A NATIONAL PAPER, PUBLISHED Wt UN'fcSDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN FENNO, No. 69, HIGH-STREET, PHILADELPHIA.
[No. 83, of Vol. lII.] Saturday, February 11, 1792.
CONGRESS.
PHILADELPHIA
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
THURSDAY, January 26, 1792
IN COMMIT TKK OF THF. WHOLE.
On the Bill providing for the Defence of the Frontiers.
Question under conliderat ion,
AMOTION to itrike out the frcond fedionof the bill, which
contemplates the raising ot three additional regiments of in
fantry, and a iquadron of light dragoons, amounting in all to thiee
thousand and forty men, exclusive of coinmillioncd officers.
In favor ot the motion, and against the proposed augmentation
of the military <ilabliftimcnt, it was urged,
That the Indian war, in which the United States are at pref< nt
involved, was, in its origin, as unjustly undertaken, as it has since
been unwisely and uniuccefsfully conducted ; —that depredations
had been committed by the whiles, as well as by the Indians ;
and the whites were most probably the aggrclfors, as they fre
quently made encroachments on the Indian lands, whereas the In
dians ihewed no inclination to obtain poffeflion of our territory,
or even to make temporary invaiions until urged to it by a fenle
of their wrongs : a proof ot this un, ncroaching diipofition on t heir
part, plainly appeared in their cor.dust, after the vi&ory they late
ly obtained over our troops; for, when, flulhcd with fucctfs, they
might have swept the country before them, and penetrated as tsr
as Pittsburgh, they contented themselves with the advantage they
had gained over their invaders, and did not attempt to invade our
territories in return, although there was no where at hand a fuffici
ent force to check their career.
The mode of treating the Indians in general, was reprobated as
unwise and impolitic; the Indians are with difficulty to bt re
duced by the fwoid, but may easily be gained byjufticc and mo
deration : and although iheir cruelties are alleged as reasons for a
different condudl, and the fufferings of the white people patheti
cally deplored, these narratives, (it was said) are at bed but ex
paite evidence ; —we hear nothing of the fufferings of the Indians ;
but if Cornplanter's speech were read, it would fct the matter in a
very different point of view, and furnifti a complete answer to
all the charges of their accusers.
Peace (it was said) may be obtained from the Indian tribes, at a
much less expense than would be ncccffaiy for the lupport of the
war ' —to ptrfevere in hostilities, would be wafting ihr pubjic inn
ney to a very bad purpose indeed ; for (uppofmg our arms crown'd
with viflory, what are the advantages wc may expetf to reap trom
our success ?—-wc can only gain poflcflion of their lands—a pof
lcflion, that must long continue unproductive of the smallest be
nefit, as we already poflefs land fufficient; more, in fad, than wc
will be able to cultivate for a whole century to come.
Instead of being ambitious to extend our boundaries, it would
answer a much better national purpole rather to check the roving
dilpofition of the frontier fetilers, and prevent them from too ftid
denly extending themfelvcs to the western waters : if kept closer
together, and more neatly conne&cd with the old settlements.they
would be more ufelul to the community at large, and would riot
(<> frequently involve us in unneccflary and cxpenfive wars with
the Indians : but if permitted to rove at pleasure, they will keep
the nation embroiled in perpetual warfare, as long as the Indians
have a tingle acre of ground to r< ft upon.
If the citizens of the United States were recalled within their
proper boundaiies, there thev might, for years to come, cultivate
the foil in peacc, neither invaded, nor invading. As the country
progrtlTes in population, and our limits are found too narrow, it
will then be soon enough to contemplate a gradual extension of out
fiontur : but in the mean time, it is an idle profufion of blood
and treasure, to carry war beyond our present line of forts : it is
only exposing our arms to disgrace, betraying our own weakness,
andl lelicning the public confidence in the general government, to
fend forth armies to be butchered in the forefts, whilst we fuffcr
the Britilh to keep poflVfljon of the posts within our teiritory.
As long as Britain is fuftered to retain those posts, wc can never
hope to f'iccetd against the Indians; nor ought we to trace our
late misfoi tune to any other fouree than her still holding them in
her poirtflion : were they in our hands, the Indians could not car
ry on their operations against us with the fame degree of vigor as
thev now do ; for it is from those forts that they obtain their Ap
plies of arms and ammunition, with which ihev'can be, at all
times, plentifully fu*nifhed, as long as things continue on their
present footing.
Until thole posts are'n our pofJVflinn, it will be vain to fend
our ;tmirs into the wildernefi. A body of five thouland met.
lent out agairift the Indians, under the present circumflances'
would be as ettefluallv defeated as the fmallcr ones have already
Been : in those wilds, our troop, have nofrier.dat hand, to lurmlh
• hem with lupphes or to g,ve them intelligence of the app.oach
and operations of the enemy ; whereas the Indians, receiving ho'h
«.d and information f™ theie friendly netghbprl, can pre-co!,-
cert their plans, and chufe, according to their own convenience
»hc Place and vhr hour of juaek, a, they did before '
f.deof t hen ri: ft obf " V ! d 3n hon »"ble gentleman on the other
t hthat we ought undoubtedly to get poffeflion of"
had n P I f ; ; nd r lh r at W We obtained it,lfwe
our pom th f " f " n ' blt , tmb "P" on all the Britilh (hipping
Z- h k Whether it would at present be
uo°t on „f ' C " "'P' " ,hc En S l,th havc loft lo a
£££&£ K'e&T'' COn^UaICC 01 ,hC add '—
""T"' " - w " fur ' hcr ur S cd ' that Wpofing
r u . fidel-",n D of, rlf h °u gmal,y "" d "'aken with jutt.ee on
for a continuance of hoftilUill y"',''"" W in ' Cr " ft "
hoth instances, heVn^uch"mo Vff ,; " ent '' aH '
from a third expedition of the fame k' 7 flal,e . rin S P rof P cft
mon- J,,i ~ki fame kind : it was thought much
4du,C4b ' c 10 co, " cm ourfvlves with defend,n S the frontier ;
and this might be done, without making so great an augmentatior
in the military eftablilhmenf.
The only use of regular''troops on the frontier, is to gariifon the
forts, and to have a (landing (oicc in the neighbourhood, to form a
station, to which the inihna may relent either (or protection or
supplies: but as to a£l»ve feivice, the fiouiicr militia and ranger'
were pionounced to be by far pieferable to the regular troops, as
hcing more expert woodfmcn, and belter habituated to the Indian
mode of fighting. To defend the torts, a small number of regu
lars would befufficient; the present ettablilhtnent of two regi
ments would, it gompleated, be amply adequate to the purpose;
and when ailifted by such forces as might at all times be colle&td
on the frontier, would be able to repel every inroad of the enemy.
Experience has proved, that the sudden and desultory attacks ot
the frontier militia and rangers, are ever attended with better fuc
ce/s than the methodical opi rations of a regular fo r ce ; the former
air beiter calculated for expedition and furprile, making unex
pected sallies, fcouringthe country in small bodies, harrafliug the
Indians, and intercepting their draggling panics, by whom their
motions are unobieived ; whereas, when a body of regulars take
the field, encumbered with baggage and heavy artillery, the una
voidable slowness of their movements affords the enemy an oppor
tunity of watching all their opeiations, colliding their whole (orce,
and (kuiking in the woods around them, till they can seize t he fa
vorable moment to ftnke a sudden blow, which they generally do
with fucct fs, but which they could never attempt, if exposed every
hour t» the unforefeen attacks of our woodsmen, who would keep
their attention conflantly engaged in all quarters, and thus pi event
them from uniting in large bodies.
It was further ohf< rved by some gentlemen, who even admitted
the propriety of invading the Indian teiritory, that toeffc&ihis
with success, it was by no means neceflary to make such an cn
cicale in the militaiy edablidiment, as that contemplated in the
bill: the mifcarria'gc of the former expeditions could not (ihey
said) be alledged as a fufficient reason : fqr it is well known, that
the former edablidnnent was far from being complete : the regu
lais, for the service of the lafl campaign, were to have
been above two thousand two hundred ; the President was besides
empowered to raise two thousand five hundred levies in addition
to the regulars; and thefewould together havecondituted an army
of about four thjufand seven hundred incn : had such a body
been employed, we might have expelled much better
fuccrfs against the Indians, whose numbers were so far inferior,
the whole force of the Wabafh tiibes not amounting to above ele
ven or twelve hundred warriors, who never could keep the field
for any length of time, but mud be soon obliged to disperse, with
out venturing an attack upoji an army of such superior drength.
Infirad of this, our army confided of only about twelve hun
dred men, and of these not above tour or five hundred were regu
lar troops : bcfidi $, had even this foice been fuflicif nt if employed
in season, the delays, that had taken place in the execution of
the plan, would alpnc have been fufficient to defeat the intended
purpose. During the winter, the law was paffc-d for laifing the
additional troops to carry on the war with greater vigor; the
w hole summer was spent in the butanefs, and the few men that we
did enlist, were not raised till late in the fall : collected at length
at the hca<l of the Ohio, they fiuitleftl) loitered away their time,
till they finally crctted a monument to our eternal disgrace and
infamy.
Whatever troops arc to be employed, ought to be raised with
diligence and dispatch, if we wilh to avoid a similar milcarriage
in our next attempt : the aimy ought not to enter the Indian
country, till their whole farcr is complete—difficulties however
and delay, equal to those of §ril year, may be expe£lcfl in enlist
ing the men and we shall have the officers in pay a considerable
time, without any soldiers : perhaps the former pay of the troops
was *00 low ; and proper effe&ive men weie unwilling to ac
cept of it ; if so, let it be raised ; let the men be well clothed and
fed; and they will moie leadily engage in the service : probably
also the term of three years was an objc&ion with many, who
would otherwise have joined our ftandaid : if enlisted only for
fix months, the rank* will be sooner filled ; and this ought to
have considerable weight wilh those who advocate the augmenta
tion of the military eftablilhment, as they cannot but know, that
if we set about cnlifting the number of men contemplated in the
bill, and in the manner there prescribed, they cannot be raised
time enough to render any service in the next campaign.
The information, contained in the repct on the table, was not,
it was faidf to be implicitly relied on : that report was made by a
man, who had not personally visited the frontier : oiheis, who
had been on the spot, were of opinion, that if 2000 levies had
been laifed last year, they would have been fnfficient not only for
the defence of the frontier, but even for any oftenfive operations,
that might have been thought neceflary : such troops, colicftcd in
the vicinity are more competent to the undertaking, than the
troops now in contemplation : no complaint had been made of
their conduct; whenever they were tried, they benaved as well
as the regulars, and in the adiion under General St. Clair, they
gave eqnal proofs of their valor.
It was farther urged, thar the frontier mi'itia are not only equal,
but infinitely fupenor to any regular troops whatever, for the de
fence of the borders, and that they are in fad, the only force
' hat can be effectually employed in expeditions againff the hostile
Indians., whofc mode of fighting is familiar to them, and docs
not ftnkc them with that degree ot terror, with which it inspires
those men whoenlift on the regular eftablifament : —these latter
being colledhd in the heart of populous cities, where the face of
an Indian is seldom leen, hardly know, whether the Indian and
his horse are not the fame animal : and when thev approach the
enemy, at the very firft shout, even before he is in view, they are
terrified at the idea of savage barbarity, which they have ever
been taught to refl;£l on wrth horror ; and being incapable of ie
filtance, they commit their fafety to flight. To prove the supe
riority of the militia, gentlemen need only contrail the dispatch
and success of the expedition conduced by General Scott, with
the delays, disgrace and mortification which attended that und r
General St. Clair, and consider the difference of the cxpence on
those two occasions
The expence of such an army as the bill contemplates, is an
objcCt well worthy ot fei ious consideration, efpectaliy at the pre
ftnc moment, when thete is fcaicely a dollar in the treasury.
Gentlemen would also do well to'advert to the progress of this
bufmefs, and consider where they were likely to Sop, if they
went on at the present rate : -at fiiff, only a single regiment had
been raifcd, and the expense was about 100,000 dollais ; a second
was afterwards added,v/hich swelled the expense to about 300,000;
and now a standing force ot 5168 men is contemplated, at an an
nual expencc of above a million and a quarter. Can this be juf
tificd in the present ffate of our finances, when it us well known
329
[Whole No. 291.]
that the Secretary of the TrealYiry, having been requefled by the
members from a pa»ticular State, to build a light-hotife on a part
of their coast, declined the undertaking, and alledged the want
of funds, as the reason ?
Our resources however might be made to answer for the sup
port of such a force as that, whiclji was intended [or the service of
the prectding year, and there would be little complaint or diflatis
fadion among the people : very few murmuring* were heard a
gainfl: rhe former establishment : but such a one as is now con
templated, will be thought extravagant, will breed discontent
the citizens of the United States, and perhaps afford our
neighbors in Canada an opportunity to take advantage of our di
vided fttuation, and involve us in a war more dangerous than the
former which ieparated us from "Great-Britain.
Apprehensions (it is said) are entertained, that the obje£l con
templated in raising those additional troops, is not so much to
punish and coerce the Indians, as to have a (landing regular force
equal to what the British have on this continent. This is said to
amount to about fix thousand men, including those in Canada :
but it is to be remarked, that the British nation has not above one
ihoufand men within the limits of the United States ; and yet
with this handful of troops, they not only keep the Indians in
awe, but even, in opposition to the wishes of the United States,
retain pofledion of those ports, which (hould have been ceded to
us pursuant to the terms of the treaty :—why then is it necessary,
lor the purf>ofe of establishing pods and garrisoning them, to en
creafe the (lauding force to so large a number, as that contempla
ted in the clause under consideration ?—During our late arduous
druggie for liberty, when we had to cope with the mod powei
lul nation under heaven, the commander in chief had never at
any one time above ten thousand men, under his own immediate
command ; and if with so small a force, we were able to cft'e£l so
glorious a revolution, there can be no neceflity of going such
lengths at present, for the fake of edablifhing a military charac
ter—it is drange policy indeed, to raise five or fix thousand men,
to oppose a handful of Indian banditti, whose utmost amount does
not, from the documents on the table, appear to exceed twelve
hundred.
We arc pieparing to squander aw-.y money by millions : and
no one, except those who are in the secrets of the cabinet, knows
for what reason the war has been thus carried on for 3 years : —
but what funds are to defray the encreaff d expense ot maintaining
such a force as is now contemplated ?—The excise is both unpo
pular and unp">du6live :—the impoil duties have been raised as
high as is confident with prudence : to incieafe them would
be but to open a door for smuggling, and thus diminish their
produ&ivenefs : and if those sources of revenue fail, if our finan
ces be thus exhauded in unneceflary wars we shall be unable to fa
tisfy the public creditors, unless recourse be had to new taxes,
the consequence of which may, with just reason, be deplored;
wheieas, if we but keep our expences within bounds, if we nurse
our finances, we (hall be refpc&able among the nations of the
earth, nor will any nation dare to insult us, or be able to do it
with impunity.
During the course of these observations, an honorable gentle
man asked, •whethrr this was a day Tel apart for rhetorical flour,
ilhes, as the galleries were open, and he law the short-hand wri
ters Rationed at their different posts ?
At an early stage of the debate, an honorable gentleman had
suggested, that, in (lead of pafling a law for raifmgat all events
the additional regiments, which, for his part, he did not think
neceflary, the house (if they finally determined the present efta
bhlhment to be inefficient) would perhaps do better to appro
priate a certain futp of money, to enable the executive to call in
such additional aid,as circumstances may require.
To this it was objected, that it is the duty of the reprefenta
tivcsof the people m all appropriations of the public money, to
make them lor certain fpecific purposes ; —to ast otherwise on the
piefent occasion, wpuld be fctting a precedent,that might, in its
consequences, prove highly injurious : for, although the grsateft
confidence may fafely be reposed in the virtue and integrity of
him who now fills the presidential chair, it is irnpoflible to fore
fee what use may heieafter be made of the precedent by his fuc
ceflors, or how far it may be canicd.
Against the motion for striking out, and in favor of the propo
sed augmentation of the military eftablifbment, it was urged,
That as to the juftiee of war carried on against the Indian tribes,
that was a question which could not admit of a doubt in the mind
of any nun, who would allow that felf pVefervation and indis
pensable necessity arc fufficicnt caufcs to' juftify a nation in taking
up arms :— if the present war be not in every refpeft juftifiable,
then there never was, nor ever will be a just war : it was origi
nally undertaken, and since carried on, not for the fake of con
quest, but to defend our fellow-citizens, our friends, our dearefl
connexions, who are daily exposed, in the frontier fettlemeuts,
to all the rage of savage barbarity, to which they, with their
wives and children, mud soon fall viflims, unless we speedily
fly to their afliftance :—and alt hough there are some people, who
utterly deny the juftiee of any war whatever, this do&rine, how
ever fine in theory, will hardly ever obtain in practice : for, is it
to be imagined,that any set of men arc of such a paflive difpofiuon,
as calmly to look on, whilst their friends and relations are butch
ered before their eyes, and to refute giving them every afliftance
in their power ?
The muiders and depredations, which have, for years past,
been repeatedly committed by the savages, loudly call for redrels :
—from various documents of unqucftionable authority, now in
the hands of the Secretary at War, signed and attested by the exe
cutive and legislature of Kentucky, by the diftrift judge, and
the captains of the militia, it appears, that from the year 1783 to
1790, there have been, of the inhabitants of that diftrift, or of
emigrants on their way thither, rto less than fifteen hundred per
sons either mafTacred by the savages, or dragged into captivity ;
two thousand horses taken away ; and other property plundered
or destroyed, to the amount of fifty thousand dollars ; and there
is good reason to suppose, that on the other frontiers ot Virginia
and Pennsylvania, r .he number of persons murdered or taken pri
soners, during the abovementioned period, would furuifh a lift
of one thousand or fifteen hundred tAore.
The white people, it is true, have sometimes committed depre
dations on the Indians : but the instances have been rare [the ho
norable gentleman who spoke, did not recolle£l above one or
two] of their making unjuit attacks upon the savages, nor did they
on thole occasions commence hostilities against them, till exaf
per«ned-by the ffrongeft provocations, that could poflibly ffimu
late the human heart : t his circumstance mav be justly allowed as
lome palliation ot the offence :—even in these instances, however,
a tew individuals only were concerned ; and when the affair
came to the knowledge of the State, ample reparation was made