The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1848-01-08

AS to the second mode Chat of "occupyIng
the whole country,') the Secretary thinks ii
requires an enormous Army and great ex-
pense. He says:
Our posts must therefore be strong, and our
forces numerous, in order to secure the many
and long lines of communication, to dispense
and chastise the guerrilla bands which would
obstruct them, and to suppress the more pow
erful uprising of the people wherever they
may be attempted. l cannot safely estimate
the force requisite to carry into full effect this
plan, at less than seventy thousand men. To
insure the presence of that number in the enc.
my's country, and at places where they would
be wanted, it would be necessary to raise a
much larger force. The great expense Of rails
ing, organizing, and sending to their remote
destination so large a body Of troops as soon as
needed to give effect to this plan, would, | APP
Prehend, bring a very heavy, and perhaps en-
barrassing, demand upon the treasury. 81
Seventy thousand men, says the Secretary,
will be required! In this, he does not overrate
the matter. On the contrary, it will require
more.
The third mode, (that Of holding the ports
we now occupy,9 is the one which the secre'a.
~ prefers. He says: .s-
The third mode presented is, in my judy
n,ent, preferable to The others, Beyond certain
limits, il admits Of expansion and contraction
but as a fixed condition. all new held is to be
retained, and no part surrendered, but in com.
plIanee with treaty stipuiations This plar
also conlemplates further acquisitions ex end
ing to other important points, more or less nu
merous, as circumstances may warrant.
On this head, the Secretary proceeds to Civ,
his views Of the troops, which are consideres
necessary; a.a"., mfs.
Regulars-25 regiments--oi Infantry l6; Al
tillery A; Dragons 81; Rilemen 1; Wolfe
geurs ~ now in service, 2l,533
volunteers-23 regiments Z Battalions and 8
companies-in service, 10000
,fM8EGEA @y EH5.s 80
Total, 4l,533
This is the Secretary's estimate of men
service, taken, no doubt, from the returns of tn
Adjutant Generals Office. This estimate Il
however, greatly overrated. There are not !
all Mexico, more than 10000 capable of doin
duty, and there are few at any other points,
Some Of lie Volunteer Regiments are Gu
down 10 one fourth, and the Government ha
found itself incapable Of filling up their rank
On this subject the Secretary says;
Attempts have been made, under the az
passed at the last session of Congress, to Ell
gage volunteers to fill up the companies in Sc,
vice. and Ulcers have been detached from thei
commands for that purpose. These effort
have not been successful; only eight hundre
and twenty-tne have been procured. One Q
the disadvantages attending these attempts la
been the want Of authority to place them 0
the same footing in respect to compensation
recruits for the regular army.
He recommends that Congress shall equalla
them. a
The Secretary proposes to fill the ranks
e the Regular Army, to their full number, an
? by the aid of Congress, to fill up likewise Il
Volunteer ranks, during the War. riyL
According to the secretary's own statemel
? the result will be as follows:
= Regulars, retE - .lH 2S'8.
+ Volunteers, nta7- - @4,O'
Total. ii 1913
' 1t appears that the War Department Gar
!. this is the doctrine Of the President0 propos
to keep a Standing Army of Fifty, 4Aoasal
v Men, during the indefinite period in which
War may last. This great army is required
"a merely govern Tie lines and places which zoe hG
conquered. This statement will be receive
). doubtless, with great surprise; but it is
Il inevitable necessity Of a War Of Conquest.
The United States might have defended the
selves against the whole power of Great B
tain, with less men and expenses, than Oh
can occupy, with Military g%arrisons and
!. fences, the territories they have conquered.
tHWEt 4&
"a Postmaster Generals Report.
q The annual Report Of the Postmaster Gel
le raj is before Us. 1t presents a dattering .