The Washington union., 1858-03-14
THE WASHINGTON UNION.

date Of the executive action ON the subject o state
fact which Is known 10 me, and is sufficiently auhen
Gated by the newspapers, speaking of the march OF the
army from Texas ARKANSAS, and other points, where
they have been recently stationed
Now, the question repeat which forces itself the
consideration of every gentleman in this hail. is what Is
TO be done with the Indian frontier thus necessarily
stripped of the force essential for Its protecon How is
this to be supplied' IL il to be supplied by reg
uais yolunteersf Would volunteers engage In that
setviceY Would volunteers be indebted TO any gen
tleuian who would place them on any such service
that VIII you refuse addition to the regular
iocel Will you refuse BOTH and throw upon the Execu
tive that responsibility which will devolve upon him un
der the a of t9s to call out the militia for the pro
lection of the rontiersthe most expensive and least eff
cen force that be applied necessarily account
OF its short term of seryicel
Now, Mr. Speaker it obvious that volunteers would
be of any material service the exgency to which
allude to fill the created by the withdrawal of
our troops to Utah But suppose it necessary TO
ganize increase OF force in addition to that army
which will leave your western frontier in the month of
May to go and vindcate the laws of the land In Utah
what should it bea regular force a volunteer force
Sir it is made objection to the regular force that it be-
comes permanent addition to your army, and perma
nent of expenditure; whereas II il said that vol
unteers may be disbanded at any moment when their
term OF service expires deny the force of any such
argument say ii is in your power, and it is proyi
ded in tie bill eore you t. discharge this regular force
proposed to be organized at the end Of tso years
But, sir there is military aspect of the question
of more Importance than that If you bring out vol
unteers for the Utah service you must send them
there, They volunteer for that service 1t s for that
that they come under contract with the government and
unframed apd undiscipned they may be- there they
fiustso Whereas II You make addition to your regu
r army tile Practical operation Will be, that you take
these raw recruits and send them to your Indian ffotiet
wnllc you st 50 many veteran, experienced
troops for the service in Utah repeat 1t, you take
volunteers, and undsciplined as they may be, you
must march them on to Utah That is where they have
contracted to 90 and nowhere else would you think of
| We'll thgt TX "A
sand two hundred miles at the very staff Is that
march for and inexperienced troops ana again.
sir for what service is il that you thehf why,
sir for the most delicate service that has arisen
der this federal government 1t is to subdue a refractory
Territory into obedience to your laws SO far with all
their rebellion not drop human blood has yet been
shed in that Territory SO far from the foundation OF this
government notonedrop of human blood has been shed in
maintaining the supremacy of the constitution and laws
And say God forbid the day should arrive when this
government is to be sustained by shedding the blood of
its citizens You want for this service force frer from pas
son free from excitement force wise govern
ment will always resort to for the maintenance of its
laws. regular soldier is unimpassioned instrument
of He is machine in the hands of higher intell
gence Obedience is the law of his existence He ready
to march countemarch to go into cantonment or go
into the cannons mouth his superior officer may order
him to do You want sodiery which will be under
the perfect control of its officers You want soldiery
that can may control its officers. You want such
force-if the pejudices of some gentlemen will
me for making the comparison as this government has
had in the Territory of Kansas for the last two years
where, amidst the widest rawlings Of tho social and po
ltica tempest it has unaffected by the influences around
thcm succeeded in preserving law and order without shed
ding drop Of human blood That Is the sort of force
you want in Utah. You do not want that force which
leading Virginia editor In paper that received yester
day morning says you do want He says, recommending
volunteers, that it would be best to send body Of men
to that Territory who would 60 inspired by religious
| repugnance to the denominations of Mornonsn. This
has been too much the language of the public press
do not condemn the sentiment of opposition to the abomi
nations Of Mormonism only condemn il in connexion
with an appeal to the military power of this country to
put them down. fear that much of the impulse given
to volunteers has sprung from this sentiment Of hostility
to the religion of the Mormons.
Sir too much has been urged in this country in favor
OF this expedition movement against the religion of
the people of Utah trust there is to be no religious
stimulated from these halls of legislation We have
nothing to do with the religion of that people repugnant
and degrading it may be. We have license in the
constitution le loose the dogs of war To hunt down
set of people for their religion matter how nbhor
rent it may be. He who goes to Utah. whether vonn-
teer regular, with the intent and purpose of making
upon that people because of their religion will If he
sheds blood ON such mission, have committed murder
in the eye of the constitution There is but duty
which deyolves upon this government IL is to maintain
the supremacy OF authority in that Territory. For
all the rest must trust to the mild influences of Chris
tiaity we must trust to the bcngnant influences of
glorious form of free government under which, Jefer
has sd may safely be tolerated where
is left free to combat it.
the performance of the proper duty which devcvos upon
us. assert our full dominion the Territories
will all proper lengths to put down the Mormon rebel
lion will crush it in every form far il has array
ed itself In opposition 10 the authority of this govern
ment but would do it by the regular, established,
COOL and unmpassoned judicial, and, if need be- militia
ry energies OF the country.
Sir, the gentleman from Mississippi tells that the
volunteer force is the peculiar growth Of this country
If it be true that it American institution and that,
as SUCH 1t is to of national PRIDE it is be
cause of its past recollectons and history Heretofore
this appeal has been made to the country by Con-
gress for volunteers. except when done to defend tho
sanctity of homes and of fresdes expel the
invader from SOIL and to plant the victorious eages
ofonr country upon the capitol of foreign foe But now
for the first time in history is Congress appealed to- to
invoke the passions of this nation to organize voun
teer force which is expected to mark with blood the tri
umph of federal power Territory of this Union |
look with alarm upon such precedent know the in
tcnsy of sectional hate and the political feel
ing which too often sway the passions of this people
Establish the precedent that federal power may
make this appeal TO the passions of the country to main
tain its authority, and you nagurate practice and
power fruitful of the dangerous consequences our
system. From its successful application to a Territory
it will be easy step under the control of reckless
and dominant majority to extend it to State Such
precedents, once established not forgotten They
seized by the hands of power and perverted beyond
the original intention. not willing to take any
step in that direction II is not asked by the President
nor demanded by the necessities of the country
But must for tho present pass this aspect of the
subject, and proceed with the military view Of this ques
ton The gentleman from Mississippi has said that it
duty of this House to respond to the executive
mendations which have been made to us. agree with
and I.Nx A,..l L.