Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-02

|
| considerably reduced, the total decrease be-
| low the number last year being 93S. The
aggregate number of desertons during each
of the past six years has been as follows:
Aggregate number of dese1tions from the
United States army for the fiscal year ending
June 81, 1873 7,27i
uhe 5u, lott. ............... 4.bOo
June 30, 1875. Observation-Disclosures. 2,52l
June ~, 1876. ........................ l.e4i
Juue 80, 1871. 25lG
Jnne 81, 1913. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1878
Notwithstanding the improvement appar-
emf from this statement, the fact remains
| that the crime of desertion is still alarming
| y prevalent, and an evil OF no ordinary
| magnitude.
THE INDIANS.
| After referring briefly 10 the Indian out
| breaks that have occur ed 1ring the year,
the secretary says that our policy toward the
| Indians should be designed to enforce these
| propositions, viz:
First-Fair and just treatment of the Indi-
ans, including the faithful performance on
| our part of every promise; and
| Second-Ihat prompt and effectual pun
lshment of all acts Of war on their part: and
TO this end the employment of sufficient
military force in the Indian country to act
with vigor and success when occasion re-
qnires, and prevent the possibility of the de-
feat Or massacre of smali detachments of our
troops, by which Indian wars have been SO
often IN the past encouraged and prolonged.
| The experiment Of eniisting for special
service Indian scouts has proved quite sue
cessful, and 1t has been a source of regret
that the department. has not be, n able to en-
| ploy larger number. Under the existing
aw, which treats such scouts as part of the
twenty-tv Thousand enlisted man of the
| army, it has been Impossible to employ, of
the one thousand authorized. greater mum
Der than three hundred without impairing
seriously the efficiency of the regular forces.
AS a material aid i'll the management of In
d an affairs, recommend that the law be SO
amended as to authorize an increase of the
uumber of such scouts ana SO as to declare
them to be force i'll addition to the numb
of enlisted men authorized for the army
proper.
THE MEXICAN BORDER.
The secretary then urges that better facii-
ties be afforded for education in the army.
and says of the troubles on 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 .
dealing with marauders invading our soil
from Mexico, have produced the result pre-
dicted in my report of one Year ago. Al
though the people of Texas have not been
exempt from these incurslons during the
year, and several of them have been attend
ed by heartrend.ng atrocities, yet they have
been fewer in number than during any wear
for long period, and within tue pas, four
months almost perfect quiet has prevailed.
A considerable Mexican force has been sent
| to tue vicinity of the border to operate
against the bands of Indians infesting that
region, and the avowed purpose of the Mex
lean government is to put stop to raids
upon our people and territory.
THE EMPLOYMENT OF TROOPS AS A POSSE COM
ITATUs.
The 18th section of the act of Congress of
June 18th, 1875, provides that:
From and after the passage of this act it
shall not be lawful to employ any part of the
army of the United States as posse comitatus,
or otherwise, for the purpose of executing the
laws, except In such cases and under such cir
cumstances as snch employment of said force
may be expressly authorized by the constitu-
ton or by act of Congress; Il
La my judgment it is important either that
this provision be repealed, Or that the rum
Der of cases in which the use of tho army
shall be expressly authorized be very
much enlarged. In many portions of our
Western Territories, and even in some por-
tons Of the newer States, resolute desper-
ado, with few followers, can defv the oil
GERS of the law and any local posse that can
be organized.
During the year numerous attacks have
hna do = ,o
Mexico and Arizona, for purposes of robbery
! and plunder; and willie have been of the
opinion that the mails of the United States
may be defended by the use of troops, 1
have been obliged to give instructions that
they cannot, without disregarding the act of
Congress, be employed to aid the officers of
the law in capturing tho robbers after they
have committed the crime. In doing so they
would act as a posse comitatus. and this is
nowhere by law expressly authorized.'' In
the new and sparssly 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 to cap
ture them without aid from the soldiers is
almost to grant them immunity from ar
rest. In those new regions the army is the
power chiefly relied upon by the law abiding
people for protection, and chiefly feared by
the lawless classes. Numerous inst ances
might be cited, but the recent occurrences in
Lincoln county, New Mexico, constitute a
striking example. The inability of the Of
hcer i'll command of the troops in that vi
cinity to aid the officers of the law in max
ing arrests aas one of the principal causes
which led to the most disgraceful scenes of
riot and murder. amounting in fact to an
archy. This state of things continued until
a Case could be made for declaring the dis
trlct IN insurrection, after which proclama-
ton of warning Was issued 10y the President,
the troops called into action, and at
once restored quiet.
am cearl. OF the opinion that the Pres
dent should be left free to empty Inc national
forces IN aid of the process of the federal
courts whenever he shall deem it necessary ;
but if such nse is to be limited to cast
where, as declared by the act above quoted,