The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-06

| tfy 10 say tlllng until he Is pretty sure he
has 1t clearly in his own mind.
The Army not Needed East Of the Mis-.
souri, River.
In the House debate on the Army Appro-
priation bill on the sth OF November, Repre-
sentative AIKEN Of South Carolina found
himself In logical labyrinth In regard to
the existence Of n company Of United States
soldiers in Columbia in that State. He pro-
tested that Columbia had no more use for
them than tho House Of Representatives
had at that moment Of its session. Finally,
he cut the cord of the difficulty of account
ing for the quartcring Of those warriors two
thousand miles away from the possibility
Of war by begging Texas to take them as a
gift. The debate then grew picturesque
from MKEN's lips. He showed the House
battalion OF the Fifth Artillery in Charleston
There was circus tent on AIKENs canvas.
Twas CoLEss circus, beloved by every idler
and artist in the South. AIKENs sketch, in
dozen rapid strokes, Of this battalion of
United states soldiers determined to break
into CoLKs's tent and see the exhibition for
nothing. was n vivid picture OF the utter
worthleseness of that portion OF our army
The fight was furious, the damage LIBERAL
the scandal bcastly; but when the officer OF
the day held evening parade at the
Charleston barracks, the truthful report
OF the sergeant's roll call Of the entire
battalion would have been "in the Gala
booscw The city police without calling for
help, had picked up the whole force and
flung II into prison. AIKEN, yet struggling
to get out Of his rhetorical labyrinth, ended
his short speech by saying, when that bat
TALON gets out Of the guard house hope IL
will go to Texas" So hopes every sensible
taxpayer.
The dangerous, loud-sounding GARFIELD.
pervaded this debate with racket OF plati-
tude, In which he pleaded for an increase Of
"our poor, unpaid, starving army, doomed
to many days Of further starvation while
their numbers are reduced by sickness and
Indian warfare" &c, &c. &c. GARFIELD
might be funny II he were not aggravating
There were three companies Of the Fifth
Artillery in tho Charleston Barracks, when
not In the calaboosc. Charleston is a head
quarters post. In stan officers. assistant
commissarics and quartermastcrs, military
attaches. and barnaclcs Of all sorts. the
force In that city is a miniature army. Why
was II not fighting Indians instead Of CoLTss
circus Why was II not sent to recruit the
numbers Under GlBBoN and HOWARD, Of
whom GARFIELD bawlcd As being reduced
10y sickness and fighting Manifcstly 1T
was not wanted in Charleston Ii was a
nuisance there, Il waste. an offence To rea-
son, To- politics and To economy.
OF all the regular troops east Of the Mis-
souri, river it may truthfully be said that 1t
Is an offence against reason. economy. and
rcpublicanism that they are where they are
vote 10 Increase their number would Ice
political crime. 4 vote to leave them where
they are would be as wrong as a special
vote approprating money for the support Of
that battalion of the Fifth Artillery last
heard of in the Charleston calahoosc. They
should be sent west OF the Mssouri-if
needed there. II not needed there. they
should be mustered out, and the eastern
half Of a waste If thirty-ilve million dollars
a year be stopped
Why should we pay for armed defence
against dangers which do not exist No
nation in Europe is going to attack us The
Canadians are not going to invade us. The
Spaniards will not pour upon us out of
Cuba. 1t is the height Of nonsense to talk
pl utltnulng our SthcOhSt ana northern
border. They are not menaced. and they
are not going to be menaced. II a necessity
for defending either scacoast or border
arose, n million Of volunteers would be
called TO arms; there would be no foolng
with an inadequate handful OF regulars
Equally absurd and untruthful is 1t TO put
the maintenance Of the army east Of the
Missouri river on the necessity OF guarding
tho numerous forts posts. aud the public
property contained in them. Every one OF
these posts can be effectually guarded by
sergeant and his family, OF couple OF SER
gcants. The largest cotton and woollen
mills in New England. when not in opera
ton, are watched by two men at the most
and they contain ten times more property
in value than any fort in the Atlantic States.
So with the rolling mills, blast furnaces,
and factories in all the States When closed.
they are guarded by one day Waterman
and one night watchman--and abundantly
guarded. Two men could thoroughly watch
all the property in Fort Adams. The largest
summer hotels in the country, with their
immensely valuable contents, are easily
guarded and well taken care Of by single
families for nine months in every year.
Guarding il played out. Let the army be
rtduced to ten thousand mOt!