The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-12-06
THE NATIONS SERVANTS.
Government Departments and Bureaus.
SynOpses OF the Annual Reports.
THE WAR OFFICE.


Annual Report of Secretary McCrary.
The Secretary of War, in his report, reviews
the operations of the army for the year, and
quotes portions OF the reports of Gems Sher-
men and Sheridan in regard to the condition of
the service, its requirements and its numerical
inadequacy to perform the duty required of IT,
He describes the embarrassment of the army at
present under the posse-comitatus clause in the
last appropriation bill, and asks that Congress
either repeal the clause and allow the President
and Secretary of War to use the army as au-
thorized by the constitution, or interpret the
meaning OF the clause so that il may be clear in
what service the army can perform without yio-
lating its provisions If the clause is not re-
pealed, he wants Congress to enumerate the
cases in which the army may be used 10 suppress
disturbances III response to the call of the civil
authorities He recites the lawessness in New
Mexico, Texas, and elsewhere, which could not
be suppressed by the civil authorities and
which might have been prevented had not the
army been prohibited from interference
With great dehcacy Secretary McCrary treats
the Indian question, and, while he describes
what has been done by the military in respect
TO the hostile Indians, he does not join in the
controversy between officers of the army and
the Indian service about the cause of outbreaks
or alleged insufficiency of the Indian manage
ment, nor does he allude in any way to the pro-
position for the transfer of the Indians from
the care of the Secretary of the Interior to his
own.
One of Secretary McCrary's hobbies is the
education of the rank and file of the army, and
the establishment and maintenance of schools
for soldiers He discusses this subject at
length, describes what has already been done,
and what he proposes to do.
He asks that Congress legalize his action in
furnishing supplies to the yellow-fever suffer
ers, and that the army be reimbursed for such
supplies. He also asks the passage of bill
giving pension To the widow of Lieut. Benner,
who died while in command of the yellow fever
relief boat, as she is not entitled TO pension un-
der the law, her husband not having died in the
performance of military duty.
In regard TO the uses of the army, the Secre-
tary of War says
The fifteenth section of the act of Congress of
June Is 1873 provides that from and after the pass
age of the shall be lawful employ any part
OF the army OF the United States posse cOnitatus
or otherwise for the purpose of executing the laws
except in such cases and under such circumstances
as such employment of such force may be expressly
authorized by the constitution by act of Con
gress. In my judgment il is important either that
this provision be repealed or that the number of
cases III which the use OF the army shall he eX-
pressly authorized be very much enlarged. In
many portions of our Western Territories and even
in some portions of the newer States "A resolute
desperate with few followers defy the officers
of the law and any local posse that can be organ
lied. During the year numerous attacks have
been made upon mail coaches III New Mexico
and Arizona for purposes of robbery and
plumber. and. while have been of the opinion that
the mails of the United States may be defended by
the use OF troops. have been Obliged to give in
structions that they cannot without disregardng
the act of Congress be employed to aid officers OF
the law i'll capturing robbers after they have COM
mitted a crime. In doing so they would act a
posse c00tatus. and this Is nowhere by law express
~ authorized. In the new and sparsely-populated
regions of the West to say 10 robbers and thieves
that they shall not be taken on any writ unless the
Sheriff and his local posse is able TO capture them
without aid from the soldiers il almost to grant them
immunity from arrest In these 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 instances
might be cited. but the recent occurrences
in Lincoln county. New Mexico. constitute a
striking example. The inability of the officer
in command of the troops in that vicinity 70 aid
officers OF the law in making arrests one of the
principal causes which led 20 the most disgracetul
scenes OF riot and murder. amounting in fact. 70
anarchy. This state of things continued until a
could be made for declaring the district in in
surrection. after which proclamation of warning
was issued by the President the troops called
into action and AT once restored quiet. am clearly
of the opinion that the President should be left free
20 employ the national forces i'll aid of the processes
of Federal Courts whenever he shall deem il neces
sary. But il such j. 10 be limited TO such
where as declared by the act above quoted il is
expressly authorized by the constitution or 10y act
of Congress. then il is respectfully submitted that
Congress should give very careful attention to thu
enumeration and specification OF the cases in which
such Use OF the troops is to be permitted"