Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-08-12

dred men, but not to increase the aggregate number He
was In Of that He would not increase the army above
10, 200 men, officers included.
Mr. McLANE inquired If was proposed to take the
companies.
Mr.. BURT explained that his proposition fix the
number Of the army for the peace establishment He would
prefer 10 the peace establishment greater than that pro-
posed by the Committee Of Ways and Means. He would
prefer TO have pvates Of the army about
men, which would be slight increase But what
might be the forcebe 600 or sO00-his proposition in
relation to the organization Of that force this that forty
two should be the basis of company of artillery, Dragons
and infantry and that the President should the dscre
ion the exgencies Of the service required IL toncrease the
companies particular duty to one hundred mems that no
company should be carried below orty-two men, and
company should be increased above hundred. II
known that the forces which to be sent Oregon,
California and New Mexico, should consist Of larger
number Of rank and file to the company, than the compa
MES which gaisoned the forts and other posts within the
limits Of the United States
Mr.. T0OMBS understood the gentleman from South Car
DINA that the aggregate force should not exceed 10000
dren unless he reduced below fory-two without he
increased the aggregate The thing could not be DONE
He opposed to any such mode Of increase Of the
army-to that mode much any other. The greatest
danger Of standing army that you put in the discretion
Of the President to increae it. There should be dis
creton except where the law could not speak II
against the fundamental principles Of republican govern
ment to place standing military force in the hands Of
the Executive
Another reason There was greater necessity for the
increase Of our military force than there from 1921
to 1896 except the acquisition of New Mexico and Calfor
MA We had given two regiments for them already Then
send the If they sent they enough TO
keep in check all the Indians in New Mexico, Oregon and
California. This thing going on to alarming extent
If permitted the peace establishment Of the army to be
increased man, it would go increasing until the army
killed the Government under the weight Of its corruption
He would to God that this House would Immediately dsband
every in the regular army Freemen did not want their
lives their persons, and property defended by hired merce
nares We should not have standing army of in
time of peace. When shut the doors Of the temple Of
Janus ought strip off the epaules from every in
the epubc put the soldiers work, and let the officers
return to their other empoyments.
He was then, In favor of the lowest sandard-o forty
the company. He called upon republicans on all
sides of the House stand by the old republican platform and
keep the army down. It was growing day by day. We
could call czensodes by thousands upon any emer-
gency II it cost ten times much, it better than to be
saddled with large standing amy keeping them for
Of corruption and great danger the republican pre-
paraon for some emergency which might arise They had
gloousy shown their readiness and their ability to defend
their country every battlefield in Mexico.
important, them he admitted TO increase the COM
panies which sent to New Mexico California and Ore
gon. He in favor Of that amendment But he would
not increase the aggregate Of the army That the diff
ference between bis friend from South Carolina and himself
Mr.. DUNCAN, Of Kentucky, moved to amend the second
section to make the maximum number of men "a, in
stead of AZ, for each company He believed in the main
that this country should keep up large standing army but
had been the policy of this Government from its commence
ment to keep up army of some sort The question, them
was to what should be reduced 1t would be well to
anime what had been history in this respect in times OF
peace and whether have larger force than required
What army 1908, 1909, 1870 and 1871 time
of peace when jefferson and Madison made every effort to
produce economy in the expenditures of the Government He
stated the number OF Dragons infantry, and artillery In the
economical times Of Jefferson the aggregate of which
$40 In the then condition of country that the
number of army But he apprehended that larger force
than that would now be requisite must be borne in mind
that we have but just terminated with Mexico. At the
close OF the Of 1872 now it became matter of great
consequence reduce the army, and the best judgment Of the
country brought bear the question that time.
The result that the rank and file limited TO 900,
and such the state OF the army from 1915 to 1921 In
1921 great effort made break down the army, and
the effort then made reduce the army below the standard
which then stood productive of great mischief He was
well satisfied that AZ the maximum Of companies would be
insufficient Gen. Atkinson had six companies of AZ men,
making 642 in the Black Hawk and if he had had Ga
each company, not too much TO say that many
things which then occurred would have been avoided, and
much very much of the money then spent would have been
saved Then again, in the Florida war, Gen. Cnch had
six companies whose maximum az, and in the
of Gen. Atkinson in the Black Hawk war; had reason
regret that the number was not greater If each company
had consisted of Cd 100 men, those companies which
together amounted but 65 men, would in all human proba
bity not have been cut of and their would have
been prevented Look too the condition Of Gen. Taylor
corpus OnHs, whose companies Old not average more
than 30 each He appealed to the committee make
each company consist Of 81 men, and this would swell the
army only 10 3000 which extravagant number
in the present condition Of the country compared with its
position in the days Of Mr.. Jefferson and Mr. Madison when
il amounted to 10000.
Mr. DICKEY moved TO amend the amendment by striking
out and inserting provision authorizing the President TO in
crease the prvates OF each company Of Dragons artillery
and infantry TO any number exceeding hundred when
he deem the exgences the public service require
it provided that at time shall the army exceed ten thou
sand He said he in favor Of the section reported by
the Committee Of Ways and Means which would reduce the
army to its condition the breaking Of the Mexican war;
but be desired to add amendment give the discretion to
the President to increase the companies Of any regiment to
one hundred when ia his judgment the exgences of the
service required but he would the aggregate
number of the army He would give this discretion to the
President amongst other reasons that he might increase the
rank and file Of the regiments which called for by the
Executive for the protection Of Oregon and Of the territory
which we have acquired in Mexico.
The CHAIRMAN ruled the amendment Of Mr.. DIcKEr
out of order at this time.
MI. BOLTS then moved to amend the amendment
to fix the basis OF the companies sxyour but with
authority to the President to increase to hundred such
companies as he may employ for the protection Of the Terri
tories by taking the requisite number Of men from other
panies He said the adoption Of this amendment would in
crease the army to twelve thousand eight hundred and thirty
three men, rank and le When went into the Mexican
war our army consisted of nine thousand but have
CURED vast territory besides Oregon for which the Depart
ment has called for several thousand Take the number
requisite for that service from twelve thousand eight hundred
and thryhee, and there would remain less than when the