New-York daily tribune., 1856-02-12

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To.sl for National deienses..........s ssl 5000
Being fully twice and a half the entire annual
expenses Of the Government under the Presidency
Of John Quincy Adams.
Now. if this increase Of fighting men and fighting
machinery gave Us increased security, tranquility
and public order, the heavy expense might be
borne; but the fact is brayely otherwise While
under the inofensiye and frugal rule Of Mr.. Adams
scarcely cloud Ofwar crossed national horizon,
and not fifty persons in all were killed in hostile
encounters between our National forces aud all
other parties during his fOur-years Presidency, 1t
is notorious that foes now assal or menace us on
every side We began this fiscal year with creating
four new regiments Of regulars, and we cOntriyed
in the course Of it to get into as many as four
quarrcls-namey:
l. The Sioux War; on the Plains, engineered by Gen.
Hancy.
Q Tie Indian War in Oregon. under Gen. Wool
B. similar war in Utah; and
4. war Just started with the wretched remnant OF
SeminOles in Florida.
Beside these, there was the raid into Mexico,
resulting in the burning Of town, and there are
premOnltOry symptoms Of all Indian War in Cali
fornia, and good prospect for a mutual display Of
ivory between our Government and the British
respecting q country in which neither has properly
any busness-Central America. So our new rcgi-
ments, new war steamers, new millions per annum
Of Military and Naval expense, do not secure us
peace nor any thing Ike it, they only seem to in
crease the chances and mischances of war. And,
when the bills for Indian spoliatiOns, volunteer
services in Indian wars, private property taken for
the public service, horses lost in campaigning, land
warrants to volunteers in these Indian hghtlngs,
pensions to the disabled, &c &c. shall have come
in il will be found that the actual War expenses
of our Government for the current fiscal year, in
stead of being limited by the Appropriations, do
considerably exceed Forty Millions.
Can such enormous outlay be necessary Let
us leave the Navy and Naval service out of the ac-
count for the present, and consider solely the Mill
tary seryice-that is, Indan-fghting, for We now
employ our land forces exclusively in that business.
Suppose the Government were to issue proposals
for keeping peace with the Indians within our
borders by contract-the contractors TO repress
promptly all Indian hOstilites, to make good all
damages sustained by our citizens through Indian
/ depredatons and to pay $4,000 to the family of
each citizen killed by Indians without blame on bis
own part-hOw low, think you, would bit and re-
sponsible men be willing to take the contract No
doubt it would be taken and fulfilled at or below
50, zoo, 600 per annum yet the same items will
cost us, under the present system, not less than
S2ODOO, 900.
But no contractors equal in capacity to mules
would for one hour maintain the present Military
system of the United States under which very
inferior order raw material for soldiers is picked
up in our Atlantic cities and transported half way
or quite across the continent to serve as Indian
fighters, when far better material is found in
abundance on the very spot where Indian-fghters
are wanted, and might be obtained very much
cheaper. Before our recruits now en- route by sea
10 California and Oregon can be brought within
sight of the Indians, they will have cost the Gov
ornment at least $500 per man, when for 500 per
man. or $500 if well mounted on their own
horses, d far more intelligent and efficient force
might be obtained just where and when it was
wanted.
What is needed, then, for our Indian service is
not an army Of any sort-much less one made up
ensted-but Sagacous capable, ygilant and
humane commander on each savage frontier-s
sort Of Warden Of the Marches, with few well
trained and efficient subalterns under his orders
men who know how TO respect while they curb the
high spirit of American volunteers, and to direct
their natural gaantry in TIE defense Of their @n-
lies and their homes. Such force, choosing its
or month but by the campaign-sO much for fin
ishnC the war, whether in one week or in thirty
fighting as it were, under the very eyes of those
most dear 10 them, would be worth double the
number of such men as are usually picked up by
recruiting sergeants in the purlieus of great cities
Tie COMMANDERS on every outbreak Of hOstilites
would call out SO many as be judged necessary