Arizona weekly miner., 1874-02-20
lFsom Wednesdays Daily.l
 The Army and the Indians.

delegate and other Western members most ably defended the cause and motives of white pioneers in risking their lives among the say age red men of the frontier, showing, by statistics and illustration, the great wealth of the regions now being developed and civ ilzcd by the advance guards of civilization, backed by the Army.
 One Wheeler, of New York, whose mo tives we will not now bring into question, advised border whites to fall back 10 the popuous States and leave the Territories to the Indians His remarks were severely but justly criticized by the delegate from this Territory and by MT Kendall of Nevada.
 Gen sherman, who has never visited Arl- zona, was before the Committee oil Military affairs, pleading for non-reduction of the Army, and well did he portray the case as it stands But, his remarks about this Terri tory prove his judgment and knowledge of it's real worth to be worse than worthless. In praising Gen Crook and that grand rcgi- ment, the Fifth Cavalry, the General of the Army spoke of Arizona as "that miserable desert land,n and agreed to get along with out two regiments of cavalry, if Congress would give the Territory back to Mexico. Getting ashamed of these assertions, Sher- man quoted Tom Corwin's saying, "lt is oar country, and therefore we must love 1t and protect How it is and has been loved by government and the people of the East; how it has been protected by them, is shown by it's past history. From 1863 up to the time of Crooks coming, it and its people were at the mercy of Indians and Mexicans sneered at and insulted hy worthless military officers; denied anything like necessary mail facili- ties, left out in the cold to take care of itself, in which plight 1t would still be but for the pleading and intercession of the people of the other Pacific States and Terri. tories, whose press and public men spoke so earnestly of our wrongs that many honest, patriotic people East took up the cause of suffering Arizona and fairly wrung out of Government what little protection and aid the Territory has had.
 "A miserable desert,' indeed. What an ignorant summary to come from the lips of so great and intelligent a soldier as all know Gen sherman to be. Is it a desert, General, that in the first year of partial" peace pro duced 20,000,000 pounds of corn, wheat, barley, etc, with vegetables in proportion ? Is it desert, General, which, according to Lieut. Wheeler, of the Engineers; according to Whipple, Beale and many other truthful Army officers who have explored it, is the best country between Missouri and the Pa cifc ocean2 Is it worthless country that has one forest of over 200 miles in length by from 25 to T5 miles in width It it worth less because, in the past five years, it has pro- duced more of everything than the Army and its citizens have been able to use up2 Is it of no account because it has produced mil lions of dollars worth of gold, silver, copper and other mnerak, and will soon dvable, treble the amount already produced
 Can a country with such mineral, grazing and agricultural resources as Arizona pos sesses, be a worthless desert Surely, no
 It's climate is superb; and, go where you
 will, over its broad surface, you will find
 springs and streams of water, grass and tim Der of various kinds Then, it has, in keep ing for the East, the key to the great new
 West, as through it run the only routes fol
 trans-contineutal railroads, upon which such
 roads can be built and operated every day o
 the year.
 It has, of course, few barren strips, bu, even they are not deserts, in the strict mean ing of the word, as upon all of them, vast
 herds of cattle, sheep and horses will yet
 subsist.
 But, we started in to speak of old and pro
 posed ways of dealing with and governing
 the Indian population of our country. prob lem in which ArizonAns are greatly inter ested. At present, two departments of ou
 hand in this business, and it is not vel
 done. Knowing this, Congressman Nesmitl of Oregon, has framed a bill taking all Indal
 business from the Department of the Interio and transferring it to the War Department
 The provisions of this bill are thus summs
 by the Washington correspondent of tn - New York Times:
 After the lss of July, 1874, the Secretary of Wa
 shall sspplant Ihe present Secretary of the Int ], rior in all functions relating to the Commissio R of Indian Aft,rs. He would also give the Seer
 tary Of War the authority to sign all requlstion
 TOT the adNanec O paymeut oi moneys Out or th
 Treasury on estimates or accounts, subject to th t same adjustment or control now exercised ov, |, the accounts or estimates by the Auditors an u Controllers of the Treasury. The effect of tt l., bill will also be to give plenty Of occupation fC army officers, who at present are obliged, in tt
 depths of ennui, at the frontier posts, to stud !. draw poker and kindred amusements to slaHEhtl
 time. The Secretary of War Ia to be authogizf o to establish convenient departments and distrie '. for the proper administration of the duties no 1i imposed upon the Superintendent of lndii N Affairs, whenever, in his opinion, 1t shall pr 7 mote the efficiency of the Indian service, subs tuting in all cases for his agents and sub-agent of officers of the Army who shall be designated f 10 that purpose. These officers are to be charg' " with all the duties under the present law, whi
 they arc to receive no additional compensate
 therefor. How this will De received by army oi r cers-this large increase Of services ts be rcnds " ed without any increase of pay-is not ye Tn doubtful but it can bs seen that large redr m ton of expense will be accomplished. The pr'