The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-01-19
SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT.

SFECiAL MEoCAVE rhOn liz iRI"oiDL'A.
The following message from the President Of the United
States with the accompanying letter from the Secretary OF
War, to both hoases of Congress yesterday:
10 the Senate and House Of Representatives.:
transmit herewith letter Of the Secretary Of War
upon the subject Of Indian hostities The employment of
volunteer troops suggested BY the Secretary to
afford the only practicable of providing for the
present emergency There is much to believe that
other cases similar character those particularly referred
the accompanying papers will at early day require
vigorous and the exhibition of strong military
force The proposed temporary provision to meet special
demand far from obyating, in my Judgment only
to illustrate the urgent necessity of increase of the
regular army least the recommended in my
late annual message Unless by the plan proposed
some other equally effective force be early brought
into the field adequate to the suppression of existing
hostilities the combination of predatory bands will be
extended and the difficulty Of restoring order and security
greatly magnfed. On the other hand without perna
military force of sufficient strength control the
friendly Indians may be expected that hostilities will
be renewed, and that years of border warfare will
act the country rearding the progress Of settlement
posing emigrant trains to savage barbares and con-
suming millions of the public money
The state Of things made known in various letters recently
received at the War Department extracts from portion
of which herewith enclosed is calculated augment
the deep socitnde which this matter has for some time
past awakened and which has been earnestly expressed
previous messages and in the annual reports of the Score
tary of War respectfully submit that the facts now
urgently call for immediate action on the
part of Congress.
WASHINGTON January l6, 1855.
WAR DEPARTMENT
Washington January Is, 1855.
SIN In the annual report from this department of De-
cembe 1853 your attention called the state Of the
Ind t.a a.
bring them into hostility with citizens The exposed
condition of the settlements the frontier and of emf
grants to California and Oregon passing through the In
dian country with their property presented those
like and predatory tribes temptations which it was fore
would lead them to acts of and plumber
unless they restrained by the presence of sufficient
military force
force for the protection Of citizens shown and an
increase of the army urgently recommended
In my last annual report the subject again brought
forward with the additional considerations presented by
the realization in measure, of the evils which had
been anticipated and increase Of the army TO such an
extent as would enable the department the ineva
bic emergency urged in such appeared 10 be
demanded by the occasion and to demonstrate the nece
sity Of the measure
since the date of that report intelligence received from
officers on the frontier and through Department Of the
Interior from Indian agents and other sources shows
the indians OF the western pracs and mountains are in
hostile and defiant attiiude that several of those tribes
nave entered INTO combinations for the purpose making
general war upon the whites during the approaching
spring and summer and that these tribes can bring no
the field from four to six eight thousand warriors Had
the increase of the army, which urged in my report Of
December, 1853 been at early period authorized the
force at the disposal of the department would have been
sufficient to prevent these combinations and in all proba
biy, would have preserved the lives of many valuable
citizens from Indian massacre
This measure however has not been acted on and Al
this advanced PERIOD should the bills pending in Con-
gress be passed. IL win be found late organize reg
uar enlisted force and place in position in season to pre-