Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-04-13
,hat lha. would be more humane lhan TO harm

that that would be more humane Than 70 harm
Mexico.
Mr.. Cass, (in bis scat.) True.
Mr.. Webster. Il is Iruel Very well, Ihot
as much. Now, the remarkable characteristic
ofhis speech which makesit somuch Mexican
speech is, that the gentleman spoke II in the
hearing of Mexico as well as in the hearing oil
the Senate. We have boon accused, SIR, oil be-
ing "Mexican Wings" because what we say
here is heard by Mexico, and Mexico derives
counlenance and support from what is SAID here
But the honorable member comes forth and tells
Mexico that his object is TO frigh,cn her! Ills
words have passed along the wires, they are on
the Gulf, they are floating away to Vera Cruz
and, when they get there, they will salIsly 'hG
Mexicans that, after all-alIer all, "ye good
Mexicans, our principal Objects TO lrghten you!'
And, to the end that they may not be irgh'
tened toe much, he gives them notice that the
object is TO frighIen them! Mr.. President, when
Snug, the joiner, was 10 represent the lion, and
roar on the stage, he was quite apprchenslve that
he might too much frighen "Ihe duchess and
the ladies;" and therefore, by the advice ol his
comrade, one Nicholas Bottom, he wisely con-
cluded that in the heat and fury Of his effort he
would show one-haf his face and say: "La-
dies, fair ladies, would wish you, or would
request you, or | would entreat you not 10 fear,
not to trembe my life for yours if you think
como hithcr as a lion it were pity Of my ile!-
No, am no such thing: | am man as other
men aie; Pm Snug, the ioiner!'
But, sir, in my view ofthis case-in any view
of the proper policy Of this Government, ac-
cording 10 any mans apprehension and judg.
ment-whore is the necessity of this augmenta'
tion of regiments Of the military force OF the
country! hold in my hand note, | suppose
substantially correct, Of the present military
forces Of The United States. | will not vouch
for its entire accuracy but Ibelieve his substan-
TALLY according to fact. There are now swen-
ty.Gye regiments Of regular troops of various
arms, which, if full, would give us force Of
28,960 rank and fe and including officers, thlr.
ty thousand and odd men. These, with the eX-
ception of six or seven hundred men, arc now
all without the United States, in field service in
Mexico. or on the route TO Mexico. These re-
gimonts are not full. Casualties and the climate
have sadly reduced their numbers. If the re.
cruiting service would now yield ten thousand
men, it would not more than fill up those regi.
monts so as to give the field officers their full
command. understand sir, that the report
from Gen. Scott-Gen. Scott man that has
performed the most brilliant campaign in militia"
ry annals; a man that has warred against the
enemy, warred against the climate, warred a.
gainst thousand unpropitous circumstances,
and carried the flag Of his country TO tho capt.
tai of the enemy, honorably, proudly, humane
ly, to his own permanent honor and the grca
credit Of his country. Gen. Scout And where
is he! At Pueba At Puebla, undergoing al
inquiry before his interiors in office, and othe
persons not in office, while the high powers lha
he exercised, and exercised with so much dis
tincton, are turned over to another, | do no
mean to say an unworthy gentleman, but his in
lcrior in military rank and station.
But General Scott reports, as understand
that in February there were twenty thousand
regular troops under his command, and en
route. Add the thirty regiments of volunteers
and if lullIhey would make thirty-lour thou
sand men; officers included, over thiry-livC
thousand--and there would be q force Of regu
lars and volunteers amounting 10 not less thar
iilty-fve or sixty thousand men, including tho
recruits on the way. If my information be OK
act, and the honorable member from Michigan
can correct me if il be not--l presume that it il
correct--ln February Gen. Scott had under hin
in Mexico thirty thousand troops, regulars ant
volunteers. Now, all these troops are regularly
oflicercd. There is no deficiency Of officers il
the line or in the stafl; they are all full. What
ever deficiency there is consists of men. Now
sir, there is a plausible reason for saying that
: is difficult to recruit at home for the supply o
deficiencies in the volunteer regiments. 1t vii
be said that volunteers choose TO enlist unde
officers Of their own selection; that do not in
cline TO enlist here as individual volunteers
when the regiment is abroad under officers o
whom they know nothing. There may be some
thing in that; but pray 10 what does that conclu
sion lead? Does it not lead to this, that all the 81
| volunteer corpse must mouIder away, so far a
, the privatcs are concerned, and como TO nothing
Meantime the places af the commissioned off
GERS arc continually filled, the regiments bcin;
full of officers, although the privates, by casual
, ty or by disease, arc reduced 10 be less in mum
Der than the officers themselves. But, howove
that may be, in regard to the recruiting for tht
| regular service, you can fill up the regiment
} by pay and bounty, according TO existing laws
or new laws, if new laws be necessary. Thert
is no reason upon earth why VIC should nov
create five hundred new officers for the purpose
of getting ten thousand new men. There ar,
!, officers 10 command them. All that is wanted
/ is mon; and there is place for the mon, and
, suppose that no gentleman can stand up here o.
t elsewhere and say that the recruiting service
5 can 90 no faster than it will be necessary to g
in order TO fill up these deficiencies in the rcg
mcnts abroad.
But now what do we want with greater force
than we already have in Mexico? Without as
king what need there is for the supply of def
cieneies in the existing regiments, what do We
want beyond the thirty thousand regulars anC
volunteers now in field service! What is tho
purpose! There is no army to fight. sup
pose the enemy has not five hundred men to-
gether under arms in any part of Mexico. Ex
copt in one instance, perhaps, there is not hal
that number. Mexico is prostrato-thero is nc
l.t l..