The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-03-16

three senators will read IL, and not hall dozen othei
gentlemen, except the officers engaged in lis production
What information will there be in that. Sir, am against
The proposition on that ground !,
| am against It also on another ground am opposed
to devolyng upon The President the responsibility q uu
tefminng this quarrel between civil and military RUE ~
your amorles, because II is scramble iof place anu
while my honorable friend from South carolina lniL
BufLERl yesterday eloqueny and Justly reouked 'he
citizens for ngior these places he should Also he
buked the officials oi the government VINO are quaisu
the public for life. It's scramble place between ie
the two, and one s Just about as enefgeuc aa Aeaps
the other Hence, that while he was rebakin2 e p
xen in Just aud fair terms he should also have rebuked me
official who is provided for out OF your reasury lor Inc
military officers, as understand IT, ask TO be retained N
the superintendence Of the armores.
Mr.. BUTLER They do not ask It; but lhey WISH
justice done to them.
Mr.. RUSK. | say that is the struggle, and have seen
something of IT, Cnzens have troubled me; but mol
much because would not let them. The army oihcers
have troubled me more II is place--it is comior'a
BILE position for hem and, therefore, they want TO retain
il for themselves.
word with regard to The inquiry which s sought to
be instituted The honorable senator from Illinois, VINO
proposes it, comes from country which some OF nv
folks hail irom and favorlte maxim with them Is iaf
play" His amendment does not give fair play, because
proposes 10 inquire how the armores were conducted
eleven ortwelve years ago, under civil supefnehdehce
and make that test to be compared with their super
ntendence now, under the management oil army officers
do not think that this is proper position Tor army OH
GERS and mean disrespect 10 them when say So
They were selected for their fighting qualities They
were selected 10 command in the field They were not
chosen mechanics, and venture 10 say they are not
mechanics II you place the armorles under civil super
nlendence you give the President if he disposed 10
discharge his duty the power Of selecting mechanics
practical men-one OF whom Ia worth ten thousand OF
your theoretical gentlemen, These theoretical gentle
men can get appropriations Increased dhe history Q,
the appropriation bills has shown that They can carry
on great deal ci work, but whether there is Improve
ment in that work is another question. Will venture
10 say that if the President shall do his duty IN this mat
ter and select for the head OF each OF these amories
civiliana who unders ands mechanical
operations there will be more Improvement III the arms
in five years than there has been in forty years past As
general thing the army is averse to improvements IN
arms, upon the principle plough with the same
implements tina. fathers used They prefer the Old
arms--the old straight breethed gun
Under these circumstances, II you retain the arnorles
under military superinendence, you will ia my opinion,
have none Of the benefits of the mpovemensof the age
You may 20 ana Manufacture arms better, perhaps,
every year, bat still II is according 10 the same old pat
tern which you have been following for years past You
will introduce no new inventions and no new improve.
ments Under such circumstances, am Tor putting the
officers OF the army in those positions for which they
were intended. They never instituted 10 make me
chaAcs and gun smiths Their business is 10 take the
gun when made and fight with it, | have no disposition
to make mechanics OF them.
Mr. BUTLER A word Of explanation; and | wish
the honorable senator from Texas wei! as others; 10
hear it, From nothing that have said can any Inference
he drawn that | have Insisted upon either Coene Rip
ley or Colonel Huger retaining these places
Mr.. RUSK. | did not say So.
Mr. BUTLER | understood the gentleman 10 say that
Mr. RUSK. Not exactly that
MIR BUTLER What then, does the gentleman mean
when he speaks about officials All have said Is that
the military superntendency has operated better than the
civil superintendency and when things brought
trial il u the best The honorable senator from
Texas may well speak OF the duty OF soldier, for he Is
military man. 81,
/ believe, however, that very great military man
has said that perhaps tie very last use that should be
made OF men is TO fight that you should substitute
science, and let war be conducted in such way as 10
~ rtr thah hall hnll
that science is going far 10 mitigate the horrors OF war;
and perhaps the style c Tie arms Will have great M
huence upon that say that science, as ws .. courage
and skill to be consulted Indeed science is quail.
ity which inspires courage However, these general
topics, and shall not go into them. only wish TO say
that am willing 20 for the amendment OF the senator
from Illinois, becatse II is ar, u is TO appoint com
mission 10 oinstlute inquiry Now would like TO know
officials have been indicated by The hnger IN some
measure because some military must be the one in
dcated-l want TO know who al Springfield, or who at
Harpers Ferry, want these armories venture TO say
that somebody wants them. II anybody can tell me who
wants them, would perhaps strip them OF some OF their
prelensions Certain il is that somebody wants these
places You need not tell me that ii is one OF those
vague generalites in which patriotism comes iotward
with dsnteres,ed regard for the psbc service. Some
body has his eyes upon these 100000 TO be appro.
praied for the manufacture o in the amores, and
the people who TO get hold OF that money very
easily aege that they can make better arms than any
body else. III they can get The money they Will make
the arms but whether they will be better or not Is
another question should like 10 know who Il is that
want TO handle these $4,000 and who TO prove their
capacity. say that they patriotic than the army,
and can make better arms II gentlemen will indicate
the persons who anxious Tor taking jurisdiction OF
the armories, perhaps could inquire ltte into their
character, and show their pTetensons.
Mir DOWNS. II the honorable senator from South
Carolina could devise some way OF carrying on armo-
ries and manufacturing without the $500 900 pro-
posed to be appropriated going into anybody's hands,
there might be something his suggestion. But as II
necessary that The money shall be expended by
one, cannot any great enormity IN The fact that
that somebody should be civilian. For my own part,
| would lust as soon civilian military man
have the management OF II.
Mr.. BUTLER military man does not get dollar
of It, The workmen get the money.
Mr.. DOWNS. am opposed TO The amendment Tor
several reasons In the hrst place. have no doubt IN
my own mind as to what the decision ought to be- |
should think from the Indications that both houses OF
Congress have doubt because they have both agreed
to provision putting the armores under civil snpern
tendence For one not willing, alter both houses
have agreed do that, institute commission OF IN
quiry 10 know whether we have acted foolishly or
not | think thai Is matter into which we ought 10
have inquired at first rave felt 1 my duty 10 inquire
into the subject, and have inquired into AZ; | have
made up an opinion, and have expressed that opinion
by my votes here necessity for any further
investigation.
Besdes il seems 10 be question which is continually
10 be coming up We have had II before the Senate
severa times and decided it, Are not gentlemen satisfied
with the decisionl Do they want the question to be
continually coming up IL seems TO me that after the
question has been settled in formal manner-as II has
been by both housea- should be suffered, al this late
period of lhe shou session, to rest Then, where is the
Ssity of this inquiry this formal, Official commission
composed OF civilians and military men
Mr. SHIELDS. The honorable senator will permit
mo ia tell him-as do not wish to make speech-that
in the first place want TO ascertain which IS the best