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

or the Secretary of War y. NJ CONRAD
Secretary of Var.
ii. The following are the paragraphs of Tie General
Regulations . OF 1871, cited above:
w. No barracks, quaers or hospitals shall be erected
nj the public expense, but by order OF the Secretary OF
War, and according To plans which he shall have
and no officer whatsoever may be his ran shall I'M Tie
slightest alteration la any plan OF barracks quarters or
h0spita approved, without the order Secretary
War, communicated through the Quarternarter General,
These restrictions do not extend 10 temporary hu where
troops may be compelled, by the uneaness Of their po-
sitions 10 leave their quarters during the season.
where, from the circumstances of the service, they may
advance of the established posts.
oil. No changes alterations be mnde in the bar
RACKS, quarters or hospitals az permanent or established
posts, but b. the authority of the secretary of War.
municated through thr lulrern,ser Generals should any
change or alteration Involving expense be made Will
out such authority. the officer causing shall not only be
charged with the whole expense incurred, but also with
that Of restoring the barracks quarters, hospitals thus
altered, 10 thrr former condition.
By command of Major General ScoTT:
II. JONES, .9ijutaat General.
need not read the rest Of this order. have read
enough to show its character. Now, j have to say
that under its operaon and under the operation of
an order subsequently, issued, by which the Secre-
,ary directed all the quartermasers and officers in
the employ Of the Army on the frontier, to dis
charge the civil employees in the service Of the
Government who could he discharged, a very great
reduction has been made in that force, and a very
great reduction of expenditure has resulted. /
have report which was received within the last
few days at the Department, showing reduction
Of the civil employees Of the Army in those dis
tant departments. ! refer to General Twiggs 3
division, General Iitchcock's division, and to that
military department which is under the command
Of Colonel Sumner. Twill remark here, in pass
ing, that the Secretary Of War very soon per-
ceived the necessity Of appointing to those distant
posts officers of the greatest energy; not merely
gallant men, whose service had long since been
recognized hp, men who added to gallantry, in
tegcnce Of the very highest professional char
acter, and who added to that intelligence extraor-
binary zeal and energy. believe he selected
three Of the very best officers in the service. Cen
era Hitchcock, whose professional and other
merits are very well known, commands the Pa
cifc division. General Twggs commands the
division in which Texas is situated, (both good
Democrats;) and Colonel Sumner, an officer who
has no superior of his age in the Army, has been
appointed to the command Of New Mexico. IL
is under the supervision Of these intelligent, eff
cient, and jealous men that the Secretary hopes
carry out the reforms which he has projected, and
already we have evidence of the fruits of these
reforms in this fact:' When the present Secretary
Of War came into Office, or short time after
wards, the civil employees in that branch Of the
military service were not quite seventeen hundred,
but very near il. Now they only amount to some
thing over six hundred. One thousand and three
of them have been discharged since the Secretary
issued these orders-orders to which he was not
prompted, think, by the criticism Of Congress,
but which originated in his own good sense, and
which sprung from his vigilant wafchfnness over
the operations of his Department, and desire to do
that which the condition of the Treasury required.
One thousand and three of these employees have
already been dismissed, and the reduction Of the
expenditure Of the Quartermaster's Department,
in consequence Of these dsmissals, will be over
$500, 900 year. | doubt whether any Admins
tration for n long time past has done any single
act to reform abuses so productive of good fruits
as that
The Senator from Virginia seemed to think that
it was very wrong to have our troops in New
Mexico, Texas, and California quartered about
the towns. He thought that some reform ought
to be effected in that particular. The Senator
surely could have read the instructions of the
Secretary Of War to Colonel Sumner, in which
he says:
WAR DEPARTMENT,
WAsHIsoros, 4pH /, 1851.
Colonel r. v SUMNER,
lst Dragons, So. Louis, Missouri:
SIR: You have selected take the command of
Ninth Military Department aud wirepar 10 II ms early aS
practicable.
il believed thai material changes ought 10 be made in
that department, both with view efficient pro
lection ofte country, aud TO dninuon of expenses.
You will therefore, Immediately on assuming the COM
mand, the whole system of de!cnsc you will
Inc particularly whether the posts occupied by the
troops the most suitable and Il not viii make such
changes as you may deem advisable.
In the selection of poets you will be governed mainly by
the following circumstances, viz;
81. The dccuse OF the Mexican territory. which
bound 70 protect against the Indians within our borders
81. Economy, aud facility la supporting the troops, par
iiculary In regard 10 forage fuel and adaptation Of The
rounding country 20 cultivation.
The Department induced believe that both economy
and efficiency ofthe service would be promoted by removing
the troops out OF the where they iaoned
and siaionng them towards the frontier and nearer
70 the Indians.
From NIL the information that has reached hs Depart
ment IL induced 10 believe that permanent peace
exist with the Indians, and treaty will be regarded By
arms You will therefore, earyas practicable make an
expedition against the Navaioes aud a~o against tlc
Utahs and pache-, aud nicf upon them a chas.
tsemcn IL you should succeed IN capturing any Of them,
you will retain them rs hostages for the faithful observance
OF any treaty that may be made with them.
In all negotiations aud pacific arrangements with the
Indians yOu viii act In concert with the Superintendent OF
Indian Affairs IN New Mexico, whom you will allow to
accompany you In the expeditions into the Indian territory,
he should deem proper 10 do and to whom you will
afford every facility for the discharge OF bs duties
Instructions will be- given by the Department Of the In
terror To tho supenendens and agents IN all their transac
tons with the Indians In consultation and
with the military authorities.
You will Use every effort 10 reduce the enormous expen
dture Of The army ~ New Menco particularly in the
Quartermascr's and Subsistence Departments You Will
scrutnze the administration uf these departments, aud
rgdy enforce all regulations having reference TO the
II l. believed that the number OF employees may be
diminished wirhou Inconvenience the service, and that
material changes may b. made IN the ration, whereby the
may be- reduced, without interfering with the health
comori OF the soldiers. You authorized make all
such changes yOu may deem advisable.
For the purpose of enabling you the General
Order No !. Current scdcs) you will be supplied with
such seed, agricultural implements, SC, rs you may
require.
In carrying these measures such others rs YOUR
judg fnem may hereafter suggest you viii exercise
larger discretion than would be- allowable where the
nuncaon between the commander and the Department
more frequent and more rapid.
Very Respectfully, your obedicni servant,
C.M. CONRAD, Seereirryof War.
The criticism Of nv friend from Virginia was
made a few days AGO, and the Secretary had anti
cipated him as far back April, 1851, Of which
fact suppose the Senator not before apprized.
II would be rather tircsome for me to read the
whole ofthese papers. They are all very instruct
i've, and credtable. think, TO the Secretary |
have read enough TO show the design Of the Secre-
tary to reduce expenditures.
Here is another letter, dated April 30, 1851, in
relation to the Communication of rations, which evil
dences very clearly that the Secreiary's vigilance
was wide awake. He says:
GENERAL oRDERS-No. 25.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
ADJur vt Generals OFFICE,
WAsnfSoroN, .7prii 30. 1851.
The attention Of all officers u called the provisions Of
paragraph 1903, Subsistence Regulations. The cominuta
on seventy Eve cents per day therein allowed
a. soldiers detached command &C. u not ~ he given
except where they temporarily detared from their
proper stations, under such circumstances render u not
merely announcement but mpraccabie 10 carry provisions
with In when be announcement