Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-12-20
INCREASE IN THE ARMY.

Public attention has at length been awakened
to the Imperative necessity of sn lncrcaHr III our
regular army. The crimes, crurl'ies, and butch
cries committed on our drlencvic>s frontiers by
prowlng bands of savagts have 81 length touch
ed Il responsive chord aIld the press ot he East
North aud South cordially re-ccilo ile GennndH
OF their contemporaries west of lie Mississippi
for governmental aid and protection. lnc army
lis Ill present constituted with It's skeleton c"nI-
pauirS, does not exceed ght thousand rank aud
file. and with this mere handful of men the Sec
.retary OF War is expected 10 look alter the de-
fences OF an ocean and gull coast exceeding
that Of the whule uf Europe, and TO protect lh'r-
r9r frontiers of greater extent than those OF t e
colossal empire OF Russia. The Secretary ad
mits that now, in 4 stale OF peace with all for
eign powers. and with no immediate Necessity
to keep large furce OH the Atlantic cuasi or
the lake frontiers, be is unable 10 punish, or even
10 hold in proper check the numerous ba;id, ot
hostile Indians who iutest and ravagc our south
western frontiers, and who have marked the
long lines of travel from territory 10 territory
with rapine, fire. and blood.
Tine Indian rObberies aud massacres, which
have now become of almost daily OCCURRENCE
cannot with any color of tairnrss be attributed
TO want Of forest ght or proper management on
the part of ihe War Department, Or TO 4 want
of efficiency on the part of the army. Sccreta-
ry Davis is known 10 the country not merely us
Il distinguished civilian, but us successful SOL
dier; and having received 4 military cducaiion.
and passed some of the best years OF his lille as
subaltern officer al pusts an our extreme froi-
tiers, his enlarged experience has enabled him 10
become familiar with the dcfrncelcSs state OF
the country and the wants OF the service. AS
to the perS0'lsL OF the army, it may &c Justly
siid of its officers, that they have shown 10 the
world the example of conquest and victories
unreproachcd by any cruelies or immoraites.
On every field in Mexico their valor WAS alteslcd
and their fidelity approved The perils of bat
tie, the hard march, The eG;s Of the camp, the
nightly guard, lie trorica! .an, the pcslllence,
the hard ration, and he scanty fare, were their
daily experience.
Our peace establishment :. commanded by Of
ficers who encountered al these hardshlps.-
They as little heed now, as then, such perllous
fare. They have not been rusling in inacIion,
nor are they idlers at resorts of fashion, or the
places of Incidence and ease. The frontiers are
their homes. The long lines of praiies, and
the plai. and the mountains, stretching from
ocean to ocean, are their places of recreation
and pleasure. Their vcinage is neghborless
for hundreds of miles, and the wilderness and
the Indians divide them for years from their
families and friends. Can the personeI of such an
army detcriorale or decay! We answer that
the disease that wastes the efficiency of the ar
my is not inherent but consequential. Foryears
has the inetfcicncy Of the army, from the want
of numbers, been demonstrated by robherles
unpunished. captiyes unrcclaImed, and mass;!-
cres unavenged.
The Secretary of War has discharged his
duty, and hot merely to his country and to The
branch of the public service over which he SO
ably presides, but TO the commoncst dictates oi
humanity by recommending an increase of the
army. We presume that the same measure OF
necessity will be again pressed 10 Congress by
the same officer; and we sincerely trust that
not many weeks will elapse before measure SO
impcratrely demanded for the protection of life
and property of those who are at once the pio-
neers of civilization and freedom, will receive
the sanction and approval of both houses of
Congress.-Washngto Union.