his heart!" He has insisted on the utter impossibility of escaping a conflict, sooner or later, while any respect for our own interests and national character was preserved; and he has branded as impudent and unfounded the allegations so often and so boldly made, that the President had instigated the war through motives of rapacity and for purposes of conquest. While he has made no complaint of the generals employed in the prosecution of the war, but has ever been ready to give them all credit for their gallantry and conduct, he has contended that the administration itself has conducted it with an energy which ought to inspire the whole American people with confidence, and, at the same time, lead them to award the credit which was due to that administration for the laudable desire it has evinced to secure an early and honorable peace. In no spirit of party feeling, but with perfect honesty, he said he meant to do justice both to the administration and to General Taylor, and he would sustain and defend both in every thing in which they ought to be sustained and defended.

Among other measures introduced by Mr. Haralson, we note the bill of the last session, commonly called the Ten Regiment Bill. Complaints have been made in many quarters as to the delay which took place in the action of the House upon it. The delay, if any there was beyond that which the forms of representative proceeding and the rights of free discussion imposed, did not rest with the Military Committee, as may be inferred from the fact that the President's Message recommending this additional force was referred on the 28th of December, and the bill, which had been prepared in advance, was reported on the following day. We know that the chairman of the committee made many efforts, to which the House would not consent, to take it up.

We may advert here to a collateral circumstance connected with the prosecution of the war, which at one time was made a matter of some comment, in which reflections, not justified by the state of facts, were cast upon the Committee on Military Affairs. It will be recollected that, after the defeat of the Mexicans at Resaca de la Palma, General Taylor was prevented from taking advantage of his victory by the want of a pontoon train, which would have enabled him to pursue the enemy across the Rio Grande, and greatly improve the result of his

victory. Referring to the absence of this much-needed military equipment, the official paper of June the 11th, 1846, remarks:

"We have ascertained that it was a source of no less regret to the War Department than to General Taylor that it possessed neither the power nor the means of providing him with such a train. Its great usefulness and importance in military operations has, we understand, been long known to the department, and various efforts have been made to induce Congress to make provision for it. The Secretary of War, in his last annual report, strongly recommended the measure, as will be seen from the following extract:

"The propriety of organizing a corps, moderate in point of numbers, of miners, sappers, and pontoniers, has heretofore been often presented to the consideration of Congress. The reasons for such a corps are becoming more and more evident and earnest, in consequence of the military occupation of Texas. The commanding general there has requested to be furnished. with a pontoon train, deeming it very essential to the movement of the army in that country. In many parts of it, the materials for constructing bridges are not to be obtained. When that is the case, the movements of an army would be impeded or arrested by the considerable streams traversing its line of operations, unless it was supplied with the necessary equipage for crossing them, and attended by a corps instructed in the use of this equipage. The name by which this corps is usually designated-that of sappers and miners-is apt to mislead the judgment as to the nature of its duties, and, consequently, as to its usefulness and adaptation to our service. The services required of it in attacks upon fortified places constitute but a small portion of its appropriate duties. This subject is fully and ably discussed in the report of the chief engineer, herewith submitted. The recommendation in its favor is sustained by strong arguments and the highest military authority, and I trust will procure for it the favorable action of Congress. This corps need not be numerous-one hundred enlisted men being deemed sufficient; and, if placed under the command of the present engineer officers, it would not be expens

ive.'

"This recommendation was followed up by earnest and repeated efforts by the department to induce its sanction by Con

gress; and the Secretary of War no less than three times, in the early part of the session, addressed the appropriate committee on the subject, urging the importance of this measure, and reminding them that the general commanding the army in Texas had called for this essential equipment to his military operations."

Mr. Haralson made this article the subject of an explanation in the House, which is thus given on the record:

"It is not known certainly that by the term 'appropriate committee,' the Committee on Military Affairs of this House was meant, or that any censure was intended against that committee; but the implication is so strong, since the subject had been before that committee, as to leave them no alternative but to make a public correction of it. While they do not object that a just compliment should be paid to the Secretary of War, and would willingly concede, themselves, to that officer, that he has discharged his duties faithfully and promptly on this subject, they are unwilling that it should be done at their expense; and it is due to them that the whole facts in relation to their action should be known; and they have directed me to state that which I shall now detail to the House: that within less than two weeks after the report of the Secretary of War was printed and laid on our tables, the bill on this subject was promptly reported to the House. On the 19th of December, the subject was referred to the gentleman from South Car olina [Mr. Burt], which was before the printed message of the President and the accompanying documents had reached this House. On the 8th of January, the bill, having been reported to this House from the Senate, and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, was promptly acted on by that committee, and, by the gentleman from South Carolina, reported to the House for its action; and repeated efforts were made by the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Brinckerhoff] and the gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. Burt], as well as myself (as will be recollected by the House), to have action upon that measure. Its importance was felt no more by the Secretary of War than by the committee themselves; and perhaps it is due to the committee to state, that it is not within their recollection that they were addressed no less than three times, in the early part of the session, on the subject, urging the importance of

this measure, and reminding them that the general commanding the army in Texas had called for this essential equipment to his operations,' as specified in the article. They have in that matter-as, I trust, it will be awarded to them that they have in every other-promptly discharged their duties to the country, sometimes anticipating the probable reference of subjects, and acting upon them before they were moved in the House-meeting, sometimes, every morning for a week together.

"It was not the object of the committee to reflect upon the Secretary of War or Colonel Totten; on the contrary, they took pleasure in bearing witness that they had faithfully discharged their duty on the subject; but, while this had been done, under this extract it was implied, at least, that there was a lack of promptness on the part of the Committee on Military Affairs, and it was due to them to correct any such impression, and that it should be known that they had discharged their du ties faithfully to the country. A like bill had also been reported from the Committee on Military Affairs of the last Congress."

Among other propositions introduced individually by Mr. Haralson, we note a joint resolution, similar in purport to that which subsequently came from the Senate, and was passed by the House, authorizing the Secretary of War to cause to be refunded to the several states the amount of expenses incurred by them in subsisting, furnishing, and transporting volunteers previous to their being mustered and received into the service of the United States.