Arizona citizen., 1871-04-15

that Col. Stoneman may have plan to carry out, winch may prove bene- ficial in the end for the greatest good of the greatest number, and that con- centration of his forces at eight posts will give him more men for active dr- ty than if the eighteen were kept up; but the abandonment of any post in the Indian country necessarily must cause the settlers in that vicinity to leave and abandon their homes and improvements, not entirely for the reason that they can no longer sell their products to government at those posts, but because the Indians follow close in the footsteps of the soldiers, whom they believe to he retreating when an outpost is abandoned, and despoil the settlers who remain, of their focks and herds, pick them off one by one, and finally again occupy the land alone. This fact is too we'll known to need. any argument. The Col.'s determination to economize, Is commendable, but some men of good judgment, question the expectancy of turning animals out to graze under a strong guard of the soldiers whom they hoped and believed were sent here to kill Apaches.
 The quality ofquartermaster's stores is doubtless in many cases bad, and the quervlous tone of the Col. s report seems to us to impute the blame to Arizona or Arizonans. Is there no remedy? Cannot dishonest swindling contractors, in San Francisco and else where, who furnish such stuff for Ari- zona quartermasters, be punished? ? Is it possible that men SC base exist that they gather buffalo hair on the plains to make blankets for troops in Arizona, for the purpose of rendering military operations here futile? That such state of things is found to exist, shows that investigation is demanded outside the Department, which 1t is hoped may be speedily made, and all will rejoice that the Col. has examined into the Commissary and Quartermas- ter branches of the service, and hope that all needed amendments may fol- low.
 But when the Col. apologies for mentioning the cause which brought him here, which keeps U. s. troops here, which makes the producers of the country ask such high prices for forage, fuel and beef, he causes each man, woman and child in Arizona to shudder with distrust of him and his intentions. Hear him:
 The all-absorbing topic in Arizona, the irrepressible Indian, is approached with no little reluctance, fearing that the au- thorities at headquarters in San Francisco, as well as Washington, may have already become surfeited and wearied with its con- sideratiOn.
 Is it posslbler When within the memory of man, did any man before him in high military authority, a7'0lo- gise to his superiors for making his re- port on the circumstances and condi- tion of the enemy he was sent out to fight? Have the authorities in civil ized governments ever wearied of the consideration of the suferings of any of their fellow-beings and fellow-citi- zens, the subjects of those govern ments! On the contrary, have not the authorities in such cases always made it 8 point to pursue and punish perpetrators of atrocious barbarities committed upon the persons of the sub jects and citizens of their governments nations, kingdoms, or municipalities! {!
 In Arizona are congregated natives of every State and Territory in the Union, who came here not to sell few tons of forage, few cords of wokd or few cattle to the U. s. quarter masters and commissaries ct the posts, but because of their firm and we'll founded belief in the mineral and oth- CT wealth of Arizona. They have been as brave, enduring, long suffer ing, hard laboring, hopeful set of men, as ever settled any portion of the domain of the United States. More of their number approximately have been killed, wounded or reduced from comfort to poverty by the action of hostile Indians than in any other sec tion of U. s. Territory during fifteen years past, and these men have fath- CTS, mothers, wives and children scat tered over the whole country, none of whom read a newspaper without fear that they may read that a loved