The Washington union., 1858-03-14

hundred and thirty eight military forts and posts
there being little than company each military
post, and not one soldier to two miles of your emf
grant and frontier routes And get, sir, this Is
the army which we are Told Is too large, and
which has swelled beyond the necessities Of the
ton Sir is this army kept in dleness Does this
army consume the substance of the people without af
fordng an equivalent in service What are we told by
those who have right and authority 10 speak
upon question of this kind Winfield Scott, who has
not only achieved for himself reputation of the first
captain of the age but who has by his whole l shown
capacity estimate and heart to feel for his compa
triot in atms-what does he sayi Look at his report
Tor the last Not single report within that time
has eanaed from him in which he has not called the
tce of Congress the extraordinary suerngs tolls
vices and atgues of that small army let call the at
entoo Of this House to paragraph in his last annual
report He tells you
years they constantly pursuit
frequent comlas aud
mortality from excessive labor deprivation In
fort long unknown nine tenhs OF
other great cvthe numerous descrtons which daily thin their
ranks"
In other services, it seems, there is respite from
toll there is occasional moment of repose but
in army he tells you that they under contin
uing wearing operation of fatigue and exposure that
destroys and must break down, the small body of men
who thus compelled to endure these fatigues
What says General Jesup one Of the best informed
military in this country In his last report he tells
you that this little army performs duty and carries
on extensive operations, IIan any Huuufeu
thousand men in any other service In the world.
Well sir look at the general orders which are ISSUED
every year record Of The acts Of this army You will
there that during the last year there were twenty
eight conflicts with our Indian foes m which exhb-
tied amount Of sufe5ing and exposure which troops
have been very rarely called upon to endure Talk to me
about any want of capacity in W rer,Iar army of this
country 70 requirements of the public service,
when in these army records that they have travelled
than one Thousand miles In pursuit Of Indians,
marching IN ssven days three hundred and fifty miles, and
in single day eighty miles Tell me of the want of
pacity to endure the hardships of military life, when
you them stretched night after night, upon the fro
of the mountains and feeding upon the horses
they have been compelled to abandon and suffering for
days without water! Talk to of the want of vigi-
lance when you find by referring to these army orders,
that in day single party surprised and captured
three Indian encampments
Well, sir do all these services of this band Of men
able you to discharge that highest and hoest duty which
government owes to It's people the protection of their
lives and property? Sir beg to call the attention of
this House to what regard, under the circumstances
solemn declaration and solemn admonition from the
executive department Of the government to this body
read from the last report of the Secretary OF War
there higher duty upon welrega
lated afford perfect protection TO its citizens
against aud personal violence This great obligation not
ps2" 1 h @ y a." e'"m t ] la c. h, e ] @ u, sr u ,n,In
Indian outrage shocking than death
altogether the for from thor
M Of aughe which renders pursuit
loss"
Here you have from that branch of the government
upon which, emphatically, the constitution has devoved
the duty of protecting the lives and property of the peo
pie of the country the startling fact announced that this
to its citizens and you earnestly importuned,
by every obligation which you owe 10 your people, to
provide the of that protec which is their right,
and which you have so far failed to furnish
say therefore Mr. Speaker, that without the slightest
reference to our relations with Utah. 1t is the duty of
Congress to increase the military force of this country
Gentlemen suppose that these recommendations from the
President from the Secretary of War; and from the Com
mander in chief calling upon Congress to increase the
military force have reference alone to relations with
Utah 1t is not SO, sir They have reference to the de-
fenceless condition of the Indian frontier and they
have further alluded to relations with Utah
other matter worthy of the consideration of Congress
You are therefore, to regard the Mormon rebellion
another element to be considered in addition to the
istng military necessities of this country.
Sir not disposed to spend much of the time of
the House in adverting to this Utah question 1t has
been sufficiently discussed already in the newspapers and
in this House. As to the OF individual wrong and
injustice that supposed to have occurred in that Ter
ritory have nothing to say. They asserted upon
the one side and denied upon the other They not
elements in the decision of this question With their
cal and religious institutionsas abhorren they
to the dignity of human nature to sound morality, and
to the principles of the Christian iathhs government
has nothing to do But there is aspect OF their rela
tions to upon which not only have right to act
but on which it is solemn duty act, and to act
promptly mat hlf, WAS pufcnaSed ny inc
blood and of the people of these States. 1t
was freely held out home and inheritance to
every who chose to go there, aud acknowledge the
supremacy of laws and the binding character of
institutions. IL has been settled by popula-
ton who deny their obligations to this federative sys
tem who repudate the authority Of laws and tram
pie under foot the supremacy of constitution They
have by proclamation and by their acts placed them
selves in attitude of armed rebellion against your
thority Protesting some wild and reasonable ideas
of the doctrine OF popular sovereignty" they
their right to elect all their officers, and to manage
their affairs, in utter contempt and defiance of
the authority of this government. They carrying
out these ideas practically II is not simply the edict of
Governor Young he is sustained by the legislative
council recently assembled in that Territory They have
denied admission to civil officers and employees
they deny admission into that Territory to your troops
they have waylad your trains and plundcred and rob
bed them and they stand before you in the atti-
tude OF hostile defiance to this government Is there
upon this floor who will, for moment tolerate
such an invasion of the rights of this nationi am
sure sir, there is not there is not heart in this
hall that will not respond TO the demand of the Exccu
tive to maintain the supremacy of the law and enforce
the rights of government in that Territory.
Then, Mr.. Speaker, the real question, apprebend
ita question upon which every gentleman here ought
to desire infomatonis, what amount of force do the
necessities OF the country require and what should
be the character of that force Should tbe as recon
mendc by the Committee Military Affairs. volunteer
should it be increase OF regular forcci In the
determination of this question, there economical and
political considerations well ms military considera
tons to be weighed by this body Sir this is the 9th OF
March More than three months have passed since the
Executive of the United States has called the attention
of Congress to this pressing exigency in public affairs
You have known from the reports of the agents your