Mr. LANE, of Indiana. Mr. President, here is a proosition to have 2 regiments of colored cava ry attached to the regular Army for the permanent peace establishment. When this bill was referred to the ComMilAffrs they sought light from every access ible source in reference to the preper organization of the regular Army. Generals Grant and Meade and Sherman and Thomas were called in consultation. We had the opinions of all those 4 distin uished generals. In addition to that we had tie opinion of the SecyWar, and, so far as practicable. of the War Dept. The bill as it was 1st introduced provided for 8 regiments of colored troops. That received the sanction of Grant an Sherman and Meade and Thomas and the SecyWar. The bill, as it now stands, only provides for 7 regiments of colored troops. It will be hard, I apprehend, to convince either myself or1the Senate that these 4 distinguished generals, backed and supported by the opinion of the SecyWar, do not know as well how the regular Army should be constituted in time of peace as anyone man now here without a particular investigation of the subject. Colored troops are sutiicient for these grand leaders who have led your armies to Victory and suppressed the rebellion, but from mere prejudice we are now to exclude them from the service. Now, sir, to serve iyour Army is one of 2 things: it is either abui en or itisa privilege. if it is a burden, it should be borne equally by every class of.our citizens. The colored people are now all free, they are all now citizens, and all, I trust in God, to be protected. Then they should bear their proportion of this bur. den. But if it be a privilege to enter your armies, they are equal y entitled to the protection of your laws, and every philanthropic citizen desires their elevation, and they should be permitted to participate in this high privilege of serving as common soldiers in the regular Army: of the U.S. It is, then, one of 2 thin s, either a burden or a privilege to serve in teArmy, and if it is either, the colored people are equally bound to bear the bur den or equally entitled to participate in the privilege. What duties do you expect these soldiers in time of peace to perform? What duties are they to perform? Firs to preserve your frontiers from the incursions of the savages. A mounted force is much better ads ted to that purpose than an infantry force, an hence the necessity for more cavalry. Another duty is to preserve your public property and to man your garrisons in time of peace. These must all be kept up. But we need not shut our eyes to the presentimportant and pressing necessity for troops, and that is, to preserve the peace and enforce the laws in the States now in rebellion. The whole force contemplated b this Army bill is less than 55,000, all told; and, in the opinion of the coinrnander in chief of the Army, inadequate for the purposes for which we now need an army. the committee have brought it down to the very lowest possible estimate consistent with the public peace and public security, and altogether we are to have less than 55,000 troops when your Army is full. The distinguished Senfrom Delaware takes the ground that there are 1000s and 1000s of discharged white soldiers now anxious, willin, and ready to enlist in the Army of the U.S. Now, what is historically the truth upon that subject? At the beginning of the reiiellon you authorized the addition of 11 regiments to the regular Army. After 5 years of warfare not one single battalion or regiment has been filled. Not one single company, battalion, regiment, brigade, or division in the regular Army is now full, and there is no pressure for enlistment. It is with the greatest possible difficulty that you can keep up your battalions and compa nies and regiments at all. But it is believed by those who should be familiar with the subject that you may raise 7 or eight regiments of colored troops without itheulty. More than that amount now in the service are willing to remain. But, exclaims the Senfrom Delaware, “W'hatl will you introduce this new principle now t'oi the 1st time and incorporate into your regular Army colored troops in time of cace?” Is that the only objection? Was not he same objection urged against the employment of colored troops in time of war? did we not. hear precisely the same objection then; not founded n reason, but founded in the blind, unreasoning mjudicgs of race and color? It was not right go employ them in time of war, because gentlemen opposed that and said there was a sufficiency of white troops for the purpose of the suppression of the rebellion. The objection was then that you should not employ them in time of war, and now we are tol that you cannot employ them in time of peace; and why? Be cause, forsooth, you may exasperate our southern brethren; you may exasperate and rend wider the gulf between the loyal North and the disloyal citizens of the South b introducing into their neighborhoods these co ered troops; and the Senfrom Delaware says that it will operate injuriously upon the people of the State 0 Delaware.