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WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1856
375
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here that twenty-five more engineers are necessary for fortifica- tions now in progress of construction, without any reference to harbor improvements, but simply for military purposes.] Mr. Houston. If the Department withdraws the engineer officers from the custom-houses and other buildings, the erection of which they are now supervising, I suppose you can make up the twenty- five; so that the corps is not lacking anything to constitute it efficient. But the reason assigned by the gentleman from Ten- nessee is, that the young men who are highly educated at West Point must be provided for. It will never do to give them their education without providing a commission for them! Sir, if that system is to be carried out, all the resources of this Government will not be sufficient to support your military establishment, but will fall far short of it. If those men who are educated at the public expense must have offices, I ask you, if Congress will not hereafter have to legislate to increase the Army very largely? But we are told, sir, that great hardships are attendant upon the officers of this corps, and that it is a wrong and an injury to them that they should retain their subordinate position. The corps has been improved in its condition, enlarged in its capacity, and made much more respectable than it was at first; the con- dition of those gentlemen who have been there for forty years, or a greater period, since they entered the service, has been improved; and if the corps has not b 0 een increased in numbers, if no advantages have resulted to it but such as then existed, these gentlemen would have no reason to complain of wrong or injury. They knew the corps was limited when they entered it. If officers have attained advancement, who have become dis- tinguished for science as well as capability to serve the country, and do not make way for others, it is very easy for them to r~medy that difficulty; for all those who wish to be promoted have to do, is to appoint a retiring board for the Army as was done for the Navy, and adopt the same rule of proceeding by placing juniors on it, and they will drop these gentlemen from the list, or retire them on a pension list, and those panting for promotion will have nothing to complain of. I would recommend the adoption of that course to get rid of gentlemen who have become superannuated in the Army, and have high claims to national confidence. I can see no reason for the increase of this military corps. Why should you, at this session, on the spur of the occasion, make an increase of the engineer corps by appointing one brigadier general, one colonel, two lieutenant colonels, four majors and ten captains? Of course there are to be none below captains, no
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