The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-11-19
ARnYR EPoRTS.
From the General and Lieut.. Gen.
eral..The Small Army...BHack
Hills. Indian Affairs.


the Secretary of war shows the total
number of enlisted men in the army on
October 18th to have been 26,44l. It
estimates that this number will proba-
bly, be reduced through natural causes
by the first Of January, 1875, to the
$4,000 allowed by law. 1t reports the
inadequacy of so small an army for the
demand of so large an area of territory
as it has to be scattered over, involv-
ing the necessity of withdrawing troops
from one department to another long
distances away; compliments highly
the efficiency Of Gen. Sheridan and his
subordinate officers in maintaining
comparative peace in the Indian coun-
try; says the reports of commanding
officers demonstrate that the small ar
my of the United States, called peace
establishment, is the hardest work
ed body of men in this
or any other country. The
discipline and behavior of the officers
and men have been worthy of all praise,
and whether employed on the extreme
and distant frontier or in aiding civil
officers in the execution of civil pro.
cesses, have been a model formation
all good men. In regard to the remov-
al ofhis headquarters to St. Louis, he
says:
Il am prepared to execute the duties
that may be devolved upon me by
proper authority here. am centrally
located. and should occasion arise can
personally proceed to any part of this
continent where my services are need
ed"
Lieut.. Gen. Sheridan, in his annual
report. touches vigorously on Gen. Gus
ter's Black Hills expedition, which he
pronounces successful reconnaissance.
Tho country of the Black Hills was
found to be much better than was ex-
pected, with plenty of good timber and
considerable good soil at high ATTITUDES,
sAd an abundant supply Of good
water and grass. Some gold was found
near Harney's Peak, but Of its abund-
ance there is, at present, no reliable in
formation. Sufficient time could not
be given an expedition such as that of
Col. Clusters to prospect and determine
its quantity. Gen. Sheridan again re-
commends the establishment Of large
military post at the Black Hills.
Gen. Sheridan differs with Gen. Pope
as to the chief cause of the Indian
troubles, and attributes it to the immu-
nifty with which the tribes have been
treated in all their raids into Texas for
the past three years. Their agents
have furnished them supplies with
which to perpetrate these raids, and
sheltered them from pursuit when they
returned with their scalps and plumber.
| No man Of close observation. it seems
20 me, can travel across.the great plains
from Nebraska and Wyoming to Texas,
and see the established ranches, with
their hundreds of thousands of head Of
cattle, sheep and horses, together with
the families Of the owners, and reason
ably think these people, SO much ex-
posed and having such valuable inter.
ests. are DESTROYS of provoking an In
dian war. There was time, possibly,
when the population of the Indian from.
tier may have been DESTROYS of Indian
troubles, but that has passed long ago.
will Grant Name His Succe ssor.
From the Kansas City Times, It'll
There is little room to doubt that a
strong Washburne movement is organ
izing. with President Grant and the
whole influence of the administrator
supporting it. Grant owes his frs,
nomination to Washburne, and the lat
ter was sent to Paris to be kept out Of
danger till the proper moment should
come for bringing him forward a:
Grant S successor. The advantage O
being out Of the political melee and
snugly ensconced in foreign mission
was seen in Buchanan case and willie
other Republican chiefs have beer
counting the administration for its infu
ence. Grants favorite for the success
sion has been kept in the background
and out of harms way till the knell o
the third term project in the Octobe1
elections sounded the signal for his ap
pearance IN the lists. The news
from Ohio and Indiana, with perhaps
brief cable dispatch from Washing
ton, made Joseph Medill leav,
his family to follow hin
home from Paris. while he fastened t,
Chicago to give million dollars for tn
Chicago Tribune Then came tn
Noven Der elections. destroying Blaine
chances by taking the Speakership from
him. The financial question, the civi
rights bill, the salary grab, the Sena
toriL votes on the Presidents mea
sures and appointments, or something
else, has slaughtered every other aspiI
ant for the succession from Morton an
Conkling down to Logan. While ethe
fellows have been at home cutting thei
hands with ticklish two-edged question:
and getting into the snarl that has dc
feated the party, Washburne has bee
abroad making glory by protectin
German residents of Paris during tn
war. and doing the agreeable to GU
rich snobs who have been visiting Pari
to spend their surplus cash since tn
war. He has almost . clear field. an
the late elections will make his race 70
the Republican nomination walk 0ve1
Whether it will do him any good o
not, must depend on the events Of tn
next two years The Presidency. v