New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-01-08
NETWORK TRIBUNE.
.ue TEN REGIMENT BILL,
.prcu M NIX. CRITTENDEN.


A.. hill, % authorize the raising OF ten regiments
for the regular army
A., CRrrESDEs.-l rise for the purpose OF offer
Ia, =, amendment strike out ali after the enacng clause,
od insert send TO the Clerk. which nothing
hus transcript OF the BILL which stands just behind this
eue or the calender for raising 10000 volunteers. with AZ
increase the number TO $4,000. The amendment Was
here read by the Secretary
Mr. CsfrTESpgS continued-l do not propose, on THIS
oecason, TO than will be barely necessary 70 eh
plain the amend which have bad the honor Of oef
ng 70 the bill now before you The bill which now under
for raising ten additional regiments ane n
bill lying upon the table tosueceed ~ ~
dest accept the services Of - 900 yolunee. nave %
orally been reported from tho COMMITTEE % ~
farsi accordance with the ., ane
tsry Of War and are supposed 70 De nees'sy ~ ,s ~
and seneies Of the present val win
leo The bill before you, sf proposes 70 fsss vV
.n az ten Additional regments and what propose H.
~, ave 10 ~, the necessary numerical force
only changing the form Of is offanzaton from rsgus
~ voIuntsef force And desire TO assign, very briefly,
The reason, which have induced me 10 adopt this course
The b before you for raising the ten regimsns places
upon Congress the responsibility Of declaring that under
the present existing cumssDce Is proper and
sny that this force should be raised Is there any such
present necessity perceived by the Senate Of the United
States thick not Sir. We have from the Secretary OF
War discussion Of various plans which II has been
suggested thst this war to be prosecuted The
retasy, In discussing them recommends the plan which
be prefes VIZ 70 hold all those portions Of Mexico which
in our possession, and, in addition - the force
which would be 10 accomplish such purpose,
active force raised with the view Of march
ing and eonquerng the whole county but with the
should circumstances require it, This Is his plan Now
s additional force necessary, would ask, to accom-
psh the designs Of the Secretary taken even 10 their
utmost latitude, This, Sir, wou be question Of
indefinite character indeed, II our experience had not 10
some degree become practical one. And what IS our
experience. What have been our experiences IN this
war, and what have been the results Of the war
Gen Scott landed at Vera Cruz wth force Of sbouttwelve
were volunteers With this force be succeeded in taxing
strong Castle Of San Juan d Uua and the City Of Vera
Cruz Pressing forward with his victorious army, from
Vera Cruz he entered the Capital breaking 10 pieces aud
scattering TO the winds with force Of less than 900
men ths OF Mexico In his tium plant Gen.
Taylor with still smaller comparative force at the bat
tie OF Buens Vista completely broke the power OF Mex
and so in every action would No matter how dlspo
portionate in number, the American troops have been
victorious And, Sir with what small amount OF force
these achievements have been accomplished
General Scott have already stated, fought all those
Distinguished battles before the City Of Mexico,
the Capital Of the country with less than 0o0O and
most Of whom vol unteers gained several disrn-
guished victories Indeed, Gen. Taylor with less thsn
4o0 men, beat Santa Anna with army Of ~ OOO strong
and that too, not by sudden surprise not by ssuiden
burst Of vaor not In moment Of enthusiasm side
tnued from the rising the setting Of the occupying
in fact the whole Of nee 20 days Thus we see that
not only are the sword sne snied Of Mexico brosen AND
into the dust but her dispersed and al
most annihisted BY our coaqueng army She has no ar
my, and scarcely she be said TO have
1t consists Of nothing more than dsorgIsed factions
And II Mexico now lies PROSTATE before yoo without
army government with here and there only BODY Of
guerrlas instead OF an army 10 oppose what in the
OF Heaven If this is all that is eft TO her do you
want with l00 troops Sir since these c9nquests
have been achieved, what has been done Our army
reposng the Rio GrsDde or four thou
sand regulars Nay will give the exact number il
siss of asa regulars Atthe battle OF Buepa Vista Won
had 800 regulars 10 all the volunteers
In place Of that less than 5000 strong which
tutsd the force in that portion Of country before on the
field of battle, you have six force amounting the
whole to upward OF 10000 men, DO you want any more
there!
Scott obtained possession OF the Capital how with
him now Sir lie has been receiving additional rein
forcemens almost daily since that time and there is
Tampico and Vera Cruz together force amounting 70
81 56 men, 7,l0l Of whom ssuars and the
1905 volunteers These statements are extracts made
from the report OF the Adjutsnt General
General SCOTS army has been almost rebsd in number
he gained those battles His force IL larger by 1900
than when he landed at ves Cruz IL is this much
stronger Than at the time when he conquered the whole
region of the country between Vera Cruz and Capital
and cannot he hold this country with the force
with which hs conquered 1t! How, upon the facts de-
clared to us in official public documents, any argu.
ment he found to prove the necessity OF sending any far
Their troops them Gen Scott Of the city
With 5000 men, and Of that whole region country with
not than 1900 and now, when he has with him
$4,000 what more can be required Suppose IL
quires many 70 hold country does conquer
H. has Scott already doubled the number Of his
force since he entered The Mexican territory Make what
deduction you please on account Of casualties and disease
make deduction OF 5000 and IL leaves you IS OOl en
for active service Where ask could IS 900 OF such men
be employed What fortress 10 there that would
not open is gates at the sight of our banners, There /,
not that will not And yet propose add 200
the force already there Sir. these facts lead my
mind iessby to the conclusion that for any purpose Of
J
Mexico II you have done what you have with that
Der OF II they have accomplished such victories
y you have positive rule established by actual achieve
nient what your army can do
Cannot double the number Of force with which these
victories have been gained conquer all Mexico Why did
you your armies fran Vera Cruz the capital! BE
there expected to hnd the vital party OF
the Republic Well you have done ali this and still the
cry more troops You have had your forces doubled
aud YOU want 10 double them again. II you pass this
bill Sir what will then be The strength Of your armies IN
Mexico! What number Of men have you there now !
have shown you that under Gen Scott there upward
Of 1900, and under Cen Wool upward Of 10000 more
making an sssress1e OF 5000 American soldiers now
reckon only those who the heart Of Mexico iesv
ing those who stationed In California and other
distant posts There southwark and Of the
Rio Grsnde from AZ To Sooo American soldiers and dur
ing this whole time the recruiting service going
Idly Scarcely week passes by in which renfoTcemens
Of troops not being landed Mexico Now there
troops as have said independently OF what these
bills propose ard the laws Of tins country authorx,
the enlistment Of some or 5000 6 up the ranks
Of armies There Is ALEC still deficiency Of upward
Of In your volunteer service, which may any
tune be supplied This then your state of pre- psraon
in Mexico So far the authority Of law extends these
troops are at your command Beside these there is an
addition yet 10 be made by which your army will be sui
farther Increased The regiment called for from the State
Of Michigan has not yet appeared in the field other
battahons also, one from Alabama and the other from
Mississippi rsm some cause or other have not yet been
mustered into tho public service, and included
the calculation. These regiments. added those which
youhsv the legal authority to send viii make force
Add these regiments, and you will thn have seven
ty thousand American soldiers beyond the Rio Grande
States at various posts and In California and NewMext
Add, again TO this estimate the number that pro
posed be raised by the other bill which has been
ed and you will have army from 20 70 loo 900
Sir can all these troops be necessary, Does not
this estimate ssitie the Of Senators confess for
one have been greatly startled while residing the re-
ports from which gathered these statements at the vast
army which now maintaining. And. another more
startling consideration which ought not to be
emitted. 10 the enormous cost OF every regiment am
told by those who have entered into calculations the
subject that the Of officers and nearly
81 boo per This subject becomes then. matter Of
consequence to u.s. suppose object 10 10
qQer Mexico, and 10 incur expense these
ten regiments will add to our expense nearly Sl000O0Q0;
small item In the aggregate expenditures of such
test, think therefore, for these that q highly
necessary for determine whether al these troops az
10 be fsised, and all this cost 10 be incurred
am perfectly willing 10 every possible sency
OF casualty disease but confess ioresee
present any contingency which will justify this increase
willing TO authorize the President 10 call out what
force he require under sach contingency asmay
hereafter but would authorize thai force a.
10 raised willing to lodge the hands Of the
Executive the n demand call out
Sooop additional for the war; and would have such
force consist Of volunteers.
Now, are volunteers good, have they not proved
themselves efficient regulars Is cot Buens Vista
bright and burning evidence OF their efficiency the geld
They may be called out for the period u service
are entitled to discharge under the circumstance
and the difference in cost great would substitute them
therefore, for these regiments and would
d he 10 CALI ont h.