Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-12-15
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR.

Secretary Stanton's report is important
in two points of view-frst, as it relates
the history of the final events Of the war,
and presents some remarkable facts In re-
lation to that history; and, second, as it
shows the wonderful capabilities of the
country for war, and indicates what we
can do if suddenly called up to defend
our rights or assert the national dignity
In the latter view it glances quite direct
ly at the Mexican question, and will re-
assure 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 cam
paigns that gave US the victory is left to
Gen Grant; the Secretary is satisfied to
state results i'll that respect; but he bears
With natural emphasis on the rapid change
brought about through his department
from war to peace-on the noiseless, effec-
tive, almost immediate obliteration of
vast army which the theorists of the OLD
World had declared would in the hour of
victory prove more dangerous to our lib
critics than the rebellion it had been re-
duired to put down "The national mil
itary force, says the report, ION the first
of May, 1865 numbered one million five
hundred and sixty men. It is proposed
to reduce the military establishment to
dred thousand have already been muster
ed out of service" The military appro-
priations of the last session of Congress
were over Eve hundred millions of dol
lars The military estimates for the next
year are less than thirty-four Millions
| This is result of victories that the tax
payer can appreciate. Some of the figures
given enable us to realize the enormous
expenditures incident to an army of a
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 SOL
diers. Two hundred and seventy millions
were taken home by the eight hundred
! thousand men lately mustered out. Some
| of the draft figures have also considera-
| Bile interest. The number of men asked
| for by the government to put down the
rebellion was, on all calls together, 2, ,759,-
| 049, and the number of men actually
brought out was Only 102, ,496 short of
this This deficiency was not from fall
ure, but occurred because the recruiting
was stopped by the end of the war.
What the Secretary says as to our abil-
| ity to organize another army, If oircum-
! stances should require il, has a national
| interest at the present time. He states
/ that the estimate for the army, as given
/ above, SIS believed to be adequate for any
national exigency, if the country should
| be blessed with peace. The reduction of
the national military force, in its rRpidlty
| and numbers, is without example, and If
there be any alarm in the public mind
| because this reduction is made while
| grave questions at home and abroad are
! unsettled, a brief consideration of the
I subject will show that there is no cause
| for apprehension" The Secretary then
runs over the facts that the troops dis
banded were volunteers, who came out
originally to support the gOvornment;
that their struggles in its Cause have not
lesssened their love for it, aud that "a for
eign war would intensity the patl9nsl
feeling, aud thousands, once mtsled,
would rejoice to atone their error by rail-
living to the national flag" The only
question relating to troops is one With re-
spect TO how soon we could raise them
"Our experience on this point, says the
report, SIS significant, When Lees army
| surrendered thousands OF results were
pouring in, aud men. were discharged
j from stations in every State, Official re-
ports show that after the disasters on the
Peninsula, in 1862, over eighty thousand
troops were enlisted, organized, armed,
equipped and sent into the field in less
than q month. Sixty thousand troops
have repeatedly gone TO the field within
four weeks. Ninety thousand infantry
were sent TO the armies from the fve
States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, lows
! and Wisconsin within twenty days" And
it is shown that in all other respects we
are as ready for war as We were before
our vast army went hOme.-N 7. Herald