The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-11-22

Our hereditary terror of Kings and standing ar
mics has driven us SO far towards the opposite
extreme, that Il few years more may find us living
under 4 merely nominal government. and relying
for safety only on the forbearance of our neigh
bors. lin almost every State the executive author
ity has been weakened by the withdrawal of one
prerogative after another, while in some it has
been absolutely stripped, rs in Maryland, of all
thu powers that gave it dignity and force and
the empty title which alone exists is not worth
preservation. Ifit is proposed to add Il few thou
sand men 10 The Army, there is an instant outcry
about 'Preiorian guards, " ''military rulers" and
Ambitions Presidents" From the vehemence
with which every suggestion looking to an in
crease Of the Army is met, it might be supposed
that we had reached the happy time when the
swords are to lie turned into plonghshares, or
that, at least ''grm-visaged war; had "smooh-
''ed his wrinkled 'front.' forever We are now
and have for years been, reaping the bitter conse-
quences Of this cheap aud timid policy. The
blood Of the hardy pioneers has watered the West
ern praircS, and charred ruins mark the spots
where many settlers lately had their homes With
scarcely men enough to guard its forts and ar
senas properly, the Government is expected to pro-
tect the frontier of the Rio Grande to drive ma
rauders from its works at Harper's Ferry, 10 hold
San Juan against the British, TO conquer the Nor
mons 10 drive Lack the Camanches in Texas, over
awe the remnant Of the Seminolcs in Florida and
repel the attacks of the hundred tribes that dwell
between the ella and Columbia rivers Nearly hale
million Indians are pressed upon by the tide of
emigration that is flowing westward, and ORGAN
lied as these are in small bands, that are habit
uaed 10 predatory warfare, we may anticipate
for years to come continual series of bloody
incursions along our whole borders. Either the
Federal Government should be relieved at once
OF lis responsibilities this score or it should be
entrusted with means in some measure common
surate with its necessities 1t possesses forresses
on the seaboard which the crew of pratical bay
craft might storm and carry; and the slender
garrlsons Of many forts beyond the Missouri
could do no more than keep watch and ward
with n their own gates, if the Indians chose
to ravage the surrounding country. From
the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts, some fE-
teen thousand soldiers must defend from FOREIGN
Aggrcssions or Indian depredations about TWENTY
hVe million people. Our little Army is hurried
hlther and thither whenever sudden emergency
arises, aud lis efficiency is thereby in great
measure destroyed, while the expense of transfer
ring large body of men 10 distant post is often
greater than would have been the cost of main
tanning, at their respective stations twice the same
number. We are not DESTROYS of seeing mill
tary establishment here, even of such magnitude
as to rival those that are deemed utterly insgnf-
can't in Europe nor do we think such ne
cesSary. But it is essential, if we hope for the
speedy settlement of our western lands
that enough troops should he ordered into
the Territories to guarantee the security of the
overland route and the wagon roads that are being
opened to connect us with Oregon and California,
and to insure the safety of the emigrants and
settlers who are thronging towards the fruitful
regions of the West. On the score of economy, it
would be prudent to make some liberal provision
for this purpose: for even if we were not
the gamers by the rapid development of
the resources OF the country, we should
escape the losses which system of maraud-
ing the side, and skirmishing on the
other, necessarily entails. One or two regiments.
more or less cannot endanger the liberties of the
Republic. IF twenty thousand men can conquer
us perhaps the sooner they do it the better for in
such case, we are clearly not in condition TO take
care of ourselves much longer But as long rs
the Federal Government exists, it ought 10 be
clothed with sufficient power to maintain its dig.
nifty, as well as Discharge its duties