Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-07-24
PROSECUTION or THEWAR.V
FROM THE ALExASDRIA GAZETTE.

The Washington Union says that /" it is the fixed
determination of the Government TO prosecute the
war with all possible energy and oig0r" until
peace be obtained. With all due respect, we must
be permitted TO doubt it. Our gallant soldiers fght
with energy and vigor, whenever an opportunity is
afforded them, but as to any energy or vigor the
mart of the Administration i'll lis infringement OF
the war; we have yet for the first time to see il,
Suue on paper. In the very first war message OF
Mr.. Polk, on the lth May 1916, he invoked Con-
gress TO place at the disposition of the Executive
the means OF prosecuting the war with vgor, and
thus Fastening the restoration of peace" Two
days after, Congress placed al his disposal .Gty
thousand rolnulteers and ten millions in money.
On the 10th of June following, Mr.. Polk stated his
determination to prosecute the war vigorously"
and asked, in order that "no contingency should
be permitted 10 occur in which there would be a
deficiency in the Treasury for the vigorous prose-
cution of the war" that authority be given to
issue Treasury notes or to contract loan.' This
was granted. All the men and all the money sub
sequenty asked for have been granted, and all the
messages of Mr.. Polk have reiterated the determi-
nation of the Administration to prosecute the war
with all possible energy and vlgor Nothwlti-
standing all these professions, and notwithstanding
the fact that Congress has granted all the supplies
of men aad money asked for, except the Lieuten-
prosecuted vigorously in the sense in which the
Administration journals use that term.
Our troops have done all that brave men could
do, but they have always been left by the Admin
istration with such limited MEANS both OF men and
supplies, that they have never, IN single instance,
been able to follow up their victories they might
have done had the Administration performed It's
duty. So far from adopting or encouraging vi
gorous prosecution of the war, the Admlnlstra-
ton appears to have done every thing IN It's power
to prevent it, Instead of retaining and employing
the volunteers raised by Gen. Gaines, at a time
when their services would have proved of more i'm
portance probably than at any subsequent period of
the campaign, and when they could have been en-
ployed under the act of 18th May, 1916, they were
disbanded. subsequently thousands of volunteers
who offered themselves have been rejected, and it
is but few weeks since the services of a company
raised in Wilmington Del were refused, although
both Gen. Taylor and Gen. Scott are well known
to have their hands tied for want of troops. The
Union some weeks ago published elaborate state
ments showing that by the first OF July Gen. Scott
would be at the head of 10000 men, and General
Tavlcr at the head of 10000; and yet, at the last
dates from Gen. Scott, his force did not exceed
5000 effective men, including the garrisons at Jaapa
and Perote, while only about 1900 were on the
march from Vera Cruz to reinforce him; and Gen.
Taylor had only about 5000, including every man
bearing arms, from Brasos 10 Buena Vista. Thus
has it ever been and while the President has au-
thority 10 employ (regulars and volunteers) some
thing like $4,000 men, we doubt whether at any
one period since the war commenced we have had
one fourth the number in the field. With these
facts staring US in the face let US hear no more
from the Administration or It's organs about vi
gorous prosecution of the war.