The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-12-06

10 stamp duties, the duties Of the Tax Commits
sioners, and other changes in the law, whereby
doubtful points can be definitely settled.
The Report OF the Secretary OF War.
Secretary Stanton's report is important In
two points of view-frst, a. it relates the his
tory of the final events of the war, and pre-
sents some remarkable facts in relation to that
history; and, second, as it shows the wonderful
capabilities of the country for war, and indi-
Gates what we can do if suddenly called upon
TO defend our rights or assert the national dig
nifty. In the latter view it glances quite directly
at the Mexican question, and will reassure all
those who regret that our army has been SO far
disbanded while that question has not yet been
brought to definite issue.
The military history of the great campaigns
that gave us the victory is left to General
Grant, the Secretary is satisfied to state results
in that respect; but he bears with natural en-
phasis on the rapid change brought about
through his department from war to peace-on
the noiseless, effective, almost immediate oblit-
Grafton of vast army which tho theorists OF
the Old World had declared would in the hour
of victory prove more dangerous to our liber-
ties than the rebellion 1t had been required to
put down. "The national military force" says
the report on the first of May, 1866, numbered
one million five hundred and sixteen men.
It is proposed to reduce the military
establishment to fifty thousand troops, and
over eight hundred thousand have already
been mustered out Of service" The mill
tary appropriations Of the last session
of Congress were over FIVE hundred millions OF
dollars. The military estimates for the next
year are less than thirty-four millions. This is
result of victories that the taxpayer can APP
preciate. Some Of the figures given enable US
to realize the enormous expenditures incident
to an army of million men. Thus large
slice of the national debt is well accounted for
when we learn that more than thousand mil
lion dollars have been paid to the soldiers.
Two hundred and seventy millions were taken
home by the eight hundred thousand men lately
mustered out. Some OF the draft figures have
also considerable interest The number Of
men asked for by government to put down the
rebellion was, on all calls together, 2,759, O49,
and the number of men actually brought out
was only l02, 496 short of this. This deficiency
was not from failure, but occurred because the
recruiting was stopped by the end of the war.
What the Secretary says as to our ability to
organize another army, If circumstances should
require it, has national interest at the present
time. He states that the estimate for tie army,
as given above, sis believed to be adequate for
any national exigency, il the country should be
blessed with peace. The reduction Of the ma
tional military force, in its rapidity and num-
beers, is without example, and If there
be any alarm in the public mind be-
cause this reduction is made while grave
questions at homo and abroad are unset.
tied, brief consideration Of the subject
will show that there is no cause for spprehen.
sion." The Secretary then runs over the facts
that the troops disbanded were volunteers, who
came out originally to support the govern
ment; that their struggles in its cause have
not lessened their love for it, and that "a for
eign war would intensity the national feeling,
and thousands, once misled, would rejoice to
atone their error by rallying to the national
flag" The only question relating to troops is
one with respect to how soon we could raise
them. "Our experience on this point" says
the report "is significant When Lees army
surrendered thousands Of recruits were
pouring in, and men were discharged from
stations in every State. On several occasions
when troops we're promptly needed to avert
impending disaster, vigorous exertion brought
them into the field from remote States with in.
credible speed. Official reports show that after
the disasters on the Peninsula, in 1862, over
eighty thousand troops were enlisted organ
lied, armed, equipped and sent into the field
in less than month. Sixty thousand troops
have repeatedly gone to the field within four
weeks. Ninety thousand infantry were sent to
the armies from the five States of Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin within twenty
days" And it is shown that in all other re-
spscts we are as ready for war as we were be.
fore our vast army went home.
These facts will make the report very inter-
esting TO MAMMALIAN and to his friends in
France. In all respects 1t is an important
document, and will especially be recognized in
its groupings Of facts as q valuable contribu-
ton towards the history Of the war.
Burning or the Steamship Weybosset.
Al about half.psst four o'clock on Tuesday morning
the night Waterman, Stephen d. Smith, on board the
steamship weybossct lying at pier 10 North river dis
covered smoke issuing from the forward hold At once
an alarm given and the Fire Department quickly
responded. copious stream Of water was applied
from fire engines, and the ship was flooded so
that the ere was prevented from spreading beyond the
forward hold, where IL seems TO have originated.
The facts as elected by the Fire Marshal show that