The weekly Arizona miner., 1871-04-08
THE INDIAN QUESTION.
Colonel stoneman's Policy a Failure.
The Great Raider 0utraided.
The Red Devils Masters of the Situation.

We don't know the language Of the chart or dispensation under which the present Commander of the Military Department of Arizona has been working since he took com mand here in July last, but we do know, and are free to 7ay, that his words and acts have been detrimental to the best interests of civ iization, and of the civilized people of the Territory, and beneficial to none but murder ous savages We regret this,-grieve that imperious necessity compels us to say 1t of man for whom our personal friendship is great But, the truth must be told, at all hazards, and we are going to tell it.
 When Colonel Stoneman first took com mand here, and for some time afterwards. the suffering white people of every section of the Territory felt that the Savior of the Terri toryn had come at last, and that he would make short work of the murderous wretches who bad been preying upon them for years. They were led to believe this from Colonel Stonemans red record as a slayer of white and red men; from a knowledge of his un- doubted ability, sound practical sense, and his high standing at Washington. R posing such confidence in him, it was out natural that they should honor him in every possible way, and make bis stay here as pleasant as possible. They did SO. But judge of their surprise when, after making the tour of the Territory, and returning to Drum Barracks, California, he made a report on affairs here which, to say the least, was unjust and un- true. This report was published lar and wide throughout the country, and has had q dam aging effect upon the people of this Territory and their sacred cause. When thIs report maie its appearance here, more than two thirds of the white people of the Territory denounced it and its author, and the conduc- tors of the Press of the Territory, with the single exception of ourself, hurled anatbemas at the Colonel; if not publicly, at least pri- vately. We. knowing him better than most men in the Territory, could not get down to believe that he had expressed his honest sen timents in bis report, tried, in vain, to check the current of public opinion, or to hold it in abeyance until sufficient time should elapse to give Colonel Stoneman chance to correct' his errors, and set himself right with our people. For doing so, we were denounced on every hand, and charged with having sold out to the military" As it was not the first time charges like these were made against us, and as we had lived them down and proved ,o our naligners that they erred, we thought we would do the same this time, which we have, to the full satisfaction of all after the appearance of StOneman's ill-consid- cred, malignant report that he issued an order directing officers under his command here 10 make earnest, vigorous, persistent war upon the Indians, and to provide all citizens who might offer their services in the work, with arms and rations. This raised our spirits, and caused us to think that our faith in Sioneman was we'll founded. Judge of our disappointment now, when, after the time in which "a vigorous winter campaign was to have been made against the Indians " is past and gore, we can count no scalps worth speaking of; no work performed by the army but that of breaking up posts, building new ones, making lumber, etc. This is disheart- ening, the more so as during the time set apart for active operations against the sayages, by the troops, the former have alone been active, as the record of murders and robberies committed by them since last fall will show. True, several scouts have been made, but with insignificant results, and the savages are, to-day, ahead of the troops, ahead of the people and the Government.
 This being the case, our people have been, are yet, canvassing the cause of Apache sue cess, and all attribute it to the facts that while the Indian chiefs have been pressing us to the wall, our military chief and his subor- dina;es have been taking matters easy, in their comfortable quarters. Of ccuse, there are a few exceptions to this general rule Again. whiie the Indians have been murder ing and robbing, the soldiers have been build ing quarters, standing guard over their sleep ing comrades, drilling or lazing around.
 The great trouble seems to have been,---i; yet, for aught we know to the contrary that the Department Commander has paid far more attention to plans for reducing expenses of Government than he has to tho work of prosecuting the war. and establishing peace. But, has he even succeeded in reduc' ing expensesl People say not, and VIC arc inclined to think that be has not, when VI come to look at the expenses incurred ir removing men and supplies from old posts and building new and useless ones--such, foI