The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-03-14
THE ARMY.
Senator IIayard Gives His Views About
liz Use In Elections.
Ills speech before the Senate.

Mr., President-In matters touching
appropriations for the public service Il
has been my habit to seek instruction
FROM the committee properly charged
with the subject, and not undertake TO
interpose vague Ideas Of my own In re-.
Epect to matters In relation TO which
their opportunities for information were
30 much better. Therefore it Ia that /
have held myself III a great degree
bound by the reports OF thu appropriate
committees on this subject. There IL
not sufficient time left ut the present
session for proper discussion OF all the
important questions involved In the
present bill and the Senate amendments.
and | shall briefly signify my position
inregard TO Ii, not desiring to delay
the Senate and not desiring to make
an extra session OF Congress necessary,
Between the two houses there exists
diifefence as to the amount OF money to
be expended under this bill, very
serious difference. The cost OF the milf
itary establishment proposed by the
House OF Representatives is 80, 0uD. 900
less than Ia pfoposee by the Senate In
round numbers. The difference as to
numerical armed force is about 5000
men. the House proposing an army Of
1900, rank and file, and the Senate of
OF expenditure, 1t seems TO me that
Far graver question accompanies IL for
consideration. IL is not the mere num-
her OF troops authorized; ii Ia not
merely the cost Of the army 1t is
the question OF the employment
OF the army. That Is the cause of
the deep feeling which pervades the
people OF this country to-day, and
which forms the chief difference be-
tween the two houses OF Congress. In
respect to. the present bill. It is not
worth while to attempt to disguise Il.
The fact is that widespread belief es-
iBts that the army of Che country has
been employed and Is still being used
Tor purposes dangerous. to the liberties
Of the country. That forms the obieo-
tion to the Increase of the military es-
Establishment and forms the reasons for
the reduction proposed by the Repre-.
Bentatives OF the people. | only speak
of that which we all know, which the
whole country knows. OF the improper
uses TO which the army has been put In
pertain States of the Union during the
last few years. 1t Ia now apparent
that the outgoing Administration |
tardily admit this. policy in the nse Of |
the army to have been a serious mis- |
take, and 1t seems are taking steps to |
abandon 1t. We hear something of q |
similar suggestion, a faint adumbration |
OF opinion, from the incoming Admins. |
tration that they are in accord with |
these last expressions OF opinion on the |
part oil the present Administration. I |
sincerely hope this may be so. In my
judgment IL would have been wiser had |
the House OF Representatives moved d. |
reetly, not by way OF lessening sppro.
priatlons, but directly. for the repeal of
all those war measures authorizing the
use OF the army In the several |
States which have found place
upon our statute books In the last
fifteen years. The use of the military
force OF the nation for the execution of
the laws should certainly be the very
last resort, and not, as Of late years. the
very fret. l hope the day IL near at
hand wnen we shall repeal all this mill
tary legislation which has sprung up
under semi-revolutionary condition Of
affairs. and permit us to return where
the constitution intended our admins
tration of government to be RESTRICTED.
only to enforce laws by the military
power as a last resort. and even when
the military power was called In in aid
Of the civil power it was to be the militia
OF the States, and not the army Of the
nation. Mr.. President, had rather
meet these questions directly and speak
Va bustu Caudluist budb buef may
be understood. Economy Is essential /
have no question Of that: and yet there
may be false economy in dispropor-
tionately small expenditure. It is the
other question to which [ refer that
causes the feeling and real difference
between the houses, and therefore it is
that propose to give my vote In favor
of the general line of action adopted by
the House of Representatives in this
bill. After all, do trust that our liber-
lies have not reached that point that
upon the difference between I0, 900 and
Ii, 900 men shall depend the safety of the
American people. for then it would seem
"a me that a system of government SO
lly calculated TO preserve itself against
he aggressions of one arm of its own
service would scarcely be worth pre-
,erving. After all. the cure for such
wills must be in the public opinion
Il an intelligent and courageous
and that public opinion
viii practically enforce itself upon
la exigencies OF the occasion. Wei
nov there we're emergencies, ten or
WelYe years ago, which, thank heaven. ,