Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-08-27
Consress..-Extra Session.

COMPASSIONATE session.
Congress met, according to the call Of the Presi-
dent, on Thursday last. A quorum of both Houses
was present After organizing the following mes
sage was received from the President
Fsllo~ citizens Of the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatires:
In consequence of the failure of Congress- at its
recent sessop to make provision for the support of
the army it became imperatively incumbent Oh me
to exercise the power which the constitution confers
on the Executive for extraordinary occasions, and
promptly to convene the two houses in order to af
ford them an opportunity of reconsidering subject
Of such vital interest the peace and welfare of the
Union
With exception of partial authority vested by
law in the Secretary Of to contract for supplies
of clothing and subsistence, the army is wholly de-
pendent the appropriations annually made by
Congress. The omission of Congress to act in this
repect before the termination OF the fiscal year had
already caused embarrassments to the service, which
were overcome only in expectation of appropriations
before the close of the present month. If the re-
quise funds be notspeediy provided, the Executive
will not longer be able furnish the transportation,
equipments and munitions which are essential to
the effectiveness of military force in the field. With
no provision for the pay OF troops the contracts of
enlistment would be broken and the army, must in
effect be dsbanded; the consequence of which would
be disastrous to demand all possible efforts to
avert the calamity.
1t is not merely that the officers and enlisted men
of the army % be thus deprived Of tie pay and
emoluments to which they entitled by standing
laws that the construction of arms at the public
armorcs the repair and construction of ordinance at
the arsenals and the manufacture of military cloth
ing and camp equipage must be discontinued, and
the persons heced with this branch of the public
service thus be deprived suddenly of the employment
essential to their subsistence; is it merely the
waste consequent on the forced abandonment of the
seaboard Notifications, and of the interior military
posts and other establishments, and the enormous
expense of recruiting and recognizing the army,
and again distributing it the vast regions which
1t TOW occupies. These arc evils which may, it is
true be repaired hereafter by taxes imposed on the
country
But other evils are involved, which no expendi-
lures, however lavish, could remedy, in comparison
with which local and personal injuries Or interests
sink into insgnifcance.
A great part Of the army is situated on the re.
mote frontier, in the deserts and mountains of
the interior. To discharge large bodies Of men in
SUCH places, without the means OF regalnlng their
homes, and where few, if any, could obtain snbsis-
tence by honest industry, would be to subject them
to suffering and temptation, with disregard of JUS
tlce aid light most derogatory to the government.
In the Territories of Washington and Oregon
numerous bands of Indians in arms, and are
wagng war of determination against the white
inhabitants; and although our troops are actively
carrying on the campaign, we have no intelligence
as yet of successful result On the western plains,
Notwithstanding the imposing display of military
force recently made there, and the chastsement in.
hicted on the rebelous tribes, Others far from be-
ing dsrnayed have manifested hostile intentions,
and been guilty of outrages, which, if not designed
to provoke conflict, to show that the apprc-
henson of it is insufficient wholly to restrain their
vicious propensties strong force in the State Of
Texas has produced the temporary suspension OF
Init in
tvity on the part of the troops is required to keep
IN check the marauding tribes which infest that
Territory The hostile Indians have not been re
moved from the State of Florida and the Withdrawal
Oh the troops therefrom leaving tina. object unac
compished, would be most Injurious to the inhabi
tants, and a breach of the positive engagement O
the general government
10 refuse supplies to the army, therefore, is tt
compel the complete cessation of all it's operations
and its practical disbandment, and thus to invite
hordes OF predatory savages from the western plains
and the Rocky mountains to spread devastation
along a frontier Of more than four thousand mile!
IN extent and to deliver up the sparse population
a vast tract of country to rapinc and murder.
Such, in substance, would be the direct and i'm
mediate effects Of the refusal of Congress for thu
first time in the history of the government to gram
supplies for the maintenance Of the army the in
evitabe waste Of millions of public treasure; tn,
'nillction of extreme wrong upon all persons con
nected with the military establishment by service
employment, or contracts; the recall of our force
from the field the fearful sacrifice Of life and in
ealcuable destruction Of property on the romot
frontiers the striking of our national flag on tn
battlements of the fortresses which defend GU
maritime cities against foreign invasion and tn
a!scredit Of the United States in the eyes of tn
Civilized world -
confidently trust that these considerations an,
others appertaning to the domestic peace of tn
country, which cannot fail to suggest themselves 4
every patriotic mind will ON rafiection be dulx an