enforced, and orders to this effect have accordingly been given. By such
a policy, at the same time that our own Treasury will be relieved from a
heavy drain, the Mexican people will be made to feel the burdens of the
war, and, consulting their own interests, may be induced the more
readily to require their rulers to accede to a just peace.

After the adjournment of the last session of Congress events transpired
in the prosecution of the war which in my judgment required a greater
number of troops in the field than had been anticipated. The strength of
the Army was accordingly increased by "accepting" the services of all
the volunteer forces authorized by the act of the 13th of May, 1846,
without putting a construction on that act the correctness of which was
seriously questioned. The volunteer forces now in the field, with those
which had been "accepted" to "serve for twelve months" and were
discharged at the end of their term of service, exhaust the 50,000 men
authorized by that act. Had it been clear that a proper construction of
the act warranted it, the services of an additional number would have
been called for and accepted; but doubts existing upon this point, the
power was not exercised. It is deemed important that Congress should at
an early period of their session confer the authority to raise an
additional regular force to serve during the war with Mexico and to be
discharged upon the conclusion and ratification of a treaty of peace. I
invite the attention of Congress to the views presented by the Secretary
of War in his report upon this subject.

I recommend also that authority be given by law to call for and accept
the services of an additional number of volunteers, to be exercised at
such time and to such extent as the emergencies of the service may
require.