Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-05-15


head here; these cheap men would feel 1t to be their
ausy and their highest pride to obey the commands
and dictates Of some daring military adVenturer;
aud we might not have 10 wait for dextrous moves
or for sOups detat by Louis Napoleon Nos you
would have some man to make he move here. What
high PRIDE what high patriotism, what high senti-
ment in reference TO Government can these 'eheap"
men entertain? They will feel it to be their duty
to obey orders when commanded to charge on ore
Of the sovereign States Of this Union.
Already the military spirit and patriotism Of the
States are diminishing the militia system is giving
way all eyes are turned TO the Federal Govern
ment this great central head that is collecting its
millions annually from the people Your State Of
fcers and your States themselves, are sinking into
Here Is the great center; here is the
great attractive power Abandon your military
systems in your States do away with e military
ardor that exists among the several States Of this
ConfedeFacy, and where are you? States that are
now sovereign and Independent, viii revolve around
this great central orb as SO many dependents or
satellites receiving from the great center their light,
their heat and their motion. Let him advocate
standing army who Will-to give another direction
to the Language Of the Senator from Georgia, at
the conclusion Of his speech, when he said, 81 tell
Senators to beware" vary the Language, and tell
the States to beware for their sovereignty is at an
end, if you persist il your career.
If we DO not commence the work and arres THE
the time will come when this Government will be
overthrown the tine will come when the sound
from the hoof Of the cavalry horse will announce TO
the sovereign States the approach of Usurf err the
legions Of the Government, in advancing column.
announce despOtism; when the goddess which
presides in the temple Of liberty viii descend, aud
the last expiring hope Of free Government 90 stag
gering from our land through carnage ana through
blood.
standing army is an incubus, canker-a fun
gus on the bOdv-politic Rely on the citizen soldier
the man that loves his country. When you call
for volunteers the lowest man In the company does
not start out with the feelings subdued spirit of
common soldier; but ca n man that goes, goes as a
hero-and with the expectation of distinguishing
himself even as private, before ne returns 10 ms
home.
But it would seem from reading the speech of the
honorable Senator-and you can see that old Euro
pean idea of standing armies, commanders, and
subjects sticking out-that when he returned to
Mississippi and met the mothers and the brothers
and the sisters and the fathers of those gallant men
who haG gone 10 Mexico, many Of whom now sleep
in a foreign grave, with not even a rude stone to
mark their buriPl place, and many Of them, per-
haps without a winding sheet save the blanket they
slept upon in the tented field, and it saturated with
their biood-they had tears, they had sympathies,
they had some one they cared for. Those men who
entered the SERVICE and went into foreign land as
volunteers had somebody to care for too. They had
their country that they loved, and were willing to
defend. and in whose cause they we're willing to
perish. Notwithstanding the tears that triekled
down the mothers cheek, her heart would expand
with patriotism when she reflected that her son had
fallen in a glorious cause, defending his country's
RICH s. He could net have died more glorious
death.
But to return to the idea suggested By the chair
man of the Committee on Military Affairs; that We
oha I that has
mother no father no sister, nobody to care for him
or shed a tear over him. Oh no; that is not the
man we want We do not want the Army filled up
with rabble that have country, no friends, no
body to care for but ready and wiling to obey
the order Of their commander whatever it may be !!
do not want such men. am opposed to such
an army. I do not want to provide place in the
Government for them. want men who have homes,
who have mothers, who have fathers audfrieuds and
relations to care for them want them to feel that
thew have something to Defend and that they have
country which is worth defending.
In the course Of the discussion on this bill, there
we're occasionally some strange developments. The
eloquent chairman, who sustained the bill with so
much ability all theway through, whenever he came
to notice a man VINO had distinguished himself,
seemingly had prepared a standing eulOgy to pre-
nounce on his character. As 10 everything that
pertained to the standing army proper, he seemed
to be qE faiL He was ready at every point to pre-
sent them and to identify them with the army, and
ssnecialy with West Point. He commenced with
Washington, and pronounced an eulogy upon him,
the great and good, ''frst In war, first in peace,
and first in the hearts of his countrymen." Ny
heart responds to all that. He spoke of Jack
son. from nv own State; and if there is any
man that ever lived that l venerste, 1t IS the
illustrious Andrew Jackson. He spoke Of Colonel
Johnston, who has command Of your forces now
away in the region of Utah, and he pronounced
eulogy upon him; of General Taylor, distinguished
and brave land have not sught to say against him.
and he pronounced long eulOgyOn him, his courage,
his valor his chivary and last, though not least,
of nv distinguished friend from Texas, Mr.. Hous.
ton, on whom he pronounced eulOgy, and l say
amen to all Of 1t.
will not undertake to add anything to what he
said on that occasion but in this brilliant galaxy
of military chieftains, men who have been in the
thickest and hottest of battle; men over whose eff
forts your gallant banner has triumphantly waved,
upon whose standard the eagle Of liberty has again
and again perched did it occur toyOu that there
was another man who was somewhat distinguished!
[ understand that that man too concurs with the
Secretary of War in asking for regiments not to
fill up the rank and file with cheap men, but to have
regiments not companies Who is that man? 1t
occurred to me being somewhat strange that moth
ing was said of him. l am ne sdmirer of the indi-
vidual TO whom allude in political point Of view;
but his military reputation is part Of the history
of this country, and his military renoWn Is only
bounded by the limits of the civilized world. Who
is he? When you come TO look to him exclusively
in a military point of view, he stands up IN this
great custer of military chiefs like some projecting
cliff from a lofty mountain. Did We never hear of
Winfield Scott Has he no place in the military
annals Of our country? Has he fought no battles
Has he shed no blood? Has he not shown himself
to be iustrous a soldier, az well as tactcian
Why was he omitted? Why was he excluded from
the category Of great men Why was there
omission to pronounce a eulOgy upon him? know
there is nothing could say that would add one gem
to the brilliant chaplet that encircles his istriOus
brow, and therefore will not undertake to say any
thing in refeaence to that distinguished man. As
military cheftain, he belongs to the nation; his
success in the battlefield, to the history Of the
world
l do not understand the proposition before the
Senate as presented by the Military Committee, to
be an Administration measure When turn to the
report of the Secretary of War, in what terms does
be recommend an increase Of the Army The prin-
c pal idea in his mind seems to be that be-
cause his predecessor had recommended an in
crease of the standing Army, he too should recon-
mend it. Who was his predecessor? The illustriOus
of the Committee on Military Affairs. l
say it not in disparagement Of him but refer to
il as fact that we all have pride Of character and
anything which em8nates from us is, in opinion
better than that which emGnates from anybody else
IL was recommended by MIN as secretary OF War.
He comes into the Senate as chairman of the Com
mttee on Military Affairs to execute and carry out
bis own recommendation and then we are told that
it is an Administration measure We see how this
matter stands 1t is so of human character. Not.
it emanates from that distinguis shed
committee, for all of whom l have the most pro-
found respect for their talents and their integrity
must say that committee, distinguished it is, is
not infallbe, and may originate measures that are
not perfect. We are all attached 10 our offspring
When we claim paternity, though the infant be i'm
perfect, crippled defOrmed, not capable Of taking
care Of ITSELF such the affections of the parental
heart that it cngs with tensety its crippled
and dependent and imperfect offspring than it does
10 those who can 60 alone and take care of them
selves. 1t may be so in this instance.
In reference to the volunteer service, the amend
ment have offered proposes raise four regiments
Of volunteers in the very language of the President
himself and for the purposes for which he states in
his message that he wants them. The officers and
men are to be paid precisely the same amount that
you propose to pay to these ''oheap" men who have
no home, or country, friends, to care for them
state here now in my place. that is estimated the
cost will be about million dollars per regiment.
state here in my place, that if you will enter into
contract with me, 1 will guaranty that Tennessee,
The volunteer State will take your 81 00O 900 and
acquit you of every claim hereafter, and will settle
al your difficulties in Utah in less than six months
was going to add, yes, we will do it for half the
money. Tennessee has her companies and her
regiments ready; and all the Government has to do
is to say, 1--WE will receive you into service AID