The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-12-09
Secretary CamerOn's report.

SECRETARY O84ASEOH'B 1&oke8ESS
Considerable fault has been found with |
the Presidents message, because it did not
more fully discuss those questions in which |
the people are most interested. Our for
eign relations, including the complications
likely to grow out of the seizure of Mason
and Slidell, the President dispses Of in
one brief, unsatisfactory paragraph; while
the great rebellion, whose suppression is
taxing the nations powers to the utmost'
is passed by with some very obscure--we
might say--"obfusticated" remarks. What
ever fault may be found with the Presidents
message in this particular, the same cannot
be charged against the Report ofthe Secretary
of War. Mr.. Cameron plunges IN nssdSGs
res, with a directness and positiveness that
leaves no one in doubt as to his earnestness,
or meaning. a-1s
He first gives us a tabular statement of
the strength of our army. There we're rails
ed for the three months service ~, ST6 men.
There have been enlisted, for the term of
three years, GAO, 637 men. This estimate
we presume, counts all the regiments which
have been authorized by the Governors of
the various States as full, which is not
strictly correct, though there is but little
doubt they will be ready to take the field
in few weeks at farthest. The estimated
strength of the regular army is 20, 334. The
grand total, regulars and volunteers, foots
up CSC, 97l men, rallied in six months to de-
fend the honor aad integrity of the Union.
This gigantic army is divided as follows !:
Infantry, b6s,3s3 cavalry, SO, $685. artil-
lery, 1858; rifles and sharpshootsrs, 1895;
engineers, lot. The Secretary has no
doubt from the manner in which the coun-
try responded to the appeal of the Presi-
dent for 800, 900 volunteers, that the force
now in the field could easily have been
swelled to 100000. It was considered
one of Bonaparte's greatest triumphs, that
he increased his army from 200, 900 to
414,0O0 between the months of April and
September. Mr.. Cameron contrasts this eff
fort of the Emperor Napoleon, with that of
our Government. BE says:
At the commencement of this rebellion,
inaugurated by the attack upon Fort Sum-
ter, the entire military force at the disposal
of this Government was 10000 regulars,
principally employed in the West to hold
in check marauding Indians. In April,
$4,000 volunteers were called upon TO en-
list for three months service, and respond
ed with such alacrity that 75675 were inn
mediateiy obtained. Under the authority
- ii IF O-r 80 .,lxx 49,.
States were asked to furnish 100000 vol
unteers to serve for three years, or during
the war; and by the act approved the 29th
of the same month, the addition of $4,000
men to the regular army of the q niIed
States was authorized. The result is, that
we have now an army Of upwards of SOC, 900
men. If we add to this the number of the
discharged three months volunteers the
aggregate force furnished to the Govern
ment since April last exceeds 700, 900 men.
We have here an evidence of the won
derful strength of our institutions. With
out conscriptions, levies, drifts, or other
extraordinary expedients, we have raised 3
greater force than that which, gathered by
Napoleon with the aid of all these apple
ances, was considered an evidence of his
wonderful genius and energy, and of the
military spirit of the French nation. Here
ment and rushes to its defence when dan
gers beset it. srr --e.
BY comparing our present ability as q
nation with what Massachusetts did during
the Revolutionary war-when, out Of a
population of $50, 900, she had at one time
$4,000 troops in the feld--Mr. Cameron
concludes, that should an emergency SINH
lar to that arise, our Government could
promptly put into the field an army of
over 5000, 00O-a force the vAstness OF
which is Unspprecisble.
The Secretary compliments the troops for
the creditable degree of discipline TO which
they have attained, and is confident they
cannot fail to achieve success.
He then speaks of the vastness Of the
conspiracy, extending over an area of couu-
try Of 1873, l44 square miles, with ahore
line of 35,4l4 miles, a coast line of 1888
miles, and an interior boundary line Of
1901 miles in length. Added to the vast
expanse of country included in the insur-
rection, is the formidable character Of the
preparations made by the rebels-having
stripped us of arms and munitions and scat
tered our navy to the most distant quarters
of the globe, before they struck their first
blow.
The progress of our arms is then taken
mp. The successes of the rebels are frankly
acknowledged The Bull Run defeat is at
tributed to premature advance which the
impatience of the country demanded, bnt
the possession of Western Virginia and the
occupation of Hatteras and Beaufort, are