The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-06

garded IA the normal need, Ia demonstrated
by tho fact TINT the number dropped In l8A
and lsi5 TO 1850 and 1923
Increased again, Of course, during the
war with Mexico, tho number " enlisted
men WAS promptly act back in 1913 10 9, 100;
nor with the execution OF the year 1851
when IL was l02iJ-did IL ever reach ten
thousand, until the truublous days Of 1850,
when III the Kansas and anti-slavcry cxclto-
mcnts were recognized the prcmonitiuns %
the great civil war. From that tme on to
1851 We find the average actual strength Of
the enlisted men, including recruits at rem
devious and en- route, swollen tO about 1900
men. The maximum WAS 1889, in 1853,
when there was an exceptional force rc-
ported Of 2,429 recruits; but in June, 1861,
the returns showed l5.4l9.
Such are the figures In face of which tho
House il asked 10 yield without further
struggle It's views of army rctrcnchmont,
aud to vote for the support Of an army Of
$4,000, or, rather, 2j,iJJ enlisted men, during
the fiscal year end ny June 81, 1890.
Again the pcnding bill, II passed, would
confirm, for the period of its operation, tho
existing roglmcntal organization. con-
dcmncd alike in the army and out IA both
expensive and Inefficient. Col HAruII, Col.
GRlGd, and Col. De TRuBRIAND have each
advised that there should be- n reduction uf
five infantry regiments, and Col. Hunt Of
acvcn, even were there thirty thousand
enlisted men In the army. Col. FLINT has
testified that % regiments in all arms
there are now ~ would be- enough for q, 600
enlisted men; and Col. DODGE says that q
regiments would be- enough for that number
IA of infantry, . uf cavalry, and OF artil-
lery. Indeed, the l'apcrs Of the burnside
Committee are full of testimony ON this
point from experienced officers.
The pending bil continues the monetrous
stat organizations during the fiscal year
for which it provides. To say nothing Of
the consultations possible, taking one de-
partmont by way Of example. il WAS drmon-
strtted to this same Congress only last May,
from the report OF the Paymastcr-Gcneral.
that ont OF the forty paympstcrs, six were
con duty" at various headquarters, not
paying troops, five more were in Washing
ton, while Of those who actually travelled
and made payments one was thus occupied
Ouly enc dag in each two months, three only
two days. three only five days, two only six
days. and so on. Yet this till keeps on the
two score paymastors, besides making n
large appropriation for paymastcrs' clerks.
In the year 1859. In the Adiutant-icncrars
Judge Advocates, lu-peetor-Gcncral's
Quarlormastcr's, Subsistence, Medical, and
Pay Departments, and in the Engineer and
Ordnance Corps, there was total Of only
36s officers, rs the official returns of that
year show. But in 1865, in exactly the Same
departments, there WAS u total Of 53i OIL
Gers, on ncarly forty per cent. more. Yet no
stan reduction il in prospect under this bill.
Congress cannot escape its responsibility
on the plea that the BUBNsIDE organization
bill is also pending. That bill is known to
be II hopeless failure. This knowledge
should have spurrod the House To secure in
some practical way the army rctrcnchmcnt
which the people demand.