Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1847-02-10
CONGRESSIONAL.

Extracts from The Speech Of Mr.. Badger on
the Message ofhe President aduising the
creation Of the Office Of Lieut.; General TO the
Army tn IMerico.
What reason does TIL sident assigns in
establishes Why, ST, for one, that we are
carving on a war with Mexico with mingled
troops. regulars and volunteers. Was net that
the case in the war of 1912. For another The
force which we now employ is large. VAST not
large in 1922 Was.England a less formidable
foe than weak and crippled MexicofH How stands
the case between us Why, sir, on shore
on the soil, our war with England was almost
entirely a defensive war, She, from her grca.
maritime power,was enabled to throw her troops
into our country, andw were occupied in re-
pelling them, which we did successfully,thanks
TO the gallant spirit of the officers and men COM
posing our army. But how is it now1 We
are almost in the heart of Mexico; the foot
of no foreign soldier rollutes our soil; our ag-
ricultural abors are not distributed. We are
suffering no evils inflicted upon us by for
eign foe within the limits of our land. How
does it happen, then, that what was not thought
to be necessary in 1912, agans. great Power,
should be considered necessary now against the
neighboring Republic of Mexico, though not
exactly the contemplate enemy which she was
once supposed to be, because we have the best
authority for thiEking now that the idea of
six weeks contest has passed away from the
minds even of those who are most apt to in
dulge in fictions of the Imagination; for, on
yesterday,we had it announcedthat we are n6is;
though warning against despicable foe, only
at the beginning of the war. But still, altho'
it is true that Mexico is not the contemplate
foe which she has been represented to be-a1-
though she is showing that nation reused for
the purpose of protecting themselves from an
invading enemy may be strong if unitel-yet
still every one must know her power is not tn
be compared with ours, and that, as an enemy,
she is not worthy to be compared with the
great nation to which we were opposed in 1912.
But another reason why such an officer is re-
quired, according to the honorable Senator, is
on account OF the diffusion of our troops: hence
the necessity of having some eye Of sufficient
elevation to command the whole. Sir, SO far
as this is concerned, the lieutenant general.
will, by force of his mere title, possess no great
er skill or yigor of execution, than he would
possess under another title. That must depend
on his personal qualitiesand the power commit
ted to him. If he have the qualities, the title is
if be have them not,the title Wiz
be worse than useless; for 1t will only make !
and defeat more contemptible.assinl-
ting it with high sounding, pressing title.
The third reason, If recollect correctly the
views expressed by the honorable Senator, is,
that this Office is necessary in order to prevent
some jealousy or reluctance to subordinatioE:
for the Senator seemed to suppose, while he did
full edit to the gallant spirit of the officers Of
the United States that they might feel some re-
luctance to act in suhordination to an officer
holding no higher rank than themselves. Is it
to be believed that our noble Taylor that orr
Gallant Worth--:tis to be believed that he who
+ artlv called me her, of the two battles of the
Rio Grande. ard he who may with business he
caIloa tho bro of Montercy-is tito be bcllev-
al tba, Ibese two men will yield less willing
Iod;,,,,,,o ar cordial cooperation to the hero of
T,ndr,s Lane, because he bears the simple des-
,;sn of major general Sir,what does this
;s,I,a Ii implies that these officers are def
,st in that elevated spirit of intelligence. that
eesriotic devotion to their country which should
tpeIong to them, and which would induce them
gladly to follow gallant leading, under what
name soever the leader might be called. But
4 we suppose that there exists any such feel
NO of jealously in the minds of these d tin
rushed officers, or their other associates. ere
We to extinguish the feeling by taking nan
rom civil life and pGtting him over their heads.
md entrustiRg to inexperienced hands the duties
It skillful military commander Sir, think
'ou there is one OF that brave corps of officers