, 1876-09-02
The Troops in the south.

inluT neni- 20 1dYcTt,sesr WHO Np"As iS@~" '"~
very best class of paying cUst'IEers
The Troops in the south.
Many members of Congress made
a strenuous opposition to the bill an-
thorizing The enlistment Of twenty
FIVE hundred additional cavalrymen
TO serve against the Indians. The
ground of opposition was that there
are abundant troops 10 the South that
might be employed against the lndi-
ans. Even without any minute investl-
CATION this allegation would seem to
be well founded. 1t is preposterous
and incredible that with an army
Of twenty-five thousand men the gov
ernment cannot muster force OF
more than three or four thousand for
active service in an emergency. Act
ing on this presumption, careful IN
Guiries have been made, and The result
is stated in detail on the first page of
this weeks issue The reader will
find a full and authentic statement of
the number Of federal troops in the
Southern States, with the name of
: each. company and the place where it
y is Stationed. The conclusion from
!: the$e1etailed statements is that five
re asanents might be spared from the
s military posts in the South to rein
fSIce Crook and Terry in their cam
Iaign against the Sioux. There is, Of
course, no reason why these troops
should not be kept i'll the South for
precautionary purposes so long as
there is no employment for them else
wLere; but it is a wasteful absurdity
TO maintain idle soldiers in the South
while we are prosecuting an active
campaign against tie Indians with an
insufficient force. The State militia
should be adequate for every emer-
gency in the South, or if the militia
of any particular State cannot be re
lied OIL to put down riot, and feder-
al assistance should be needed, it is
lawful for the President to call out
the militia of the States whose loyalty
and fidelity could be safely trusted.
We ask attention tc the striking ex
hibit presented by the Washington
correspondent of the n. Y. Herald:
The order from Secretary Cameron
TO General Sherman, shows that the
administration has had a very definite
use to make of these troops ali the
time, and VIC at once see why Crook
and Terry have been deliberately left
without adequate support. 1t Is ex-
pected that the FIVE regiments will car
ry four of the Southern States, by
whipping the negroes into line who
have either become listless in politics
or wandered off 10 the democracy, and
by terrifying the "fepdish" white
liners into suhjec,ion. By keeping the
outrage mill slowly grinding, and
sending platoons of cavalry hirher and
thither, it is evidently hoped TO revive
the bitterness which has been rapidly
disappearing between the races in most
parts OF the South. We wish to zee
all citizens protected in their rights,
but this turning of the army of the
United States into bands 0: drummers
for the negro vote is pushing parts
sanShlp so far that it would be gro
tesQue if it were not infamous. This
Is doubtless the work to which Gen.
Sherman referred, when he said the
highest authority" must answer why
the troops could no be spared to fight
the Sioux. The desperation of move
which dares TO saddle the country
with the expense of extra soldiers
while keeping nearly four thousand
idle for political purposes is apparent,
and adds another stigma to the rule
OF the party in whose name and for
whose aid 1t is unblushingIy done.