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follow their being permanently established. The law should then provide that brevet rank should give no right, under any circumstances, unless by the special assignment of the President in such case, retaining that rank as a mere honorary distinction, except in case of special assignment, but at all times recommending the bearer as a worthy candidate for promotion.

Promotion may be made a reward of merit and an incentive to zeal by enacting that it shall take place by seniority in corps (unless in extraordinary cases) to the rank of captain, and beyond that by selection from the next grade in the same arm to that to be filled as far as colonel, inclusive. General officers to be at the choice of the President, as they now are.

Much has been said as to the propriety of separating the purchase of stores and supplies, and all moneyed accountability, from the officers proper of the army.

This system has been adopted in France, but is objected to as giving to the civil officers thus employed an immunity from military control, injurious, if not fatal, to the interests of the service. This objection would be fully met by providing that this class of officers, without receiving military rank, or being entitled to command, should be amenable to military tribunals, and thus act under the same responsibility that the disbursing officer now does.

It is certain that an officer looking forward to military advancement and fame is tempted to incur risks on the field of battle, the fatal issue of which might ruin his family, and some of his friends, and his own reputation, through the disorder which his sudden death might bring into his pecuniary affairs.

These proposed changes would restore our military system to that simplicity which would render such amendments as experience might recommend easy and well adapted to existing circumstances.

I concur with my predecessor in other proposed ameliorations, and especially in preparing for infirm and disabled officers a competent and tranquil retreat, and for the unworthy a substantial dismissal from the service; thus securing that efficiency of the army which will entitle it to full respect from the country, and which the country have a right to demand.

This should be applied in two ways: First, 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 before 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 from duty, and from any corps to which he may be attached; remaining as a supernumerary officer with the pay and emoluments of his grade, as on leave of absence. Second, to be retired from the army, without censure or disgrace, on his pay proper, unless he forfeits it by misconduct. 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 him from the evil consequences of absolute want.

REPORT OF THE GENERAL-IN-CHIEF.

I call special attention to the report of the general-in-chief, and ask for his recommendations a favorable consideration. It is certainly true, that to call ours a peace establishment is a mere abuse of terms. It is well known that the casualties of the battle field bear a very small proportion to the loss of life from exposure and hardship encountered in long and perilous marches, and from protracted campaigns In every particular, with the exception only of the battle field, no hardships encountered by any army prosecuting any war are greater than those to which a very large proportion of our troops are constantly exposed. And the dangers of battle are far from being insignificant, as the reports of these constantly recurring conflicts will abundantly show.

The plan of regimental depots for recruiting, I am confident, will be very advantageous to the service. It will produce a spirit of generous rivalry, conducive in the highest degree to good discipline and military bearing. The tone of the rank and file needs elevation 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 instead of degradation resulted from their connexion with the service, the morale of the army would soon take that elevation which is most desirable in all armies, and which 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 deprived of both the emoluments and the sturdy independence of the laboring man who feels that his vocation is honorable because it is independent and free. The soldier 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. I think it would conduce greatly to the elevation of the rank and file if promotion to commission was made readily and certainly attainable by the really meritorious men in the ranks. If our army was put upon the proper footing, the anomalous spectacle of having twothirds of our rank and file composed of foreigners would certainly not be witnessed.

INDIAN HOSTILITIES.

The expenses of the army have been and are constantly much augmented by the necessity of moving large bodies of troops, at the shortest possible notice, from remote points, to overawe or suppress Indian outbreaks. The temper and spirit of the Indians are entirely unknown to the War Department, except through communications from the Department of the Interior, which, of course, would never be made, except when forces are deemed necessary for the public safety. The system of defence proposed through the double line of posts, herein recommended, would, I think, in a very great measure, neutralize this evil.

RAILROAD TO THE PACIFIC.

The surveys heretofore ordered by Congress to ascertain the best route for the construction of a railroad from the western boundary of our States lying west of the Mississippi to the Pacific, have been carefully made, and the results elaborately set forth in eight large volumes. In the opinion of competent judges, there is now no controversy as to the most eligible route for the railroad, assuming that all the material facts in the case have been fully ascertained. 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 grades are lower, the climate milder, and the distance across the desert region, common to all the routes, is less upon this. Water, too, is sufficiently abundant upon the tract of this survey; so that in selecting a railroad route between the Pacific and the valley of the Mississippi, as far as our present information goes, that by El Paso would be chosen; but the consummation of this project, freed from all other difficulties, would require immense sums of money and a great length of time. Meanwhile other military roads very urgently require special and prompt opening and occupation. If the railroad were, to-day, completed from El Paso to the line of California, a strong and urgent necessity would still remain for maintaining and keeping open at least two of the other routes, for the passage of emigrants and the transportation of military stores to vast regions of our country accessible only by these routes. Then, as these routes are to be opened in any event, true policy and economy would seem to indicate that it should be done at once.

A line of stockade posts upon two of these routes would not require a very large force to maintain them, and, if placed at proper distances apart, would furnish certain means of a safe and rapid transportation of the mails and perfect protection to a telegraphic line from one ocean to the other, which latter object would, in itself, be worth far more to the country than the cost of the posts, and the expense of maintaining them.

EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS.

There is no appropriation of equal amount, in charge of this department, that is productive of more real and substantial benefit to the public service than that for military explorations and surveys. At this time we are actually ignorant of the geography and general character of large tracts of country lying between the valley of the Mississippi and the Pacific ocean. Every day is adding new and important facts to our present stores of knowledge upon this subject. And, much as has been accomplished within the last few years, it is hazarding but little to say that we have only begun to acquire what it is so useful for us to understand thoroughly.

Two expeditions have been fitted out expressly to explore tracts of country hitherto wholly unknown. The first was sent to the northwest, beyond the waters of the Upper Missouri, towards the "Black

Hills," and will, no doubt, bring valuable information. The other is engaged in exploring the Colorado of the West, of which, to this time, nothing scarcely has been accurately known. I am not without strong hope that this exploration will result in discovering the best means by which the transportation of army stores can be effected to the interior of New Mexico and Utah.

But for the assistance rendered these explorations by the troops detailed for the purpose, the appropriations would prove wholly inadequate for any material results.

I transmit herewith the report of the Bureau of Explorations and Surveys, for more detailed information of the expeditions fitted out for these purposes, and of the progress made in the experiment of artesian wells.

MILITARY ROADS.

The military roads heretofore in charge of this department are progressing satisfactorily, under the superintendence of the officers having them in charge.

Amongst them is one from Fort Defiance to the mouth of the Mojave river, which deserves special notice from the plan adopted for its construction. The appropriation for this work was only fifty thousand dollars, whilst the length of the road was about 550 miles. I directed Edward F. Beale, esq., to whom I entrusted the construction of this road, to pass over and survey the route throughout the entire length, to lay out the road and make it passable for wagons at all difficult places.

With this party I sent thirty-five camels of those recently imported under the direction of my predecessor. This was intended as an experiment to test the efficiency of those animals as beasts of burden and transportation through the barren and difficult country of the. great mountain range separating the Mississippi valley from the Pacific ocean. From the recent reports received from Mr. Beale, it would appear that the camels are likely to answer fully the high expectations entertained of them for military purposes by the honorable Secretary who introduced them into the country.

ARTESIAN WELLS.

Nothing worthy of special note has occurred since the last report upon the subject of artesian wells. I think there is not much doubt of the feasibility of procuring abundant supplies of good water by this means, and the benefits resulting from a successful prosecution of this enterprise are too palpable to require any illustration. For military purposes, these wells are altogether indispensable. The desert country, impassable now for want of water by any considerable military force, will, upon completion of the system of wells, be easily traversed from Fort Fillmore to Albuquerque, and from Fort Union to Santa Fé. The work is still under the direction of Captain Pope, who has hitherto had it in charge.

MILITARY RESERVES.

Several military reservations, heretofore established for the occupation of troops upon the Indian frontier, having become useless for any military purposes, and calculated to retard the settlement of the country, have been sold under a law passed at the last session of Congress. With the exception of the reserve at Fort Ripley, the prices offered for these lands were satisfactory. The bids for the lands of the latter reservation being considered too low, the sale was set aside and the property retained.

MILITARY ASYLUMS.

Under a law of the last Congress directing the sale of the western military asylum at Harrodsburg, Kentucky, an effort was made to consummate it, but without effect. After due and extensive advertisement of the day of sale, and upon the assembling of bidders, the property was offered at public outcry, but the highest sum offered was considered by the agent for the sale so inadequate that the property was withdrawn.

The asylum in this District is, to a limited extent, answering the purposes for which it was established. It furnishes a quiet and abundant home for the invalid soldiers who are admitted to it.

NATIONAL FOUNDRY.

The importance to the public service of establishing a national foundry has been so often brought to the attention of Congress by my predecessors, that nothing but a conviction of its great consequence to the public and private interests of the whole country encourages me to mention it again.

A well-managed national foundry would very speedily develop and establish facts which would add immensely to our national wealth. It is scarcely to be credited that, with the infinite variety of iron ores and their boundless extent in the United States, we should not have yet discovered a mine capable of making the very best gun, or, if such be discovered, that there are no means by which the public service can be benefitted by it; but such is the fact.

A national foundry would serve as a great laboratory at which the qualities and value of metals throughout the whole confederacy would be tested and fixed. Every variety of iron, with its especial adaptation to particular uses, would, in a few years, be familiarly known to the country, and individual enterprise would be saved in experiments many times the amount which the works would cost, whilst a great national branch of industry might, by this means, receive a legitimate and efficient encouragement.

There is but little doubt that many American iron ores are equal at least to those of Norway, and yet the national armories are driven by necessity to purchase from abroad the Norwegian iron for the manufacture of small arms. Choosing to have the best quality of

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