Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-02-27
INCREASE OF THE ARMY.
In SENATE OF rHE UNITED STATES,
THURSDAY. February 18. 1858. &


Mr.. BtGGS, Of North Carolina said, Mr. President,
sfsr the protracted debate which we have had on
this question, it is with extreme reluctance that
Rise 70 submit any remarks to the Senate; but IN
,,order to put myself right think It proper for me
to say few words in regard 70 my position, and the
.diaicutes have encountered in coming to q con-
clusior on this question. In the first place. under
stand from the Indications we have had in the Sem
ata that It s the settled judgment Of this body that
there ought to be some increase of the military orce
In the next place. believe it to be the settled ludg
ent Of the Senate that that increase Of the military
force should be Temporary in its character, and in
tended to meet the emergency that has now. as we
oil think arisen account Of the necessity OF main
'fsininr the Constitution and the laws Of the United
StAtes in The Territory of Utah. have arrived at
The conclusion that We need additional force, ex-
cept of temporary character, to suppress the in
s surrectfon in Utah.
The first inquiry that presents itsefis, from what
authority have we the best information as to the
kind Of force We ought to raise? The President has
voggested the raising of four additional regiments
Of regulars and the Secretary Of War has suggest
Cd the raising Of five regiments. These propositions
were referred to the Committee on Military Affairs
Of the Senate who must be presumed to have the
best information on the subject. That committee
has reported bill which has undergone revision in
the Senate, and has been cut down to almost moth
ing They differ in opinion from the President and
the Secretary of War as to the character of the force
that ought to be raised. The bill before the Senate,
the proposition of the Committee on Military AZ
fairs, is now reduced to a simple for rails
ing thirty companies, two additional companies for
each of the fifteen regiments of the Army. The Sc
nator from Tennessee has proposed an amendment in
the nature of substitute striking out the whole of
the bill and inserting measure which provides for
raising larger force in the shape of volunteers,
than the bill proposes and to that attention is
Invited. Behind that is another proposition which
has not yet been offered but has been suggested by
the Senator from Virginia. and that is to raise three
additional regiments of regulars.
confess that have some difficulty in my mind
because of the different shapes the question has
sumed in its progress through the Senate. In the
first instance, the Committee Military Affairs, to
whom 1 look with q great deal Of confidence as
to the best mode of raising force for this emergen
cy reported the original bill with two sections, each
Of which provided for increasing the army. The
committee then retired the second section of the bill
the section which I had thought of voting for in
preference to the first; but after the remarks of the
honorable chairman of that committee last week, I
concluded that he had better information on the
subject and that the committee wished to retire
second section, would vote for the first section
provso. making the increase proposed by it
kpry in its character; but now understand