The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-01-07

such regmentsi Provided The additional compa
numerical strength beyond one thousand rank and file
SIC L. Ind De It further enacted That the provision IN
the I'd section of the entitled An act 10 encourage en-
stmens in the regular army" approved January twelfth
eighteen hundred and forty seven, be, and the same
enlist first and second regiments Of Dragons anu
the regiment of mounted remen and the non-coiIlis-
stoned Officers ians and prvaies volunteers who
nav engage to serve during the war with Mexico
term of three years, as provided by this act ,,..
raised under this act aud whose enao service not
sooner expire shall be discharged Wnhn s'A no' er
tho ratification of treaty OF peace with Mexico
Mr. CRITTENDEN said do not propose, Oh this
OCCASION to say than will be barely necessary TO
explain the amendment which have mad me honor OF
offering to the bill now before you ne p whch IS
now under consideration for raising ten additional regl
mens, and the bill laying upon the aoe 10 succeed H.
authorizing the President TO accept the services OF 10000
volunteers, have sevsray oeen REPORTED i,p e ooh-
mendaon of the Secretary OF War, and supposed to
be necessary to the requirements and exgences OF
the present war with Mexico The bill now before you,
sir proposes raise 10000 ten additional regi
ments and what propose is to give TO the government
the necessary numerical force, only changing the form OF
organization from regular TO volunteer force And
desire to assign very briefly, the which have
induced me to adopt this course.
The bill before you, for raising the ten regiments, places
upon Congress the responsibility of declaring that, under
the present existing circumstances, it proper and neces
say that this force should be raised Is there any such
present necessity perceived by the Senate of the United
States? think not, sir We have from the Secretary
of War discussion of various plans upon which il has
been suggested that this ought to be prosecuted The
Secretary discussing them the plan which
he prefers-vz to hold all those portions OF Mexico
which are in possession. and in addition to the
force which would be necessary to accomplish such
purpose have active force raised not with the view
of marching and conquering the whole country,
but with the view of being prepared TO make occasional
conquests, should circumstances require IT. This Is his
plan Now, is additional force necessary would
ask to accomplish the designs of the Secretary taken
in their utmost atitude' This sir, would Be question
of very indefinite character indeed if our experience
had not. in some degree, become practical one And
ences in this war and what have been the results of
the war?
General Scott landed at Vera Cruz with a force of
about twelve thirteen thousand men, considerable
number of whom were volunteers With this force he
succeeded in taking the strong castle OF San Juan Uoa
and the city of Vera Cruz Pressing forward with his
victorious army from Vera Cruz, he entered the capital
breaking in pieces and scattering to the winds, with
force Of less than $1,000 men, the armies OF Mexico in
his triumphant career. General Taylor, with still
smaller comparative force at the battle OF Buena Vista
completely broke the power of Mexico; and so in every
action woud-no matter, Sir, how disproportonae in
numbers-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 and took
the capital of the country with less than 10000
and General Taylor, with not more than 5000 1000
men, the most OF whom were volunteers gained several
distinguished victories Indeed, General Taylor with less
than 900 men, beat Santa Anna with army 10000
strong and that, too, not by sudden suprse-not by
sudden burst of valornot in moment OF enthusiasm
one SIDE and panic the other-but in hardfought
battle, continued from the rising to the setting of the
sum- occupying, in fact the whole OF nearly two days
Thus that not only the sword and shield Of
Mexico broken and cast into the DUST but her govern
ment dispersed and almost annhated by conquer
ing army She has no army, and scarcely can she be
said to have government; it consists Of nothing more
than disoganizcd factions. And if Mexico now lies
PROSTATE before you, without army government
with here and there only body OF guerllas instead of
army to oppose youwhat, in the name oil Heaven, if this
is all that is left to her. do you want with 10000 more
troops Sir these conquests have been achieved,
what has been done' Our army now reposing on the
Rio Grande consists of three four thousand regulars
Nay give the sSa ct hsa but
or 800 regulars, all the rest volunteers In place OF
that army less than 5000 srOng which constituted the
te you have now, force amounting in the whole to
/ have already stated the force with which General
h;D now. sir He has been receiving additional REIN
forcements almost daily since that time and there
at ampco and Vera Cruz together force amounting to
maindng l5,O35 volunteers These statements are ex-
tracts made from the report Of the Adjutant General
General Scotts army has been almost trebled in number
since he gained those battles. His force is larger by
900 men than when he landed at Vera Cruz. 1t is this
much stronger than at the time when he conquered the
whole region of the country between Vera Cruz and the
captal-and cannot he hold this country with the same
force with which he conquered it! How, upon the facts
declared to us in official public documents. any
gument be found prove the necessity of sending any
further troops there! General Scott took possession of
the CITY with 5000 men, and of that whole region of
country with not than l2,000 and now. when he
has with him 900 men, what more can ne requires
Suppose it requires many men to hold country it
does to conquer has not General Scott already doubled
the number of his force since he entered the Mexican ter
ritory? Make what deduction you please account
of casualties and disease; make deduction of 5000,
and it leaves you $4,000 for active service
Where, | ask, could $4,000 of such men be
employed! What fortress is there that will not open
its gates the sight of banners There is not one
that will not And yet we propose to add 10000 men
to the force already there. Sir, these facts lead my
mind resstbly the conclusion, that for any purpose
in Mexico If you have done what you have with that
number of men If they have accomplished such vcto
es, surely you have positive rule established by actual
achievement az To what your army can do
Cannot double the number of force with which these
victories have been gained conquer all Mexico' Why
did you lead your armies from Vera Cruz the capital
Because there you expected to find the vital part of
the republic Well you have done all this, and still the
cry is for more troops. You have had your forces
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 General Scott
there upwards OF $4,000, and under General Wool
upwards OF 10000 matchmaking aggregate of 1000
American soldiers within the limits of MEXICO
reckon only those who in the heart of Mexico,
leaving those who stationed In California and
other distant posts There southwark and westward
of the Rio Grande from 1000 to $4,000 American sol
ders and during this whole time the recruiting service
going on rapidly Scarcely week passes by, in which
Now, there $4,000 troops, haye said ndepen-
IDENTIFY of what these bills pOpose and the laws of this