The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-08

The Reduction OF the Army.
The proposal to reduce the army comes
with bad grace at the time when we are
straining every nerve to fight Sitting Bull.
There is more cant written and spoken about
the army and navy than any other depart
ments of the government. There is o tradi-
ton in oil free governments, and more es-
pecially those of English origin. that
standing army is incompatible with freedom.
For this reason Parliament virtually creates
the English army every year by passing the
Mutiny act Thus the army is kept under
absolute control. We do not censure this
sentiment But there is such thing as
carrying it too far. 1t would be blunder
to have military establishments like those
of Germany and France Happily, at least
since the civil war, we have not needed them.
Nor do we need an army like that of
England. The English may be called upon
at any time to take part in European war,
to defend Belgium, prevent the Russians
from occupying Constantinople, or aid
France as an ally. England has her Indian
Empire to hold and colonies all over the
world, so that o large army is necessary.
Our army, as it is, is the smallest in the
world, considering our population-not
larger than one Of the divisions of the
French and German armies. Therefore,
expense thrown upon the European Powers
we see how fortunate we are. We should
adopt the policy of Overwhelmingly, to
keep an army large enough for our uses.
We need soldiers to garrison our forts, to
protect the hundreds of millions of public
to defend our Texas frontiers against
Mexican bandits and our. Western frontiers
against the Indians. We should have
large staff especially in the ordnance and
engineer departments, SO that in the event
of war we could have trained officers for
our volunteers. We lost more money in the
last war by waiting until the armies were
organized than would have supported
proper staff for twenty years. So far as is
possible the government should encourage
the teaching of military knowledge in col
leges, and the formation of militia COM
pdAich, anu W OO 30 ~ sHOuiu luIulsu
trained men from the staff to act as teachers
and militia officers. AS to the South, while
we do not believe as o general thing in large
bodies of troops occupying the Southern
States, still, so long as there is possibility
of another McEnery movement in Louisiana
and another Hamburg massacre in South
Carolina, it is well to have a regiment or
two in reserve. As it now stands, outside Of
Texas there are not more than three thou
sand troops in the Southern States. This
is a small body indeed-not enough to point
an argument one way or another.
The whole army question should be left to
the generals commanding. One of the
reasons of the Custer massacre was that we
did not send troops enough This was man.
ifest throughout the whole of Shermans tes-
timony, although he did not say so. Even
now to strengthen Crook and Terry we have
to weaken the usefulness of the army in
many quarters. Until this Indian question
is settled it is folly to think of reducing the
army. The wisest plan would be to turn
the whole Indian nations over to the army
and to give Sherman and Sheridan as many
men as are needed to bring them all in.
Now, when our brave boys are toiling
through wilderness to meet foe who out
numbers him and to defend our frontiers, it
is the height of meanness to talk about re-
ducinp the ar1ny