The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1863-02-12

THE Federal ATmy---Its Strength ano
MISUNDERSTANDING Prospects o
r Peace. "a ks q IL
| Mr.. Thaddeus Stevens, Of Pennsylvania
Chairman sof tho Com m ittee Of Ways and
Means, land therefore the tscogniz sdleadei
of the>House of Representatives in Congress-,
in the outset of speech in defence of the
bill to raise large army of negroes (slave;
as wen as free negrOes) to be used in the
Federal service, stated his opinion of the
strength of=the Federal-Army. On-sthis
point, the Daily Globe, the official paper OF
Congress, of theldate of February 9Th, re-
ports him as folloWs:-'i A---1sFIc4 SIX
at is said that we have already so large
| an army that we have no need of more
soldiers, and that this will cause a needless
expense. 1t will require some three or four
months to raise one hundred and fifty thou.
sand. By that time, about June, the time
Of the two years men Of New, York, and of
the nine months men, will expire. They
will take from the Army, think, at least
three hundred thousand men,, How are you
to supply their place except by colored
soldiers? 1t is said by our opponents that
in the present tempe of the country you
could not raise in the whole North fifty
thousand men by voluntary. enlistme at, and
that to enforce CONSUMPTION is out OF. the
question. 1t may be so; and if it, bes it. IS
useless, perhaps, torinquire what has pro-
duced this condition of the public mind.--
No doubt the unhappy management Of the
war, and want of successful battles, have
done something toward it. An unsuccessful
war is always unpopular" ar5a1 ei7 i0'
A little further on in his speech, after
charging that Democratic demagogues in
Pennsylvania had discouraged enlistments,
and averring thatthe rivalry among g, Federal
army officers, many of whom, he said, sym
pathized with the rebels, as causes for the
weakness and ineficiency Of the Army
Mr.. Stevens added:--.5--s .-a. s..s4.f eZ
"But gentlemen speak boastfully of the
power of the white men Of the North, and
that we have a million men in the field and
need no other aid. Sir, have as high an
opinion of the valor of northern men as any
man can have; but, instead of having mil
lion, do not believe we have now half that
mum Der of effective soldiers. Sickness, the
sword, and absenteeism have taken half our
troops; and in fonr months one fourth more
will be taken by the expiration of their
lime"
So it would seem from this semi-official, |
# not official authority, that the Federal
Army, which by law, should be million of
men, does not actually exceed half million
# effectives-or, as Mr.. Stevens thinks, does
lot reach that figure. sickness, the sword,
nd absenteeism," he says, "have taken half
'ur troops, and in four months one fourth
more will be taken by the expiration of their
lime" Then, if We are to take Mr.. Stevens
s authority, the account of Federal forces,
It the best, stands thus: .-,-.....5 I....
Federal electives now, i. ...=.--,-- . 500. O0O
from which deduct those whose times
expire in June, ' 500 900
Ind there will remain in the Federal
Army, of those low in the service, in e. -.-
June next, 200 900
But these figures, before June, will be
inject 10 the following notifications, viz:
he army will be strengthened by L, those
no may be restored from sickness; 2, abb c
ntees returning to duty; 8, new recruits t
nd on the other hand, the army will be d
eakened; 1, by sickness and death; 2, by {
esertious. What the strength of the army c
ay be on the FIRST of j une next, is therefore
ere matter of conjecture. Mr.. Stevens ad-
its that it is the opinion of some m emb ers
Congress that in, the present temper of
Ie country not sc, 600 more men can be !
Used in the whole north, by voluntary en-
stment; and in this connexion, his question i
very pregnant--''Hoso' are yOu to supply
cir places except by colo, ed solaiersP" The i
'inion that another large army of VIII lite !
en- cannot be raised by voluntary enlist
ent in the north, has been expressed on
e floor of Congress, not m ereIy by men who
s opposed to the war, but even by promi 5 >
mt Republican members who claim to be .
e most devoted Union men, and in favor
crushing out the rebellion by arms, Il
ch as Mr.. Wright of Pennsylvania, Mr.. a
lomas of Massachusetts, and Mr.. Pendle- =
D of Ohio, not to name divers others. The 81
rec gentlemen named opposed the bill for 81
sing negro soldiers, precisely on th e g
'und that the effsctofi would be not only o.
obstruct the enlistment of new recruits, Pr
t would also drive a large number of Off O'
$ and men now In the field out of service. IN
ch, we do not hesitate to say, is our. own ne
nion; nor do we believe that volunteer ~
. drafting, or conseripting, can avail to re- y
it the Federal Army to such extent as to :.
intain even its present effective strength. VI
, begin therefore, we think, to see some a-
y streaks of morning dawniag through NJ
black night of war clouds which for two err.
RS past have hung in terrible and appal-. to
: murkiness over our beloved but awfully YC
= ! NJ.