MR. CASS.  Does the gentleman affirm that I said that?

Yes; twice.

     MR. CASS.  No, Sir, I beg your pardon, I did not say it.  I did not
     say it would touch my humanity to hurt her.

Be it so.

MR. CASS.  Will the honorable Senator allow me to repeat my statement of the object of the bill?  I said it was twofold:  first, that it would enable us to prosecute the war, if necessary; and, second, that it would show Mexico we were prepared to do so; and thus, by its moral effect, would induce her to ratify the treaty.

The gentleman said, that the principal object of the bill was to frighten Mexico, and that this would be more humane than to harm her.

     MR. CASS.  That’s true.

Well, Sir, the remarkable characteristic of that speech, that which makes it so much a Mexican speech, is, that the gentleman spoke it in the hearing of Mexico, as well as in the hearing of this Senate.  We are accused here, because what we say is heard by Mexico, and Mexico derives encouragement from what is said here.  And yet the honorable member comes forth and tells Mexico that the principal object of the bill is to frighten her!  The words have passed along the wires; they are on the Gulf, and are floating away to Vera Cruz; and when they get there, they will signify to Mexico, “After all, ye good Mexicans, my principal object is to frighten you; and to the end that you may not be frightened too much, I have given you this indication of my purpose.”

But, Sir, in any view of this case, in any view of the proper policy of this government, to be pursued according to any man’s apprehension and judgment, where is the necessity for this augmentation, by regiments, of the military force of the country?  I hold in my hand here a note, which I suppose to be substantially correct, of the present military force of the United States.  I cannot answer for its entire accuracy, but I believe it to be substantially according to fact.  We have twenty-five regiments of regular troops, of various arms; if full, they would amount to 28,960 rank and file, and including officers to 30,296 men.  These, with the exception of six or seven hundred men, are now all out of the United States and in field service in Mexico, or en route to Mexico.  These regiments are not full; casualties and the climate have sadly reduced their numbers.  If the recruiting service were now to yield ten thousand men, it would not more than fill up these regiments, so that every brigadier and colonel and captain should have his appropriate and his full command.  Here is a call, then, on the country now for the enlistment of ten thousand men, to fill up the regiments in the foreign service of the United States.