New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-07-20
The Army In Peace.

Congress is about to make another mlstake-wc
fear very serious one-with regard to the Peace
Establishment Of the Army. The War being
now over the cost Of returning the troops to Their
homes, giving them all three months extra pay
10 say nothing Of bonus Of one hundred and SIX
ty acres Of land or 800 in cash, and Of pehslolihs
the disabled and the relatives Of the hnied' WI"
roll up very formidable addition henceio''n p"
the National Expenditures. We are destined Z"
have our aupropriations for River and Haroor I'M
movements. and for all purposes OF oenehcence
"a .a,,ri,, ,,,l,tv raced or vetoed from year 70
- "a go, e,rmidable National Debt perpetual
"a ID, ENLARGED. unless a determined and success
ca .,s,d shall now be made against the Army
Do Establishment Of 1900 20 1000 men,
.,,osed in Congress Such an establishment
,viIj cost. ON the average, Fifteen Millions Of Dol
lars per annum. Our Navy costs about Ten Nil
lions tins year over Eleven Millions. Add Tor
Civil List Congress, Judiciary Territories, &c.
Sc. Five Millions, and for interest on the existing
Debt Five Millions and We have an Annual Ex-
pendture Of Thirty five Millions per snnum while
profound Peace shall continue, 70 be largely IN
creased in case Of any frontier hostlities. How
shall we pay of the Principal Of our Debt and eN-
pend anything for works Of utility to the fro-
ducing Classes if such scale Of expenditure IS 70
be tolerated
We must have Retrenchment. IL must begin
with the Army aud begin nor. After the feaoe
Establishment. shall have been consolidated VIII
be very hard to break in upon II. Now there are
no vested rights in the way VIII not the
House reconsider the matter
We need bat one Major General to begin With
and Gen Taylor being the junior Of Scott aud
having consented TO run for President ought 70
resign his commission at once. and devote ms
leisure thus acquired 10 the study OF those qucs
tons Of civil policy wherewith he Is IN no danger
Of becoming too familiar We trust he VIII DO SO
Then let the hue bs cut down % eight regiments
at most one each for Oregon. California, New
Mexico. the Rio Grsnde opposite the Preside
aud FL Paso TO stop the iruptions into Mexico Of
the Camanches we have been buying and promis-
ing TO make behave and one tor the Lower hlo
Grande and Texss-iive regiments IN all for our
Southern and Western frontier leaving three to
be parceled out among the forts on cur Northern
and Atlantic borders Even these are not needed
but conceds 50 much for the present to the inistu
alton which induces men 20 seek safety in bayone;s
and cannon rather than IN justice and love Our
Pacific and Southern frontiers actually require the
presence Of troops if they are to be retained
which proves that we should have let them alone
Five full regiments, stationed as we have sug-
gested, would be ample and might be reduced as
the new territories shall be settled by our people,
and the savagcs aud Mcxicans become quescent
With such Peace Establishment, and a cores
ponding reduction in the cost OF the Navy. We
may soon begin to reduce our Debt while we
vigorously prosecute the most neediul Public I'm
provements. Without IT, we shall be involved in
a labyrinth whereof no man can see the issue.
We do not know that any action is nperatiyey
required beyond the resignation of Gen. Taylor
Our impression is that the Army will be reduced
TO ten or eleven regiments by virtue OF existing
laws, if Congress is careful only to refrain from
doing any mischief Still, the best way to avoid
danger is by meeting it half way, and we trust
al immediate and vigorous effort will be made to
reduce the Army below the old Peace Establish
mcnt. We shall be much less likely to have
border collisions if our frontier-men understand
that there is no overwhelming force at their
backs in case they pick quarrel with their red
nairbkorx