Year: 1861

..


Increase Of the Regular Army


Senator Lane of this State made a brief
speech last Wednesday on the increase of
the regular army, in which he took occasion
to express his views on the war with an
energy and directness that stirred the Sen
ate like trumpet. "No compromise with
armed traitors is the sum of his eloquent
speech, and it is fitting soul for the body
he gave it a


Mr.. LANE, of Indiana-Mr. President,
being a member of the COMMITTEES on Mill
tary Affairs, and having voted to report
this joint resolution, the Senate will pardon
me moment for giving my reasons for
that vote, and for the vote which shall
give in this body.


The proclamation of the President of the
United States for the organization of eleven
additional regiments to the regular army
contemplates a permanent addition to the
regular army. The amendment of the hon
orable Senator from New York, as under
stand it, contemplates simply a temporary
addition to the regular army during the
war | believe that, from the manner in
which these eleven regiments have been
constituted, it will be impracticabls to
make any such reduction at the close of the
war. They are already oficered and organ





missioued in the regular army precisely as
every other regular army officer is commits
stoned. One half of the officers of the elev-
en- regiments are taken from the old army.
transferred from their former position and
rank and command, and assigned a new
rank and command in the eleven regiments
If the eleven regiments shall be reduced at
the close of the war the tendency is, and, as
it seems to me, the result must inevitably
be, to throw out of the army the very pick
ed corps of officers upon whom we must re-
ly in any emergency. ga


But | have a stronger reason than that
and it is this | believe the contemplated
increase does not make the regular army
too large for peace establishment, nor do
believe it makes it quite large enough. 1t
is known to every military gentlemen that
regular force in the same numbers may be
employed at vastly less expense than the
volunteer corps and that, for many pur-
poses, they are more efficient. No man in
this body is prouder of the volunteer corps
than am. have had many occasions to
be proud of my native land, but / am proud
er to-day of the position assumed by the
Republic than have ever been before.
have witnessed that universal and over
powering enthusiasm which has swept over
all the loyal States in the Union, calling
into existence, in sixty days, almost three
hundred thousand volunteers. I am proud
of this and / rest with perfect confidence
in the belief, that, under ordinary circum- 1
stances, a volunteer force will be sufficient
for the enforcement of the laws, and for the
maintenance of the government under
which we live. But wheh the proclamation
was issued some six weeks ago, by the Pre-
sident, upon full consultation with the |
Cabinet, and under the advice of the most
distinguished men in the country, what |
W ere our circumstances z The red right /
hand of armed rebellion was raised tostrike [
down the government under which we |
live-the freest, happiest, grandest govern
ment upon earth and the President was
suddenly called upon to put down this
armed rebellion. Every effort which he
has made to that purpose meets my most
hearty and cordial cooperation and sup
port. believe if we had a standing army
of forty thousand true men, last January,
the present disastrous condition which has
0vertaken the country never would have
befallen it. think, from the manner in
which these new regiments are officered
and the increase to the regular army is
proposed to be made, that hereafter, we
shall have no detection in the regular
army, and can rely with confidence up
on it. sTs eg.y
3 One remark fell from the honorable Sem
ator from Maryland, from which must at
this moment dissent; and that was if un-
derstood him correctly, that he believed
that coercion was the means most calcula-
ted TO bring about destruction of the I'M
ion and the Government I believe it is
the only means by which the Union and the
Government can be supported and main
ained. l would use all the power of the
regular army, and the volunteer force until