Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-07-30
The Army in the south.

Senator Wilson says the army in the
South sumbers nearly 10000 men at this
time. He distributes them thus: In the
First Military District, 2497; in the
Second 2779; in the Third, 3444; in the
Fourth, BIS in the Fifth, 1922, making
1858 soldiers in the ten States In
addition to these there are 2l00 in the
District of Columbia. Look at it--an
army of 10000 men maintained in ten
States, nearly double the number of men
in our whole army before the war | This
army in the South is there for no legiti-
mate purpose. 1t is there to bolster up
the Radical party, composed of negroes
and carpet-baggers, and the hard workers
of the country have to pay the many
millions of dollars needed to maintain
that military instrument of Radical des-
potism. fua se ~ ~
In remarking upon the statement made
by Mr.. Wilson, Senator Davis said the
other day in the Senate:
There ought not to be the half or the
fourth of that number of men in those
States, in my opinion. There is no need
for any honest or patriotic purpose to
maintain such force in those ten States.
Those men ought to have been dis
charged long ago. So in relation to the
force in this District, about twenty.one
hundred men, understand the honor
able Senator. 1t is double the number
of soldiers that ought to be in this Dis
trict. A thousand men to garri-
son the forts in the District would
be the utmost that would be needed, and
three-fourths of the men in the Southern
States ought to have been withdrawn
from there long ago. This army exists
only for the purpose of oppression it is
not required for any just or proper OBJ
ject of government. There is no dis
guising that proposition. s.u l
Mr.. President, the policy ofour repub-
lican empire is peace, not war. The
object of our governmentis not national
strength alone, but it is liberty in the
first place, and only enough strength and
force to protect the country proper
regard to the great objects of our scheme
of government had been adhered to in
the policy of the party in power, this
army, last year, instead of costing $780,
100000 independent of the bounties,
would not have cost more than one-third
of that amount / have gone over the
figures; | have not examined the docu--
ments with q view to ascertain, though
the honorable Senator from Indiana Mr..
Hendricks) did some weeks since, and
he presented to the Senate the figures,
and showed that the cost of the army
proper last year was upwards ofninety-
six million dollars.
There is no necessity for any soldiers
in the Southern States except few
troops to garrison the different fortresses,
aud to take charge of them to prevent
them from going to waste and dilapida-
tion. There is no need for the mainte-
nance of solitary soldier in the Southern
States to keep the people of those States
in a condition of subsection, of peace,
and perfect obedience to the government,
The ground on which an army of some
twenty thousand men is kept there is
mere pretext. 1t was short time since
much more than twenty thousand. The
keeping of an army of that strength in
the Southern States is for no other pur-
pose than to enslave those States to the
negroes, and to enable the Freedmen's
Bureau and the military satrspy there to
control the popular election ia those
States. &
Sir, ] am doing what little / can to
bring the attention Of the country. to this
great abuse. The idea of standing
army in time of peace is utterly hostile
and alien to our system of government.
The spirit of our imperial republic is
peace. We have had peace, so far as the
shock Of arms is involved, for the last
three years, perfect peace; and the idea
of keeping up this army to consummate
and complete the work of the suppress
sion Of the rebellion is altogether pre-
text. If the gentlemen want money, if
they want the resource to raise the |
means to apply money to cleaning out
the rivers and harbors, the resource is at |
hand they have only to stretch out their |
hand and seize upon 1t; and that is to |
disband one half the army to withdraw
the troops from the Southern States; to |
repeal the Freedmen's Bureau. Do this, |
and the Treasury will have q surplus i'm
mediaiely of S50,OOO,0OO, and all the
sums necessary TO be appropriated TO
works Of national character, in the ma
ture Of internal Improvements, will be at
hand.
But, Mr.. President, tue play Is to be /
completed. It is to be enacted TO its last |
and iinal closing sceua. We shall not see
the diminu,ion Of this army this side Of
the next Presidential election. There
may be promises, delusive promises, held
out to the country and 10 the people, that |
such reduction is TO take place; but Il is
not going to take place. The Freedmsu's
Bureau. a corrupt piece Of political ma-
chinery, viii not come 10 a close this side
Of the next Presidential election. twas
devised for the purposes Of party politi-
cal machinery, and IL viii Be retained
With view 70 those objects, and Il will
he maintained until the next Presidential