The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-07-19
Our Texas sOrrespon depce.

FNfticdf dHochs q" our troops DfySnre OF UT
GERS and Mn-Duty and Mode of Living at
Outposfs-Mo,ch ss ana Pricat ons- Mortality
in hs Comps Government Recruiting Promises
-Adro.tagss of a DISCIPLE ned Asmy over r.
yeeMor Troops Secretary Davis and Ms Re
porf-A CoH on tie Government.
That class OF men who have never, either by
over. action or by indirect agency, identified them
stlves x'h spy political party and whose av cation
il OF that of all others precud sthem
from the o.slbli,y Of collision with either business
men politicians, should have rendered tn mseves
smtDsble 10 the iDcessant and vituperative assaults
Of certsiD men in our nstiona Legisla ure, has
always been to me subject of much speculation
and mystery reference to che proceedings OF the
lower house ct Congress, upon any occasion when
measure is introduced which has the remOtest bear
irg upon the apel.oration of the condition Of the
Amy or Its support, will show thai such has been
the case There seems to prevail among these per
sons an irresistible procllvity to hur censure and
shuse upon every deOa tmeht Of the government,
hut cslly IT that particular branch the members
OF which they know are not in q position to defend
then selves They are moreover, perfectly conscious
Of the fact that the officers and eosted men OF the
United States army are not permitted, like other
Citizens 70 exercise the right OF suffrage aud that
from their remote stations the frontier they are
unable TO influence the electors Fog aged, as they
continually are, in the ardu0us duties devOving upon
hem in the extreme iimi.s of our Territories and
carefully r-ira'nng from all participation IN party
strife. it appears to my Judgment bu reasonable to
suppose that they should be exempt from the censo-
rous and dsstardy attacks Of deraagogues and fac
tioDists,
TIE broad assertions which are from time to time,
with great display of mock candor, put forth to
the prejudice OF the service, consist for the most
part of tsacies which they attempt to sustain with
an accumulation of argument having its origin in
their own perverted imaginatons.
IA 4
the United States army in time of peace is abss-
lutte sineOure and that the officers dr0nes, who,
living ia luxury and eating the bread of idtmA
serve no other purpose than to dep etc the q
chest, rendering no equivalent service in retHA
This same class OF persons also take occ ,sion 10
pour out their political cant ia walls of wrath upon
the army, when portion OF 1t happens to be called
upon TO exc ute the most OneIous thankless and dis
agreeable duty that can possibly devOlVe upon it
that of enforcing obedience to the laws of Congress
and of sustaining the fecera authorities in the
cutiOn OF their mandates.
Instead of pursuing the course pointed out in the
Constitution, junto in one house of Congress I'M
deItakes to illuminate its indignation upon the chief
magistrate OF the nation, by nhicting punishment
upon the arms ~ithholoing money for its mainte-
nance, aud thereby virtually disbanding it.
IL Congress desired to perpetrate upon the great
West the most suicidal policy tina, the ingenuity of
man could possibly devise, | know of no more GER
tain metnod Of Sc ,uriDg that end than that of dis
handing the art0y; and an by no means alone IN
the opiI that 1t would retard the e5emen of our
new Territories for many years. / furthermore
verify believe that New Mexico and Washington
Territories wosid, under the influence Of such law,
become depopulated within two wears Those nu-
merous an warlike tribes-the Nayjoes and Apa-
ches-bave for many years continued to wage
a a. devastating e,a1 ga, var upon the people Of
AKA ion in active hostlities since came in pos
session Of it, and that couotry would have been
wholly untenabe for our people without the protec-
ton affoIoed by large military force.
EvaV cinna tba Uatipp nf hna xxystl
Mexico in lS4S, ano the antecedent annexation Of
the vast extent OF territory coded by the treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo to our previous gigantic, wild
and unsettled domain, twevethirteenths of the en-
tire strength OF military force have been scattered
along the froaters from the mouth of the Rio Graude
TO the waters Of Hudsons Say, and from the eastern
shores OF The Atlantic to the western borders Of
Possessions upOu the Pac 'fc, embracing twenty-five
degrees OF latitude and fifty. seven OF longitude
This little army OF about thirteen thousand men,
which is required TO defend a GORDON of several thou
sand miles OF frontier against one hundred thousand
hostile savsges, is cut mp into numerous small de-
tatchments, some Of which are fornd In every part
OF our unsettled possessions. Wherever the Indian
roams over the vast wds of the West there may be
seen q portion OF this army giving protection
to the emigraDt in his toilsome pilgrimage over the
continent and To the hardy aud adventurous pioneer
as he pushes his fortunes into the wilderness and
with rapid strides leads the way for the occupation
ana settlement OF new Territories and States.
A regiment Is stationed upon the torrid borders
OF Mexico to-day. and tomorrow is ordered to
the frozen attitudes of Hudson's Bay or the
Northern Pacific ocean. Leading life al
most as romantic as the savages the n
selves they are necessarily shut GU; from all
intercourse with the civilized world and are solely
dependent upon the scanty resources of the wilder
ness for their existence.
Many OF the mill acy posts are located In the
midst of sterile deserts where the soil cannot pe
cultivated and the troops have in consequence suf
fered much the want of vegetable ant-scorbutics
One OF these military esta olishmen which CHANGED
= "A n
many Others, l. located upon an elevated plateau
where tie vino makes its appearance daily with as
much regularity as the sun, and raises dense cloud
of mpap able dust which, IKE the fierce smooms of
the East sweeps over everything aud penetrates 10
the inner recesses Of every creyice and sea in
houses, furniture aud clothing.
lowance OF this obtrsiye ingredient of the ration
daily Vet cam with perfect safety assert tba. il
would have required but very Drlef period of time
to hni-h this portion of NY earthly task aad that