The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-12-12
INDIAN HOSTILITIES

/ nf no ordinary magnitude.
INDIAN HOsTILITIES
| have occurred in various localities in
/ the Territories, and have been sup
| pressed by the army, but in some cases
not without serious loss of life, both
among soldiers and citizens. j remain
of the opinion that permanent peace in
/ the Indian country can only be main
/ tanned by the exhibition of force suf-
iicient to OYerawe and keep in subjec-
| tiOn the more warlike and dangerous
| of the saYages.
1t is to be hoped that the time is
coming when the Indian can be gov
erned by other methods; but until he
has been reached and elevated 10y the
influences of education and civilization
we must deal with him as he is, and by
such methods as will keep him at peace
and make secure the lives of settlers in
| his neighbOrhOOd. While, therefore,
we should perSeYere in the effort to
improve the condition of the Indian
| tribes, by teaching them the arts of the
herdsmen, and afterward the husband
man, and by providing for the educd-
| ton of their youth, we should, ut the
same time, confront them with such
| futility of any attempt to resist the
power of the United States. 1 also
fully agree with the General of the
Army in the opinion that such pro-
vision should be made by Congress as
will prevent the possibility of suffering
| for lack of food among Indians con-
| fined upon reservations.
In short, our policy toward the III
dians should be designed To enforce
these two propositions, viz:
l. Fair and Just treatment of the In
dians, including the faithful perform
ance on our part of every promise;
and,
,. The prompt and effectual punish
ment of all acts of war on their part,
and to this end the employment of a.
sufficient military force in the Indian
country to act with yigOr and success,
when occasion requires, and prevent
the possibility of the defeat or maSSa-
ere of small detachmentS of our troops,
by which Indian wars have been so Of
ten in the past encouraged and pro-
lOnged.
The experiment of enlisting for
Special service Indian scouts has
proven successful, and it has been a
source of great regret that the depart
ment has not been able to employ 4
larger number. Under the existing
law, which treats such scouts as part
of the 25,OOO enlisted men of the army,
it has been impossible to employ, of
the 1000 authorized, greater number
than 300 without impairing seriously
the efficiency of the regular forces. As
material aid in the management of
Indian affairs, | recommend that the
law be so amended as to authorize an
increase of the number of such scouts
and 50 as to declare them to be force,
in addition to the number of enlisted
men authorized for the army proper.
In regard to the
EDUCATION OF THE ARMY,
the Secretary says: Colonel \. Med. |
McCOOk, Aide-de-camp to the General |
of the Army, has been detailed to visit !
and inspect regularly the various post |
schools. 1t is made his duty to eX-
anime into the system of instruction;
to advise commanders of posts of de-
fectS which he may discover, and Sug-
geSt methods of improvement; to en-
deaYOr to bring about uniformity in |
the methods Oi management and in !
structiOn, and to make known |
lAAAOAA1AAohL AAlN amy NAAN bNF1N
and systems in existence at any mill |
tary post. He rs to report the result of !
his inspection fully to the War Depart |
ment from time to time Colonel Nc I
Cook has entered upon the discharge |
of his duty.
1t is recommended that the authOri- |
ty of Congress he asked to increase the |
extra per diem of soldier teachers from |
- to 30 cents. This is necessary in or |
der To secure thoroughly competent |
men, and would probably lead to the |
enlistment of a class of educated young |
men with view to detail as teachers. |
1t is further recommended that q lib |
eral appropriation be made for eX-
penditure, under the direction of the
Quarter-master General, for the cree
tiOn of buildings for schools and
libraries at the different posts.
THE MEXICAN BORDER.
The increase of our force in the
vicinity of the Rio Grande, and the
vigorous policy which for some time
has been pursued in dealing with ma
rauders invading our soil from Mexico,
have produced the result predicted in
my report of one year ago. Although
lllC ltOlllE VI lCAdS lltif Z llDL bCcll GA-
empt from these incurSiOnS during the
year, and several of them have been at
tended by heartrending atrocities, vet
they have been fewer in number than
during any year for long period and
within the past four months almost
perfect quiet has prevailed. \ con-
siderable Mexican force has been sent
to the vicinity of the border to operate
against the bands of Indians infesting
that region, and the aYOWed purpose
of the Mexican Government is TO put a
stop to raids upon our people and ter
ritOry.
TIE EMPLOYMENT or TROOPS As A
POSSE CONITATUS.
The fifteenth section of the act of
Congress of June Is, 1873, provides
that
From and after the passage Of this act il shall |
not be lawful 10 employ any part Of the army, |
Is posse cOmitatIIs, or otherwise. for the pur-
pose Of executing the laws, except in such |
cases and under such circumstances aS such /
employment Of said force may be expressly au-
thOriZed by the Constitution or by act OF Con-
greSS.
In my judgment it is important /
either that this provision be repealed, 1
or that the number of cases in which |
the use Of the army shall be expressly 1
authorized" be very much enlarged. ]
In many portions of our Western Ter I
ritOries, and even in some portions of I
the newer States, a resOlute desperate, |
with few followers, can defy the Of |
ficerS of the law and any local posse !
that can be organized.
During the year numerous attacks !
have been made upon the mail-cOach- |
Is in New Mexico and Arizona, for
purposes of robbery and plunder; and
while ! have been Of the opinion that
the mails of the United States may he
defended by the use Of troops, | have
been obliged 10 give instructions that
they cannot, without disregarding the
act of Congress, be employed to aid the
officers of the law in capturing the
robbers after they have committed the
crime. In doing so they would act as
a posse COmitatus, and this is no where
by law expressly authorized In the
new and sparSely populated regions of
the West, TO say to robbers and thieves
that they shall not be taken on any
writ unless the Sheriff and his local
posse is able 10 capture them without
aid from the soldiers, is almost 10 grant