human life involved in them. Its
field of operations will include the wilds on both
sides Of the Rocky mountains. To the east of these
mountains, vast plains, for the most part open ex-
tend from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic seas,
and from the border settlements of the States TO the
base of the same mountains These plains are in
habited by 100000 savages, skilled in horsemaa.
ship, expert in the use of the bow and arrow, and
are formidable for their predatory habits, strategy,
and warlke spirit. They resort, many tribes Of
them from the distant regions Of New Mexico on the
SOUTH and the Saskatchewan on the north, 70 the in
termediate valleys Of the Platte and the Missouri
periodically; there to hunt buffalo for the meat and
the skins they afford to trade, to rob, and to plum
der. ".e .. ..,h .. ....
Over these plains, thus inhabited by fierce nomad-
ic tribes, commerce and emigration are left TO fight
and force their way. For the want of adequate and
merited protection, both have seriously suffered.
amount Of property, have been lost independent Of
the restraint imposed upon the increase ofemgraton
and Of commerce. laI.t o... w, .@ rt
When the border settlers arc hard pressed by
overpowering numbers Of savages, they may retire
upon the interior settlements, and there Ind safety
and protection But not so with the trading and
emigrating parties Of he praries. When they have
once penetrated these dsrth tbs, they must press on
for it is worse to 60 hack than forward.
Without the aid of government, the daring and IN
genuiry of American citizens have adopted discl-
pline, which, some extent, protects them against
these dangers 1t may not be unnterestng or un-
profitable to notice it. An emgratng party, for ex-
ample, rendezvous in the vicinity OF independence,
Missouri There preparations are made to embark
upon the great prairie ocean; wagons are repaired or
purchased; mules and cattle procured; provisions
laid in; rifles and ammunition secured against ex-
posure; day and place for a grand council APP
pointed upon the edge Of the Indian country, to
which all repairas their equipments are completed
Here, in the general assembly OF the males, militia
ry organization is adopted every thing necessary
for the journey prescribed, and submitted to the in
specton of committees; and whoever or whatsoever
is deficient is rejected officers aro selected; the
whole party distributed into guards, and duties as