The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1878-05-30

for repeliinS an Indian invasion. Here
again i an appropriation of 100000 given
for repeiling Indian !nvasions in the State
Of Minnesota.
The CHAIRMAN. The gen,leman's
time has expired
Mr.. HASKELL Now Just one word
more in reply to the honorable gentleman
from Virginia in the unjust and invidious |
attack he made on the volunteer soldiers Of |
the Union Army. Does the honorable gen. |
;leman from Virginia forget from his side |
there came 10 the town OF Lawrence in the |
State of Kansas a confederate colonel at the |
head of eight hundred of his ragamuf6ns, |
picked up from the borders, and burnt and |
pillag.d that town and slaughtered eighty |
oil Its defenseless inhabitants? That mans
name was Qusntrell, carrying confederate
commission in his pocket. Therefore it i'll
becomes the honorable gentleman from Nir-
ginia 10 charge the Union troops with
atrocities always perpetrated IN times Of
war.
From the Record OF the sd We copy the
following extract from the report OF the de-
bate on the same subject:
Mr.. PHILLIPS. | renew the amend
ment. i ri-e for the purpose Of correcting
| an impression which the gentleman from
New York Mr.. Hewitt who has charge OF
this bill and the gentleman from Ohio Mr..
| Banning, its putative father, have persist
emily thrust upon this House. They say
that the proper officers OF the Army have
not IT cruited the Army up TO a standard of
/ 10000 men; that it is little over 10000
men, and that the full amount has not been
needed Tor the public service or it would
have been had. Now, want TO tell the
gentleman and the HoG.e what the facts
are. We have to-day, according to the re-
ports Of those having charge of the service
under the Adjutant-General, in service, a.
borne on the latest reports, q, All men, and
there are also 800 or 600 recruits unassign-
ed. The Adjutant- General of the Army has
been compelled to check enlistments for
fear that those res ruited at the enlistment
stations might get above the p 900 men al
lowed BY law, which is all that can
be Paid. Gentlemen will remember
that the reason why We had no en-
listments last year was that, We had no Ar
nv appropriation bill. They will remem-
Der that the House, in The last Congress
cansed the failure OF the Army appropria-
ton bill because the Congress would not
consent 10 the reduction oil the Army in an
appropriation bill, and until Congress met
i'll October last and was able To mature a
bill which did not change the law, but vas,
partially at least, what an appropriation
bill should he, there were no means OF en-
listing men Tor the Army. by law CT
last Congress 200 men were required
Ia be mustered cut arbitrarily, and all last
summer, AMI Tor more Than year, the Ar
| my had suffered very heavy from casual
ties. Since We furnished him apprOpria-
tions Ia recruit with at the close of last
year, the Adjutant-Genera has recruited
Just last he had means To do it
and he has get the Army nearly up
, To the standar,l. That is the reas-
on why the ,nli,lments have not
been iuIl b fore and it was the major
, ity on the eide ii this Chamber that was
. responsible for H. Why should they re-
, fuse the fund. Tor enlistment and accuse
/ him for not making enlistments? The
| gentleman from New York Mr.. Hewitt in
his speech gave list Of the posts that he
says can be ab,nd,ncd and the abandon
, ment Of which will how decreased use
: for the Army, and fur such reasons that the
| Army should be reduced. And that lis,
includes nearly ,v.ry lost in my State up
4 on the frontier
Mr.. HEWITT. Of New York. That i:
r the report made by the generals themselves
: | am not responsible Tor it; | am only tax
ing their statements.
Mr.. PHILLIPS. ! will not ra Sc a ques
r ton Of v.racity with the gentleman, but
: doubt ihat very much. find in the list Of
forts Fort Lyon, Font Wallace, Fort Hays
!. and Fort Lsrned and Sheridan, and these
/ are all forts in which soldiers are now sta
e toned. These are forts on the from
5 tier, now occupied and urgently
: needed, and d" not believe any general
! has reported that troops ara not needed
4 there.
I Mr.. HEWITT, of New York. In FIX
1 ecutive Document No. -, just sent in by
the Secretary Of War, the gentleman will
. fad all the information he SEEKS.
= Mr.. PHILLIPS | will state AZ mat.
? Ter within my own knowledge. that these
poSrs are active posts TO day, defending the
, frontier, and the gentleman from Colorado
( and the gentleman from my own State
know that very well, as many other gentle
men. all gentlemen at all familiar with the
matter know. They are posts garrisoned
bv TROOPS today There may have been
letters of some officers recommending re.
location OF troops for certain reasons or be.
! cause there were not troops enough in tina.
: department. Thsse posts cannot be aban-
dOned consistent with the public safety
: The gentleman from Pennsylvania Mr.
: BRIDES moves TO reduce The Army TO fif.
; teen thousand men, as an amendment e
c the bill which reduces it to twenty thous
? and men, and these propositions are the
! real question this bill presents to
/, this House for It's present action. On
LII L. ~,
. twenty-five thousand, as now fixed by law
/. the whole Of this bill rests. lie has said
I that on the Texas frontier the State can re
.. pei invasion He has said that We do not
need an Army there if Mexico permits
D raids upon our territory we can compel her
. to give Us indemnity, ii necessary by an
I neXation. II We declare war against Mex
D leo, where Is he going to get his Army from
5 Does he propose 10 reduce our Army at the
very moment he cont mpla,es war; Does
: he design that every State adjoining the
frontier oil another country shall raise
. troops and 60 10 war with that coun-
: try L. that the way 10 maintain our re-
/ lations with foreign countries? Is it suffi-
/ cient? Would il he safe? Is that the
economy he proposes or can States be per-
mitted To carry on war with foreign cDun-
, tries?
Mr.. BRIDGES. ! propose to hold Mex
, leo responsible for all the injury she does
To American citizens.
Mr.. PHILLIPS. How?
Mr.. BRIDGES. BY our Government
. calling upon the Mexican government 10
give us redress.
, Mr.. PHILLIPS. | understood you to
say that Mexico should keep men upon her
border.
Mr.. BRIDGES. II she did not give us
redress, then the Government should de-
clare against her.
Mr. PHILLIPS. Are We not as much
bound to protect our frontier as Mexico2
Mr. BRIDGES. And if We follow that
course We will get another slice of Mexico !;
and ii that Is not sufficient we will get an
other slice Of Mexico; and if that is not
suffi lent We will CT another slice, and by
and by We will have the whole OF it.
|. Mr.. PHILLIPS. Does the gentleman
propose to get slices of Mexico by exposing
, our defenseless citizens on the frontier TO
murder?
Mr.. BRIDGES. No, Sir; / do not do
/ that. propose that our Government shall
give notice to the Mexican government We
will hold them responsible for all the dep
rotations they commit upon the property Of
our citizens.
Mr.. PHILLIPS. And, contemplating
war, you propose TO reduce the Army?
Mr.. BRIDGES. ! am very willing that
sufficient number of men should he sent
there for protection. We do not know how
many troops are needed there, whether two
LII I'll. H.. a.