The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-05-11

obtain information from him, and more reliable
Information while he is under his official respon-
sibiity than If he removed; for take Il, that
II he were removed he would not trouble himself
TO give US any information at all That is one
good reason for not removing him.
think have now shown that the Adminlstra-
ton is not cupable for what il has done in regard
TO these Indian agents. Ii has retained of them
IN office, who appears not to be connected with
any improper contracts, while il has retained an
other under the expectation Of obtaining from him,
under his official responsibility, valuable inform
alton in regard to the proceedings of the commits
sloners. | think that the Administration is thus
indicated from these charges.
/ | turn now from the speech of the Senator from
California, and propose to make some remarks
on the observations which fell from the Senator
from Virginia, Mr. HUNTER. ] think that the
Senator from Virginia has hardly done the Secre-
larry Of War justice iii regard to the expenditures
ofhls Department, and the reforms which he has
attempted. Veal know very well that the ex-
penses ofthe Army have been increased and thatthe
expenditures for the Quartermaster's Department
have been enormous. | find no fault with the SEN
ator from Virginia for endeavoring to exact the
most rigid economy in the military service. On the
contrary, 1t gives me great pleasure to cooperate
with him, ms generally do, on such questions
But think he has not made due allowance for all
the difficulties which have been in the way; nor
has he given due credit for the exerions which the
ofthe Senator, these remarks:
:" think shall show, that whatever reforms have been
made, have been taken towards eio land
some have been aken have originated since the criticism
on the estimates oast year. and probably originated out Of
the action OF Congress-"
Again, speaking Of some Of the reforms which
might have been made he seems to think there has
been some want of administrative genius and tai
ent, and that, but for this want, the expenditures
OF the Army might have been reduced, but that
nothing of this sort had been done until very re-
Gently. Then, the Senator referred to order,
issued by the War Department, which | find re-
ported in the Globe, stated by the Senator, to
have been issued on the first of January last.
Mr.. HUNTER. 1t was the first Of January,
1851.
Mr. PEARCE The order was issued on JAM
uary 8, 1851. In regard to the general expen-
ses ofthe War Department, ! have said before,
that they have increased very much Of late years
But whys Theincrease of this expenditure is, in
part, the direct result Of the action of Congress.
You have increased the Army largely since
j lS45. l have here statement of the organ
izaton and strength of the Army at these two
periods-lS45 and the present time. On the LIST
January, lS45, the organized strength of the gen
era staff corps amounted 10 FIVE hundred and sixty
men. On the LIST of January, 1852, the organiza-
uon of the same corps was seven hundred and
thirteen, while its actual strength was six hundred
and ninety-seven. The organization Of the two
regiments Of Dragons, on the lst January, 1915,
was one thousand two hundred and ninety weight;
their actual strength, one thousand one hundred
and eight. At the present time, their organiza-
ton is thousand seven hundred and thrty-wo;
their actual strength, one thousand three hundred
and sixty three. The regiment Of mounted rife
men was not known to the law in lS45. 1t was
created during the war, and has been continued
since. The organization Of this force amounts to
nine hundred men; its actual strength five hundred
and ninety The artillery, in lS45, had an
organization Of two thousand three hundred and
forty; now it is three thousand two hundred and
four. The infantry then had an organization of
four thousand four hundred and ifty-sx; now
they amount TO five thousand seven hundred and
sixty-two. In l545, there were three hundred and
seventy three detached soldiers and now there are
one thousand one hundred and three. These are
recruits at military stations, who not yet suf
feiently instructed to join their corps. Thus, il
| will be seen, that the sum total of the organi-
cation of the Army, in lS45, was only eight thou
sand six hundred and fifty-four and now il is
twelve thousand three hundred and eleven; while
the actual strength according to the last returns,
was ten thousand FIVE hundred aud thrty-eight.
| In addition to that, it must be recollected that
| the rifle regiment is a mounted regiment The cost
of mounted regiment is much greater than that
of regiment Of infantry. Ii must'be recollected,
| too that by the act Of 1850, we have authorized
the mounting of some of the infantry; and the ex-
| pense of these is very much increased We have
not increased the officers, but the rank and file, by
adding twenty-four 10 every company Of Dragons;
ten to every company of mounted rihemen; thirty
two 10 every company Of artillery; ten 10 every
company of light artillery; and thirty-two to
every company Of infantry. This has been the
direct action of Congress. A great deal Of the
Expenditure has arisen from the indirect action of
Congress-from annexation, from wnr, from Mex
lean cessions The great increase of expenditures
! in the Quartermaster's Department has been owing
TO these causes. w lthin the last seven yenrs you
have acquired territory larger than all the terri
tory you had before You had only little more
than million square miles Of land, and you have
now eleven hundred and thirty-odd thousand
square miles added TO yonr territory. In addition
TO this, IT must he recollected that this is not
fertile country; IL is not settled couniry and it
is not an accessible country. IL is remote from
the central seat Of your civilization II IL unpro-
vided with the facilities OF communication, IL has
neither population nor productions IL is infested
with bands Of predatory Indians. But your from
tier settlements must be protected and by troops
stationed Mt posts very remote, hundreds, and in
some instances thousands Of miles from the marts
and highways Of trade. You must convey provis.
ions TO the troops for the protection ofyour settlers
and your emigrants. Ii is an onerous expense-an
expense which, by the utmost care and economy,
cannot he brought down to anything like the ex
pense Of transportation before we acquired these
territories. You owe protection to the poorest
settler, upon the most remote and lonely spot
within your limits, MS strongly as to any one set
lied in the richest and most populous part Of the
old States; and you can neither project the from
tier-man, nor give security TO the emigrnnt, nor
defend the advance Of your settlements, except by
military force supported at an immense expense.
These are evils which were not unforeseen.
recollcci that, m 1877, when ] had occasion To
make some remarks on the Mexican war, alluded
TO the necessary increase Of expenditure which
would inevitably take place, II you acquired these
very distant and unsettled Territories. Everybody
knew that it would be so. Formerly your mill
iary posts were stationed near 10 steamboat navi-
CATION. The most remote post you had was but
ninety miles distant from steamboat navigation.
Many Of them were directly accessible to steam
boats. Others were within six, and some twenty
four miles distant; and there was but one post as
far distant ninety miles. Now, you have TO
drag -four, and pork, and other provisions, some
times n distance Of thousand miles: and that not
over country where there are beaten roads,
where there are any settlements, where there are
any products Of which the escorts can avail them
selves; but where, very often, there is not even
grass water Cor their animals, where the
scanty products of the earth are sold at the most