ly recommend.

The, seacoast defences . aro gradually but cer­

tainly advancing, towards 'completion, and when

finished will constitute a system of maritime de­

fences formidable in extent and of groat magni­

tittle. "-It - is considered that the harbor of New

-Yprk'Will be impregnable from any attack from

;Mites wiion:.the fortifications now in progresi are

finished: . ."

~The..remainder:of the report is devoted to the.

result of experiments on inns, So. -The

OuR RATIONAL DEFENCES.

Anstract of the Rteport of the Secretary of

War.

numerical Force of our Standin arMy--The

MORMON DIFFICULTY. THE STAFF--rewards And

PRONOrTONS- THe Suejeot oF SEnIORIty treaten

e e eeo o e e

The report of the Secretary of War commences with a

statement of the numerical force and condition of the

standing army of the country. From this statement we

learn that there are nineteen regiments, which are divided

into ten of infantry, four of artillery, two of dragoons, two

of cavalry, and one of mounted riflemen.

The whole strength of the army, as posted, consists of

about 1,984 men; and the actual strength, on the first of

July last, was 15,764. in addition to the movements

which the troops have been called on to make this year,

this force is called upon to garrison 68 forts of a large and

permanent character--so far, at least, as it is poesible to

supply men for the purpose, and to oocupy 70 posts less

permanently established, where the presence of a force is

absolutely required. The area over which these forts and

posts are spread embraces a circuft of about 3,000,000

square miles, and requires a journey of many thousand

miles to visit the principal ones of them.

The external boundary of our country, says the report,

requiring throughout a more or less vigilant military

supervision, is 11,000 miles in length, presenting every

variety of climate and temperature, from the inclement

cold of our Canada frontier to the tropical regions of

southern Texas. But the occupation of this long line of

frontier is a trifling difficulty in comparison with that of

protecting the double line of Indian frontier, extending

from the Lake of the Woods to the banks of the Rio

Grande, on the east side of the Rocky Monntains, and

from beyond the river Oregon on the British frontier to

the head of the Gulf of Calitornia on the western slope

e a of thore mountans Superadded to these lines, requiring

to be occupied, are the great lines of intercommunication

between the valley of the Mississippi and the Pacific

ocean, which imperatively demand that protection which

only the United States troops can furnish. These lines

are very long, and are now extremely important, whilst

every year renders them more and more so. From our

western frontier of settlements to those of northern

Oregon the distance is about 1 300 miles; from the same

frontier to the settlements of California, via Salt Lake, is

1,800 miles, from the frontier of Arkansas, at Fort Smith,

by Albuquerque or Santa Fe, to Fort Tejon, is about 1,700

miles; and from San Antonio, by El laso, to San Diege,

near the borders of the white settlements, is 1,400 miles;

constituting an aggregate line of 6,100 miles which ought

to be occupied, and which we pretend, in some sort, to

keep open and defend.

To render governmental protection to our vast frontier

and great emigration perfect, a very large augmentation

of the army, the Secretary says, would not be required.

Five additional regiments, he believes, would answer the

purpose if properly posted. A line of posts running

parallel with our frontier, but near to the Indians' usual

habitations, placed at convenient distances and suitable

positions, and occupied by infantry, would exercise a salu­

tary restraint upon the tribes, who would feel that any

foray by their warriors upon the white settlements would

meet with prompt retaliation upon their own homes. In

addition to this means of defence, there should be concen-­

trated along our own frontier, at eligible points, large

bodies of cfficient horse, all or any portion of which could,

upon the opening of spring and the first appearance of

grass, march to punish aggression or repress any spirit of

insubordination. These cantonments for cavalry should

oraton wi tee eai e a o e o an a a aa

and cheap. These reasons the Secretary deems sufficient

o oo a a ani o te aeo i e

says, are supported by the recommendations of the Gene

ral-in Chief.

Allusion is made to the employment of a portion of the

army in Florida during the spring and early part of the

summer, and to the important service which they render-­

ed in the prosecution of the war against the indians. This

force consisted mainly of the Fifth infantry and the

Fourth Artillery. The latter regiment and the Tenth in

fantry were subsequently sent to Kansas, and, with troops

frem other quarters, formed a force sufficient, in the

opinion of the Governor, to repress all insubordination,

and to insure the peace of the ferritory.

The Secretary dwells at considerable length upon the

Mormon difficulty, which, he says, has assumed an extra­

ordinary and important attitude. From the first hour

they fixed themselves in the remote and almost inaccesst­

ble territory which they now occupy, and from which

they are now sending defiance against the sove-­

reign power of the country, their whole plan,

he tells us, has been to prepare for a suc.­

cessful secession from the authority of the United

States and a permanent establishment of their own.

They have practised, he continues, an exclusiveness un-­

like anything ever before known in a Christian country,

and have inculcated a jealous distrust of all whose reli­

gious faith differed from their own; whom they charac-­

terize under the general denomination of Gentiles. They

have filled their ranks and harems chiefly from the low.­

est classes of foreigners, although some parts of the

United States have likewise contributed to their numbers.

They are now formidable from their strength, and much

more so from the remoteness of their position and the

difficulty of traversing the country between our fron.

tiers and Great Salt Lake. This Mormon brotherhood

has scarcely preserved the semblance of obedience to

the authority of the United States for some years past;

not at all, indeed, except as it might confer some direct

benefit upon themselves, or contribute to circulate public

money in their community. Whenever it suited their

temper or caprice, they have set the United States autho.

rity at defiance. Of late years, a well grounded belief

has prevailed that the Mormons were instigating the in­

dians to hostilities against our citizens, and were exciting

amongst the Indian tribes a feeling of insubordination and

discontent.

It has, nevertheless, always been the policy and desire

of the federal government to avoid collision with this Mor

mon community. It has borne with the insubordination

they have exhibited under circumstances when respect

for their own authority has frequently counselled harsh

measures of discipline; and this forbearance might still be

prolonged, and the evils rife amongst them be allowed to

work out their own cure, if this community occupied any

other theatre, isolated and remote from the seats of civill.

zation, than the one they now possess. But, unfortunately

for these views, their settlements lie in the great pathway

which leads from our Atlantic States to the new and

flourishing communities growing up upon our Pacific sea

board.

Great care, the report proceeds, had been taken in pre

paring for the march to Utsh, that nothing should seem to

excite apprehension of any action on the part of the army

in the least conflicting with the fixed principles of our in

stitutions, by which the military is strictly subordinate to

the civil authority. The commanding officer was care

fully instructed not to allow any conffict to take place be

tween the troops and the people of the Territory, except

only in case he should be called upon by the Governor for

soldiers to act as a posse comitatus in enforcing obedience

to the laws. In conformity with this sentiment, and to

assure these people of the real intention of the move

ment, an active, discreet officer was sent in advance of the

army to Utah, for the purpose of purchasing provisions

for it, and of assuring the people of the Territory of the

peaceful intentions of the Government. This duty was

faithfully performed, the chief men of the fraternity were

assured that no violence was intended towards them or

any one, and that nothing could be further from the in-­

tention of the Government or the army than to molest any

one for religious opinions, however abhorrent they might

be to the principles of Christian morality.

With the subsequent conduct of the Mormons the read.

ers of the lisxain are already familiar, so that a repetition

of it here is entirely unnecessary. In view of the me-­

nacing attitude of Mirs in Utah, the Secretary recome­

mends an additional reinforcement of five regiments to

the force already detailed for service against the Mor

mons.

The staff of the army is the next subject to which the re

port calls attention. One of the greatest errors of detail

the Secretary says is the separate independent character

of the staff corpe, which removes them from their proper

position as aids or assistants to the commander, and con

stitutes them his equals. The defect arising from the un.

certain and ill-defined rights of brevet rank is also alluded

to, and a remedy called for. Another fault is that of pro

motion by senlority, the correction of which the Secretary

urges with much force. Age and experience, he says,

should bring excellence, but the test after all lice in the ac

tual possession of the latter, and not merely in the

circumstances which it is assumed should produce

it. All that has been urged in favor of retaining it, he

proceeds, with us, is the danger of political or personal fa­

vor, governing a selection. There may be, he adds, dan­

ger from this source; but, by the rule of senlority, the

worst officer of any arm must, if he lives, come to be one

of the most important and responsible officers under the

government--the colonel of a regiment. By selection, it

is possible that the very best may not always be chosen,

e te o te cane ar in aor of this yoteis but

certainly the very worst never will be, and this is surely

a gain on the present rule.

Io correct these and other evils, I would urge so to pro

vide by law for the construction of the regiments of horse,

artillery and infantry, as to approach them as far as our

circumstances require, to the practice of all nations long

experienced in war, and so as to admit their contraction

for peace and their re-expansion in war without altering

this basis. This can be done without any increase of ofn

cers or men, or augmentation of expense, by merely ar

ranging those already in service and the companies of each

corps to sait the end proposed.

To place the staff in proper relation to the rest of the

army, the law should collect all the officers doing that

branch of duty into one corps, to be assigned by authority

of the President to such duties as each may seem to be

bost fitted for, securing to each the rank and relative posl­

tion he now holds. But, as some staff corps are confined

to duties requiring special instruction and long experionce,

their separate organization might be retained.

To avoid, for the futtwe, the difficulties attending brevet

rank, the best plan is to create, permanently, the general

offices now exeresed under brevets, making as many

major generals and brigadier generals as the strength of

the army requires. This would afford promotion to many

brevet officers of inferior rank, and thus absorb nearly all

The objection which has been urged against the propri

ety of separating the purchase of stores and supplies and

all moneyed accountability from the officers proper of the

army, would, the Secretary believes, be fally met by pro­

viding that this class of officers, without receiving military

rank or being entitled tocommand, should be amenable

to miltary tribunals, and thus act under the same respon

sibility that the disbursing officer now does. He ex-

presses his concurrence with his predecessors in preparing

for infirm and disabled officers a competent and tranqull

retreat, and for the unworthy a "substant al dismissal

from the service.

This, he recommends should be applied in two ways:

Pirst, on the application of the officer; and second on the

direction of the President, as if on accusation- a board of

five officers of high rank to be detailed for each case, and

the examination to be conducted as though on charges be­

fore a court martial; the President to decide on the report

of the court. The disposal of the officers to be one of

three kinds:- First, an honorable release fromipty, and

from any corps to which he may be attached, Temaining

eat as a supernumerary officer, with the pay anr roluments

of his grade, as on leave of absence. second Ito be re

tired from the army, without censure or degrace, on his

pay proper, unless he forteits it by miscendisd. Third, to

be retired from the army, without pay or compensation,

except a gratuity of one year's or six or three months

pay, to secure bim from the evil consequences of absolute

want.

The tne of the rank and flle, says the repert, needs ele.­

vation extremely, and every means should be resorted to

tending to effect it. If our troops were massed sufficiently

to insure perfect drill and discipline; if they were made

soldiers instead of day laborers; if a feeling of pride in

stead of degradation resulted from their connection with

the service, the morate of the army, it is believed, would

soon take that elevation which is most desirable in all

armies, and which, says the Secretary, certainly ought to

be pre eminent in that of a great republic. The habit of

employing soldiers as laborers is extremely detrimental

to the service. They feel degraded because they are de­

prived of both the emoluments and the sturdy indepen­

dence of the laboring man, who feels that his vocation is

honorable because it is independent and free. The sol­

dier who enters the service with some degree of military

aspiration, can but resent as a wrong the order which

changes him from his legitimate vocation to that of a mere

operative deprived of his fair wages. He believes also that

oni o io one e o te eoo te an an e

o e ooeon to o io a a ean e a­

ly attainable by the really meritorious men in the ranks.

Referring to the subject of a railroad to the Pacific,

the Secretary says it is the opinion of competent judges

that the route from El Paso to the Colorado, besides being

the shortest of all yet surveyed, possesses very decided

advantages over others in several important particulars.

The censummation of the project thowever, freed from all

other difficulties, would, he states, require immense sums

ef maney and a great length of time; besides, other mill­

tary roads very urgently require special and prompt

opening and occupation. A line of stockade posts upon

two of the proposed routes would furnish safe and rapid

transportation of the mails, and perfect protection to a

telegraphic line from one ocean to the other.

Two exploring and surveying expeditions have been

fitted out to explore the Northwest beyond the waters of

the Upper Missouri towards the Black Hills and the Co

lorado of the West, both of which the Secretary enter

tains strong hopes will result in discovering the best

means by which the transportation of army stores can be

effected to the interfor of New Mexico and Utah.

The employment of the thirty-five camels for transporta

tion purposes through the barren and difficult country o

the great mountain range separating the Mississippi valley

from the Paciffic ocean is likely to answer the highest ex-

pectations entertained of them for military uses. The fea

sibility of procuring abundant supplies of good water, by

means of artesian wells, in tracts of country which woul

be otherwise impassable, is also adverted to. The sale

oe i of sevea miltary reser vations has taken place, under a

law passed at the last session of Congress.

The Military Asylum at Harrodsburg, Kentucky, was

not sold, for the simple reason that the price offered for

it was inadequate.

The next subject treated of in the report is that of a

national foundry, which is strongly recommended as one

of the most valuable means of developing the mineral

wealth and resources of the country. The arms fabri­

cated in the national armories are said to be of the most

superior quality.

Referring to the national defences, the Secretary of War

says that New York may be considered as impregnable

from any attack from the sea when the fortifications now

in progress shall be finished. The fortifications will be

better, the guns heavier and more numerous than those

of Sebastopol.

The interests of the army, it is believed, would be proe­

moted if the pensions were put upon the same footing pre-­

cisely with those of the navy. The claims of the volun­

teers of Oregon and Washington Territories for their ser.

vices in the indian wars, which threatened to lay waste

those Territories, have been reported upon by the commis

sion appointed, and the amount fixed is considered just

and fair.

The report concludes with a reference to the business

of the Quartermaster's department, which, he says, it is

impossible can be performed without heavy expenditures,

in consequence of the great distances at which our mill

tary posts are necessarily placed from each other and the

difficulties of transportation in many cases.