Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1854-12-21

several successive years. and as the gen.
eral principle of reduction Of duties with
view to revenue and not TO protection,
may now De regarded as the settled pol
icy of the country. trust that little diff
ficulty will be encountered in settling
details of measure 10 that effect.
In connection with this subject. re-
commend change in the laws. which
recent experience has shown to be essen
tiaI to the protection of the Government
There is no express provision of law,
requiring the records and papers of pub
lie character. of the several officers oil
government, to be left in their Offices for
the use OF their successors, nor any pro.
vision declaring il felony OH their part
to make false entries in the books, or re-
turn false accounts. In the absence OF
such express provision by law, the out
going officers, in many instances. have
claimed and exercised the right 10 take
into their own possession. important
books and papers, on the ground that
| these were private property. and have
placed them beyond the reach of the gov
eminent. Conduct Of this character,
br ought in several instances to the notice
OF the present Secretary OF the Treasury
naturally awakened his suspicion, and
resulted in the disclosure that at four
ports. namely. Oswego, Toledo, Sandusky
and Milwaukee, the treasury had; by
false entries. been defrauded, within the
four years next preceding March, 1888.
Of the sum of one hundred and ninety
eight thousand dollars. The great diff
Guilty with which the detection of these
frauds has been attended, in consequence
of the abstraction of books and papvIs by
the retiring officers, and the facility with
which similar frauds in the public service
may be perpetrated. render the necessity
of new legal enactments. in the respects
above referred TO, quite obvious. For
other material Of the revenue laws which
seem TO me desira bic. l refer you to the
report of the Secretary Of the Treasury,
That report. and the tables which accom-
pany il, furnish ample proofs of the SOL
id foundat ation on which the financial se-
curity Of the country rests. and the sal
utary influence Of the independent treas
ury system upon commerce and all mon
etary operations.
The experience OF last year furnishes
additional reasons. regret TO say, OF a
painful character. fer the recommends
ton heretofore made. to provide :or in.
creasng the military force employed in
the territory inhabited by the Indians.
The settlers on the frontier have suffered
much from the incursions of predatory
large bands, and large parties Of en-
igrants 10 our Pacific possessions have
been massacred with impunity. The
recurrence Of such scenes can only be
prevented by teaching these wild tribes
the power Of. and their responsibility TO.
the United States. From the garrlsonS
Of our frontier posts. it is only possible
TO detsch troops in small bodies; and
these have on all occasions displayed q
galantry, and stern devotion to duty.
which on a larger field would have com.
manded univtrsal admiration, they have
usually suffered severely in these conflicts
with superior mum bers. and have some
times betn entirely sacrificed. Al! the
disposable force of the army is already
employed on This service. and is known
to be wholly inadequate to the pro ectioh
which should be afforded. The public
mind Of the country has been recently
shocked by savage atrocities committed
upon defenceless emigrants and border set
Elements. and hardly less by the unneces-
doe ~ 81 10 .bov
adequate detachments of troops have un-
derisken to furnish the needed aid. With
out increase of the military force. these
scenes will be repeated. il is to be feared,
OF larger scale, and with more disastrous
consequences. Congress, am sure, will
perceive that :he plainest duties and re-
sponsibilities of government are involved
In this question. and doubt not that
prompt action may be confidently sntic-
ipated when delay must be attended by
such fearful hazards.
The bill Of the last session providing
for an increase Of the pay of the rank and
file orthe army has had beneficial results.
not only in facilitating enlistments, but
In 56obvious improvement in the class Of
Emen who enter the service. lregret that
corresponding considerations was not
bestowed on the officers, who. in view
Of their character and services. and the
expenses TO which they are necessarily
subject. receive at present what is in my
judgement, inadequate compensation.
The valuable services constantly rem
dered by the army. and its inestimable
importance, as the nucleus around which
the volunteer forces Of the nation scan
promptly gather in the hour of danger,
sufficiently attest the wisdom of main
tanning a military peace establishment;
bat the theory of our system and the
wise practice under. it, require that any
proposed augmentation, in timo of peace,
be only commensurate with our extended
limits and frontier relations While
scrupulously adhering to this principle.
| end. in existing circumstance, neces-
sity FOR increase of our military force.
and it is believed that four new regi-
ments, two Of infantry and two Of mount
ed men: will be Sufficient to meet the
present exigency. If it were necessary
| to weigh the cost in a case OF such urgen.
cy, it would be shown that the additional
expense would be comparatively light.
With the increase Of the numerical
force of the army should I think bf