New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-04
REDUCING THE ARMY.

| OHueT u pea OF IetreucNmeNt, tHe COn-
federate element in Congress will attempt
| to reduce and impair the usefulness OF the
| army of the United States, and degrade
| its officers. The Confederate brigadier
generals in the House owe their seats to
| the success of Union arms. Upon the
principle that we become the enemy Of
man who has placed US under obligations
to him, the Confederate Congressman is
arrayed against the army of the Union.
Such men as Sherman and Sheridan have
done something to save the Union; the
Confederates now in Congress, who could
not succeed in destroying our country and
whipping these generals, propose to mus
ter them out of service 1t is also pro-
posed to overhaul the entire army, and
Gull out the officers who have made them
selves offensive in fighting for the Union.
The proposition has been made to reduce
the army force to ten thousand men, which
would leave a corporals guard in place.
guarding posts from Eastport, Maine, to
Alaska, fighting the Indians looking after
the Mexicans, and making a little parade
for the entertainment CT our Spanish
neigbors. 1t is believed several million
dollars might be saved to pay Confederate
war claims, if law could be passed dis
missing half of our best officers and
soldiers from the service. The economy
argument is the thinnest veil which can /
be drawn over an underlying hostility
1t poorly covers the meanest sort of r,
venge. A Democratic organ waufS !.
troops removed from Louiss' 49,. I
is very natural wish; but ~. 90 o
necessary to muster the RI h NIL p
service. The army sboa" &c 60 49, tt
lied, and not kilse' 14pi,0se II
our retrenching congrs zen ..,1 would ALLOW d
the savage indians the arn,v Tbo al
the tender mercies 49, IT.: , CT
enormous expeps.s Of an Indian bureau to
u,;a,+ ha sarss: ulcers of the army could es
- ~ draes pertaining to it; and Il
/, commissioners and Quaker >
80 .eenn go home. Texas will ask -,
s' az appropriation to pay her State :,
~. Lars pr doing what the soldiers of the :.
,rur are not allowed to do in following d
lsGcan bandits home The expensive
ather bureau has been charged to the :.
ny; few consider the cost of knowing ~
lat the 'probabilities" are every morn -,
:. The signal army renders civil SER =
e, but the payment comes out of the
ny budget.
The Congressman who really has de- ,
e for economy in the administration of At
bic affairs viii not seek to reduce the
ny; he will rather try to strengthen it,
1 extend its duties. Soldiers are the
It missionaries in the world. From Los
troit to st. Louis there are many Wv
Imples Of fourishing cities crow;r~
M the rucieus of little military trading Oh
sts. nerever there are bad men Due
Die to ard civilization there should Dne
the cot nteracting influence of soldiers, Rea
ether Among Modocs or Mlsss8ippians. Cur
e Piutes of the plains and the masked che
q OF OCr fellclanaS need the Christian Exc
ilizatiol taught by army regulations, Bill
t decent men can live and develop the 80
ntry wi ere they are. Local selfgov- Leg
ment is a theory born of beautiful Red
As; but fostered by Democracy it has
eloped habit Of killing all who
ress other views. This bad habit
1es it necessary that there should be Cow
Ter above the village loafers who band Sur,
ether and call themselves a local self 9th,
The Black Hills Indian Na'i
Match toches assassins need restrain I,di
Influences if civilization is to 20 on. Dem
en- the Southern States can be trusted Due
lout troops they will be much better DD'
as States; they will have progressed;
the army need not be reduced, for
[e there is left a savage Indian, a I,
lean bandit OR threatening foreign nan
er IN sight we should have a respect s'a''
army. 1t should be the statesman's
e, and not his target. Army officers, Of Ja
after year, do their duty for little
than living salaries; they are not Coz
5ht or sold, nor pledged to small poll
ms. They defend the nation, but - la4
can not go to Congress and defend II
nselves. The army has no patronage,
or JOB in it on which the lobby can
n. Any cheap statesman can attack
army, and yet not offend the lobby. The
proposition to reduce the army for point
omys sake is illogical; the Confed- AUDIT
desire to reduce it to take revenge renal
lew officers is monstrous and full of
mess. ia4
PROXIES TO THE FRONT. ~