Washington sentinel., 1854-07-14
1NCREAsE OF rHE ARMY.

The Albany Register thinks that we are
wrong in urging prompt increase of our mill.
tary force 1t thinks that reorganization is
all that is necessary, and casts sneer at those
who think differently, by saying, this struggle
for an increase Of the army has been going on
ever since the organization of the government.
Commissions in the military are such conve-
nient things, with which to pension off younger
sons of first families, and give them support
at the expense of the State, that it has always
been and always will be in high favor with our
republican aristocracy"
If the Register will look into the subject, it
will find that our whig and federal aristocracy
has shown as much eagerness to pension off
Younger sons as any other portion of our pop
ulation. But it is an unworthy mode of argu-
ment which attributes any proposition to sinis-
ter and selfish motives without proving that
the proposition itself is unwise and injurious.
The Register attempts to do this, but it exc
cutes its task in such feeble manner as to
furnish strong ground for the suspicion that its
opposition to an increase Of the army has a
close connexion with the fact that the commits
sions would be distributed by democratic in
stead of whig executive. As for ourselves,
we were in favor of an increase when the wings
were in power, and we advocate it now.
We gather from the Registers article that
the reorganization which it considers as amply
sufficient, consists in transforming our artillery
and infantry into mounted rangers. The eff
cacy Of this reorganization is based on the pre-
posterous assertion, that " there is no possible
use to which a United States soldier can be
applied east of the Mississippi" which is fol-
lowed up by the untenable deduction that
we need an army only to hold the Indians
in check. There are many Notifications on
the Atlantic coast and northern frontier, erected
at great expense, which must be garrisoned,
even in time of peace, or be dismantled and
permitted to decay and 60 to ruin. Besides,
some preparation must be made for state of
war. Our volunteers have courage enough !;
but when they are called into service they have
neither skill nor discipline, and in order that
they may acquire either in a reasonable
time, there must be an adequate nucleus of
regular troops and experienced officers. 1t
is folly to await the commencement Of hostili-
ties before we begins The study of the art of
war.
No matter what the strength Of the army
may be, it is the last importance that it should
contain due proportion of each and every
- H. CT
cleus in time of war for the unskiled and mex.
perienced volunteers. 1t takes long time,
and much practice, to give full efficiency to
artillery, and for that reason our regular army
should contain larger proportion Of that arm
in time Of peace than it would be judicious to
maintain in actual war.
But independent Of this, and looking to pre-
sent necessities, the reorganization proposed by
the Albany journal rs not only inadequate but
useless. 1t is true that mounted men are the
most efficient soldiers for the defence Of the
frontier, and that infantry and artillery can
render but little service against the Indians of
the west and southwest except to garrison posts
and protect trains. But it must be borne in
mind that infantry or artillery cannot be trans
formed into efficient rangers even if they are
furnished with good horses, good rifles, re
volvers and sharp swords" The experiment
was tried during General Taylor's admins
tration, and as was foreseen, it failed most
signally. As general thing the soldiers in
our infantry and artillery regiments have nc
more idea Of the management Of horse thar
of hippopotamus. But few Of them ever sa
in saddle, and it is almost impossible to teach
a grown man either TO ride, swim, or shoot. The
only result Of mounting our infantry in Texas
was to make it worthless and cause the loss o
many valuable horses, and the destruction o.
much valuable property.
The Albany Register says that we have mer
and officers enough. Surely that journal il
not aware that the regular force has fallen Of
more than onethird since the Mexican war
The high price Of labor, and the low rate Of th'
soldiers pay have checked enlistments to sucl
an extent that there are now only about thret
hundred recruits to fill the vacancies occa
stoned by about FIVE thousand deaths, dis
charges, and desertions. AS the number o
commissions will not be increased by fillinJ
up the ranks Of the army to the legal standard
we trust that the Register and its friends vii
sustain whatever legislation may be necessar
TO enable the government to offer such induce
ments as may be needed to procure the neces
sary enlistments. When that is done ou
army will only be about twelve THOUSAND
strong-a force inadequate for time Of peace
If indeed, we can be said to be at peace willis
hostile Indians infest the frontiers.
Additional regiments ought TO to be raised
and the enlistmens should be made, will
n view to the service TO be performed. In
fantry and artillery soldiers cannot be con
yerted into moa2ted men, nor can eficien
rangers be ever made Of recruits taken from