The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-01-28

Mr.. ALLEN moved TO lay the resolution upon the
tables and on this question he demanded the yeas and
Mr.. CILLEY. viii the senator from Ohio withdraw
his motion
Mr. ALLEN Certainly, if the mover wishes to make
any remarks in explanation of his resolution. But |
shall renew as he shall have concluded, for
think it d best to, to dispose OF i at once
length support of his resolution His plan would be TO
withdraw the troops from Mexico in order thai they
might be concentrated at some point within the limits OF
the United Stateshere disciplined and rendered per-
feet possible, and thence marched into the heart Of
! Mexico body.
Mr. ALLEN then renewed his motion to lay the bill
upon the table; and upon this question the yeas and
nays ordered, and being taken, resulted follows
! YEAs-Messrs Allen, Archer, Ashley Atehison, Ather
BadSsT BaFy BeHG yioa ffGf i yg S
Corwn, Critienden Daon Dix, Evans, Fairfield Greene,
aSfa Hsas,1 nanaF s anss Ss
SEWER Speight, Sturgeon, Turney, Upham, Wcstcott
Woodbridge, and luee-ii
| So the resolution was laid upon the table
TIE ARMY BILL.
/ On motion BY MI BENTON, the Senate then proceed
ed to the special order, and resumed, in committee of
the whole the consideration of the bill from the House
TO raise for limited time additional military force
and for other purposes
The question pending was upon agreeing to the amend
ment submitted BY Mr. ATcHBoN; which is as follows;
Strike out the first five sections and insert
Tha the President of the United STATES be, aud h, is
hereby authorized accept The services OF ten regiments
OF volunteers 70 serve during the contoance othe present
with Mexico, unsss discharged, who sli all b.
raised, organized, commissioned, and paid i'll the same
manner, and under the regulations prescribed
in the providing for the raising of fifty thousand volun
teers, approved the 18th May, lSl6.''
| Mr. ATCHISON arose and said, he should not detmn
the Senate long with the remarks which he proposed to
make There had been degree OF dispeasure manifest
ed the part of portion of the Senate this
bill had been introduced by the Committee on Military
AtEsirs-not only towards this bill but also towards all
the prosecution of the war. The Senate would bear him
witness that he for had not given the slightest evil
dence of any intention to delay this any KIN
dred subject The question before the Senate was,
Would they authorize increase OF the regular army to
the extent of ten regimensthe to during the
war. The amendment proposed an alteration not very
eria as regarded the principle involved The amend
ment authorized the President to call into service ten
thousand volunteers, to during the WARRIOR the
same number of men, and the same term OF service The
first bill passed on the subject, the bill recognising the
existence Oh the That bill passed both houses OF
Congress within twenty-four hours from the time the
President submitted his message the subject and
this same BILL which recognised the existence OF the
war, placed the disposal of the President the army,
the navy, and the militia of the United States, in addition
to the authority to call into service fifty thousand yolun-
eers twelve months during the 1t also
appropriated ten millions of dollars for the same object
All that the President asked for was done Congress
promptly declared the existence of the authorized
the President to prosecute it, and made ample provision OF
men and means to enable him to do IT, On the same day,
he believed they authorized the increase OF the regular
army to degree amounting to more than one hundred
per centthe regular army numbering at that time be-
tween seven and eight thousand men They had now
not fifteen minutes since-passed a bill approprlating
twenty three millions of dollars the amount asked Tor by
the President for the further prosecution of the He
believed that the principal complaint against that meas
ure made on the other side of the chamber the want
OF time to examine the ball. The gentleman insisted that
OF the details Of the bill wrong, but made no
strenuous opposition to the main principle OF the bill
Some slight amendments were made to the Dl
and three days from the time that 1t came from
the House, ii became law This fact proved owe
the harmony with which Congess had acted In rela-
ton to all these measures. 1t proved that there was
no disposition on that side of the chamber at least to
throw obstacles in the way OF the President IN the pros
ecution of this war speedy and honorable termina
ton But the question now before them was whether
they would increase the standing army or whether they
would go on they had commenced with a volunteer
force That was the question By increasing the resu
lar army they would virtually acknowledge that they
had been in error thus far, IN part, at least But were
the men wanted Immediately? If so, could they raise
the thousand regular troops as speedily as they could
raise the same number of volunteers That question
was very important one to be determined what was
their experience the subject? They authorized the
President to increase the regular army some eight or nine
thousand men on the 18th of May last What progress
ing been made by the proper departments What was
the result of their efors They had fallen sho some
six or seven thousand of the number. For the last
twelve months they had been recruiting the regu-
lar army, and had not obtained one-half of the
men they designed to obtain. What reason had been
assigned by the Secretary of War for that faure One
reason was that the bounty offered was not sufficient
another was the immense number who preferred to
enlist as volunteers But unnecessary to argue
that point. Ii would be admitted lat volunteers Couu
be raised any To recruit sufficient number
of regulars difficult task Then the question arose,
after they were enlised-all things considered-whch
would be the most efficient kind of troopsvounteers or
regulars But that question was foreign to his lNr AS
present purpose The expense of volunteer force was
the only assigned by the Secretary of War for his
preference for regulars His amendment authorized the
| President to accept the service OF these ten reg-
ments-the number the that OF the orig-
nal BILL and to serve during the war for the same time
That he thought, afforded sufficient answer to the reason
assigned by the Secretary of the War He would ask
gentleman volunteer could not be transported as
easily as regular soldier whether the clothing OF the
volunteer would cost more than that of the regular,
or his rations more The only argument OF the
regular force, he believed every SENATOR upon a mo-
ments reflection would perceive fell to the ground.
Now, when they called out volunteers during the Last
war he believed enlisted for longer PERIOD
than twelve months In the early part of the war; they
enlisted for three months only, subsequently Tor SIX, and
finally for twelve months And so now the volunteers
might enlist for short period only. But if they took
them much longer in service, and hence the expense
would be greatly increased. Again: the volunteer sol
der would be equal If not superior, TO the regular IN an
intellectual and moral point OF view Tins was admit
ted on all hands. II it necessary, he could bring
proof almost positive. But no would dispute 1t.
They would also with very little practice very little
ldrillng-be well prepared for all the duties OF the
field the regular soldier The officers, too, would be
as efficient in every point of view appointed by the
President He would appeal to his friend from Indiana
or Mississippi to say whether the officers appointed by the
volunteers from their States not as capable IN
sk--n valor--in all the qualities requisite to command
as any which could have been selected Take the MIS-
talented man in the State, in his opinion and so with
other States He would appea TO members from those