The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-04-21

'the Constitution requires this; and every consde-
ration Of the public good demands this. If the
Administration cannot stand upon the principles
the message, tdoes not expect to stand at all 4"
[DAsIEL WsssTER's Letter to the Union Meeting
at Westchesfer.
The Frontiers and the War Department.
Every arrival from CALIFORNIA, from Texas,
. and New Mexico, brings intelligence Of some
new outrage perpetrated by the Indians.
There is every reason to believe that, en-
couraged by the IMMUNITY with which these
outrages have hitherto been too often commit
ted. they will make fearful inroads into the
white settlements during the approaching sum-
mer.
The War Department, we are informed, is
employing all the resources at its command to
avert these calamities, but those resources are
entirely disproportioned TO the magnitude Of
the service.
The Executive has done its duty in this mat
ter. The PRESIDENT in his annual message,
and the SECRETARY OF WAR and Command
ing General, in their respective reports at the
opening of the last session of Congress, all
united in earnestly recommending an additional
number of mounted men, experience having
shown that infantry is Of but little service
against an enemy who is almost always mount
ed Congress paid no attention to these recon-
mendations.
But this was not ALL At an early period of
the session ::the SECRETARY OF War address
ed communications to the Committee Of Ways
and Means, informing them that the appropria-
tons for the Quartermaster's Department for the
current fiscal year lending 30th June next
would be insufficient. This deficiency arose
in part from the fact that a portion of these APP
preparations had been applied TO the payment
Of expenditures made or debts contracted dur
ing preceding years. Such Deficiencies, in
some one of the Departments, or in all Of them,
occur every year. and are provided for as a
matter of course; and yet the Committee Of
Ways and Means paid not the smallest atten-
ton to this communication. The consequence
is, that the appropriations for the Quartermas-
ter's Department for the current year are al
now going on in the army requiring heavy
disbursements in that department. Besides
its ordinary expenditures, necessarily large in
countries singularly destitute Of all the means
and appliances acquired for the support of an
army, services Of an unusual character are re-
quired of it. An entire regiment the mounted
riflemen) are now on their way from Oregon
to Texas; regiment of infantry has just been
ordered from Jefferson barracks to the Indian
country west of Arkansas; while the regiment
now stationed in the latter country has been
ordered further west to establish a chain
Of posts extending through the north Of
Texas from Red river to the Rio Grande.
Add to this that the War Department has
been called upon 10 furnish escorts to the
commission for surveying the Mexican boun-
dairy, to the party engaged in surveying
the river ella under resolution of Congress,
and to the Indian superintendent and agents
created by recent acts to negotiate treaties with
the Indians in California, and the numerous
tribes that infest the vast plains and mountains
on the route to Oregon. All these operations
require large expenditures by the Quarter
masters Department; and yet, by most extra
ordinary omission or neglect, that department is
left without adequate means to discharge its
important duties.
Some time since we alluded to the fact that
the Committee of Ways and Means of the
House of Representatives had assumed the re-
sponsbility of reducing The appropriations for
the support of the army far below the estimates,
and that too in opposition to the unanimous
opinion Of the Committee on Military Affairs,
the chairman Of which, Mr.. Burr, challenged
the chairman Of the Committee of WAYS and
Means to point out single item of the esti-
mates that could be reduced
We understand that the excuse for this hap
hazard Legislation in regard to the appropriations
Tor the nerf fiscal year, was that Congress
would meet long before it expired, and conse
quently in time to supply any deficiency; bu,
what apology can be offered for emitting to pro
vide for an ascerianed deficiency in the appro-
priations for the current year--a deficiency too
occasioned, in part, as we have said, by the APP
pications of the funds appropriated for this year
TO the payment Of expenditures Of previous
years9 We are far from wishing to impute i'm
proper motives to any one. We cannot suppose
1t possible that the Committee Of Ways and
Means sought TO embarrass the Administration
by Withholding supplies; we cannot believe thai
party spirit could be carried so far as TO trife
with the lives of the defenceless inhabitants of
the frontier. We leave to others to speculate
about reasons or motives The fact however
is undoubted, and if adequate protection is not
afforded 10 the people of the frontier we wish