Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-01-16
CONGRESSIONAL.
DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
The House being in Committee of the Whole the
Of the Uno and having under consideration the bill to raise
for limited time additional military force
Mr.. CALEB B. SMITH, Of Indiana, commenced by
observing that the subject Immediately before them the
bill from the Military Committee for the temporary increase
Of the army of the United States by adding to ten reg
Of regular soldiers AS to the proprety OF this
there existed Of course diversity of opinion For
his part he had not been able TO any good TO
justify its adoption The correctness OF this view would be
apparent when gentlemen to consider that there al
ready law in full force increase the army by six thousand
men beyond its present number Why not this addition
maJ- before asking for bill The United States
cns Gers had been actively engaged in various parts OF
country but all their efforts to recruit men for the service
had been utess The Government had been utterly unable
to fill the army to the limit authorized by law How, then,
did gentlemen promise themselves and the country to fill
ranks by passing bill such that proposed Mr. D.
did believe that such thing expected by the
thors Of the BILL did he believe that the President himself
supposed that he would be able to get the men proposed
Why, them the bill pressed upon the House, upon Con-
gress and the country Why were the merits of our
brave volunteers who had been and still exposing their
lives pescntal climate, well to the balls and bayo
the enemy virtually treated with contumey by bring
ing forward bill of this character When the enthusiasm
of the country had been awakened and men fockng in
every direction rally round the national Standard why must
they be told that the prosecution Of this could be
trusted them Had volunteers in the field
shown that they fully adequate the conduct Of the
war, prosecuted must be Had they not manifested the
highest degree Of courage, skill patience and military ardor
Who would rise here and negative that position Why them
Congress called upon for ten additional regiments of
guar soldiers TO that question there could be but
swelhe Executive desired the passage of this bill that lie
might have in his hands the patronage resulting from the APP
poinment of five six hundred officers And
the patronage of the Executive Department of this Go
vernment already sufficiently overgrown Was not its in
fuence in the Government sufficiently baneul Had not
sed the voice of emonsance and changed the opinions
and the of me he
not their opinions for he had himself the votes of
Representatives here changed when he knew that their opn
ions not The object of this bill manesy to give
to the President Of the United States additional patronage
and this asked with the full knowledge that the pro-
vided for in the bill could not be raised. ~.
Mr.. S, went on to say that in debate in Committee of
the Whole peculiarly appropriate TO look somewhat in
to the general condition of the affairs of the country Mr. s.
should make further remarks directly upon the BILL
But there man, however strong friend of the
listing Administration, however serve he might be
ng out all its measures, who could fail to that the Gov
sinking daily under the utter imbecity of the
Administration who controlled it. Contrast the condition of
the country this day with that which had exhibited but two
years ago. The present Administration had into power
by majority Of the popular every Department of the
Government had been filled with its friends the revenue
ample for all its the Treasury full and oveowng
the national credit unimpared; peace with
all world and the Administration found moreover
a surplus of ten millions at its disposal in the Treasury
Two years had elapsed since that fatal 9TH of March, and
Mr. 5. might ask where public credit Instead
of peace with all the world the dark cloud of which had
been long lowering the country had at length broken
into storm, and sweeping the land the ten
millions surplus the Treasury had been wasted the Trea
suy empty and bankup and that national credit which
this Administration had received unimpaired
that Treasury bonds hawked through all cities and
none found SO the Government buy them
Mr. g. fully that in attempting TO speak Of these
things he should draw down upon his head those
which had been literally poured out by the Executive up
on others but long he enjoyed the honor of seat
that floor he should pursue that independent and fearless
which became the Representative Of free people If
he aspred nothing else he aspred to thsan Independent
discharge of the public duties which had been imposed upon
him by his constituents. "... ...,...
Extraordinary efforts had been made and still making
prevent investigation of the of the existing
The friends of the Executive insisted that gentlemen here had
right make such inquiries but that they must occupy
their in that House and quietly sanction by their votes
whatever the Executive do wish to do without breath
ing expression of dissent The history of the world would
show that just such doctrine had been resored 10 when
the friends of human liberty lifted their voices its defence
Immediately the cry raised Treason Treason Just
If the voices of free Representatives to he senced
In great and memorable struggle with Great
Britain her assumption of power to tax her colonies
the eloquent voice of Patrick Henry among the first to be
raised in behalf of the rights Of the colonies and he
aragnng the Legislature Of his native State the tyranny
and expressions of George ILL., he said that Cesar had had
his Bruus and Charles l. had had his CROMWELL and George
iii. might No sooner the words uttered,
before the complete, the cry of Treason
Treason " raised every side to put him down. The
heard now-and from quarter where 1t had
been least expected.
Great complaints had been uttered against the gentleman
from Tennessee, Mr GESrRr because he had spoken in
plain and pointed terms of the Of the Executive in
laon to the But what right had the President to
plain, who but two since, was only private citizen,
but who had proper lose all selfespect and all
regard to official decorum brand all those who differed
from him in opinion with the charge Of gvng aid and
fort" the enemies of the country Did become him to
complain who in advance, and for the purpose Of sencng
all inquiry into his OF measures had darcday dared
brand the minority in that House traitors their
country Mr. s. should consider himself having deserved
all the reprobaion which attempted to upon him
self and all who thought and acted with him. If he had
Independence enough stand and the country Of his
Of usupaon-f he did point eyes Of his consti
tuents Executive tyranny whenever il sought TO
power denied by the constitution.
They were told however, that showed want Of patriot
ism to inquire now the which had led to the
want Of patriotism Why there patriotism but
that which manifested itself by the achievement of victories in
the field Was patriotism to be shown only in the support
of Mr. s. had been in the habit OF supposing there
higher claims patriotism than these The high
est the purest patriotism evnced in keeping country
in the rghn guarding and preserving untouched the sacred
provisions Of the constitutions and keeping free from tanish
the fair fame of country in causing that name to he re-
speced Abroad and in maintaining the purity OF all our ns,l
tutons But gentlemen told them they must wait till the war
over then they might investigate Yes wait I'LL Mexico
first comprehension annoyedl thousands on thou
sands Of brave citizen soldiers had persisted IN battle or
by the diseases Of sicky cline; wait till millions on millions
of the public treasure should have been expended and ma
tona debt created that press like incubus upon
ton to mankind and them after millions Of and
md