The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-12-09


ment at the date Of the last returns was 1854 officers and
men. g.. tfI.
The Department Of The Taeyie, embracing the State of
California and the Territories OF Oregon Washington and
Utah. and part of the Territory of New Mexico. This de-
partment has seaboard frontier of 1900 miles entirely
unprotected by ortcaons except the works in progress
at San Francisco, Indian and foreign frontier of
l600 niles and than 1000 miles OF communications
through the Indian country, Indian population OF l34
600, who becoming formidable from concentration
from the acquisition OF firearms and knowledge of their
The force in this department is only 1865 officers and
but, heretofore mentioned they will be increased
by additional regiment ordered there
To recapulate. We have sea-board aud foreign
frontier of than 10000 miles Indian frontier and
routes through the Indian country requiring constant pro-
lection of than 5000 miles and Indian popula-
ton of more than 100000 of whom probably one-haif
1000 warriors nimica and only wait the opportuni-
ty TO become active enemies If should be ex-
panded TO its greatest limit IL would have force OF
l473 officers and men but large allowance must al
ways he made for absentee nvads &C. the effective force
would probably exceed 1000
That this force is entirely inadequate to the purposes for
which we maintain any standing army, needs no demon
straton and take occasion again to urge the necessity
of such immediate increase will at least give some de-
gree Of security Indian frontier That for this pur
pose regular force is not only the efficient and cheap but
the proper and constitutional means, to demon
strable if obvious The President is authorized TO
call out the militia to repe invasion and suppress
insurrection. These are the emergencies for which
it was deemed proper to confer upon the Executive
the power to call citizens from their homes and or
dinary avocatons, and these the great occasions
on which they may be justly expected to make all
personal sacrifices which the safety Of the country
quire 1t is in this view that habtualy and securely
look the militia reliance for national defence 1t
not the design of the constitution and laws to enable
the President TO raise and maintain standing army yet
this would be the practical effect of power ut his dis
creon TO call the militia into service, and employ them
for the ordinary duty of preserving order in the Indian ter
ritory The abuse to which such power If 1t were pos
sessed, would he subject sufficiently atests the wisdom OF
forefaers in not comforting it. and must remove far
from any desire to possess it, If this view of the sub
ect be correct follows that the Executive look to
authorized bV uOice
among the Indian tribes and to give that protection to pi-
settlements which interest humanity and duty alike
demand The organization of the Territories, and
the impulse given thereby to emigration towards the vest
frontier and the increase in the overland trains to
Pacific possessions have multiplied the opportunities as
well the OF Indian depredaons and hosulies
II is reasonable expect that the ensuing year will be
marked by numerous and serious Indian Outrages
than the last any preceding year
Our border settlements extending from the Missouri west
ward, and from the Pacific eastward, stead
lily pressing the savage tribes into limits and
nnproductye region from which result combinations OF
bands heretofore separated from each other producing at
the time, by their concentration increase Of power
and dimnution of their ability to live by the precarous
products of the chase Hence, woold necessity for an
increase of our military force
The question of economy in the employment of the
for this purpose has been frequently and fully dis
cussed 1t may not however be without benefit to advert
instructive facts in past experience OF Indian
The expenses occasioned by the war with the Sac and
Fox Indians in 1892 amounted TO than three millions
of dollars the definite appropriations for the suppression
Indian hosiities from 1896 TO ls4l, inclusive, amount
ed than eighteen millions of dollars Within the
past six years large appropriations have been made for
the object in Texas, New Mexico Utah, California
and Oregon The aggregate OF such expenditures in the
last twenty-five years independent OF the regular appro-
priaons for the support of the army estimated at
than thirty millions of dollars sufficient TO
have maintained for the whole period much greater force
than that recommended in my report OF last year This
is independent of the expenditure for property de-
stroyed, compensation to suffering inhabitants and on
account Of pensions and bounty lands and course
tha he tho
of private property those consequent upon the inter
rupon of agriculture and of the progress of settlement
These cannot be measured by any specific sum, and al
though private in their character are not limited IN their
effects individuals but by diminishing the resources OF
the country become public losses and such widely
felt
II has been stated by those with all the facts
that if in 1881 small mounted force had been at the dis
posal of the War Department. the Black Hawk war might
have been prevented and that in 1885, if few additional
companies had been sent to Florida, the Seminole war
would not have occurred
The state of the recruiting service shown by the report
of the Adutant general and the accompanying tables.
Since the passage of the law of August 1854 to eneour
enlstmens that service has progressed very sasaco
ry both regards the number and the character of the
men enlisted In the months of September and October
last l0O5 enstments made, while in the correspond
ing months of 1852 the number only 300 In conse-
quence of the number of companies that have been placed
on the maximum establishment under the law of juno IL
1850 the little that attended the recruiting service
prior the passage of the law above cited and the greater
than usual number of casualties that have occurred during
the year. the number of recruits that will be required
for the service for the ensuing year will probably not be
less than 5000
The estimates for the support of the army during the
fiscal year exceed those submitted at the last session.
for the current year. by the of >68l 66S 49, The in
is to be found in the items for pay of the rank and
file the higher fixed the last session of Congress-
and for recruiting clothing and subsstng the better filled
ranks of the army In other items there decrease
that leaving of view the pay OF the army which being
fixed by law this department in way increase
diminish the expense of keeping the army in active service
with its ranks thus increased during the next sca year
will not according the estimates exceed that Of the cur
The item Of transportation of the heaviest
expenses not increased and is therefore, relatively less
than that for the thus verifying the expeca
ton stated in the last annual report that increase of the
of expense In fact undue expense in proportion TO
numbers always results from not keeping foot sufh
cient If the force is small for the line it protects
be kept moving The results that stated the Quar-
Generals report The cost OF transportation
upon the scale for armies in the field.
The Of transportation have, in some instances,
been improved and il is hoped further Developments and
improvements will still diminish this large item of
expenditures In this connection, waving other
sideraons again invite attention the advantages 10
be anticipated from the of cames and dromedaries for
military and other purposes. and for the set forth
in last annual report recommend that appropriation
be made introduce small number OF the several varie
ties of this animal their adaptation country
think it but act of justice to the officers OF the
again 20 call attention the recommendation made in my
last annual report relative to an increase OF their pay The
pay established than forty years
ago when money had much higher value measured
by price of food late s45 the cost of the
soldiers ration 2 cent? whilst the estimates Of the
general for the year based the
price of Is for ration The Of life gen
orally have had like if not always equal appreciation
and under such it would be Just that
| G..l l,n, liz al,