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TEX.AS ST.ATE LIBRARY
it, I did what my convictions at the time induced me to believe was necessary & proper, what my judgment has since approved, & what I am satisfied a vast majority of my countrymen justifies- It was not however Gentlemen in relation to the Cherokees alone that a policy different from that which I found in existence at the time of my inauguration, seemed to me to be necessary- . The whole country needed defence & protection- We were without even the semblance of an Army, without organization in the Militia, destitute of munitions of war, of supplies & of arms- While the Indians of almost every tribe, on the one hand, were daily making their sanguinary incursions into the most defenceless parts of our settlements, & the Mexicans on the other, were threatening us with renewed invasions, and a war of extermination- In this state of things, I deemed it essential to the prosperity and indeed Safety of the Nation, that the country should as early as practicable be placed in such a condition as would to some extent at least, afford protection to the frontier, & enable us to m.;et invasion should it suddenly come upon us- Hence my recommenda- tions to Congress for the passage of such laws as would enable me to organize the Militia & render it effective in time of need, & for the establishment of such a regular military force, as would serve as the nucleus to an army, & give our patriot Citizens a concentrating point to which they migltt rally, should emergencies suddenly call them to the field- In adopting this course of policy Gentlemen, I was not urged alone by my own convictions of its correctness,- Every part of the land was teeming with evidences that the Nation demanded it- The people, not concuring with the views entertained by the fo [ rmcr] Executive in relation to these subjects, had, through their Representa- tives, but a short time before, assumed the entire control of the Military operations of the country, & set on foot expeditions,-the commanders of which wer held Resposible to Congress alone for their execution, & the manner in which they should be conducted- With these strong evidences of the public will before me, I should have been recreant to the trust which had been reposed in me, indeed, regardless of the feeling & spirit which had just call'd me into office, had I continued a system of policy, however wisely adopted in the first instance, which had resulted in such general dissatisfaction, & which the exigencies of the times seemed so clearly to demonstrate as being unsuited to our condition- I am aware Gentlemen that there has been much public clai;nor against the regular army, & I have no doubt the opinion was honestly enter- tained by some, that its services were not commensurate with the ex- penditures which were necessary to sustain it, & that it ought to be abolished- But in this opinion I have not been able to concur- A nation in a state of war, & almost entirely surrounded by its enemies, it seems to me, is not properly regulated or governed, when it has not even the semblance of an army to defend it- I have neYer been an advocate for a large regular force, nor have I ever contemplated relying upon it as our main bulwark of defence- My education, feelings & knowledge of its efficiency however taught me that on a well organized Militia, Republics should mainly rely at all times, but still there are duties which are essential to all military operations, and especially to such as are necessary to the protection of an exposed frontier, which Citizen Soldiers can not be brought to perform- However willingly our citizens are
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