The New York herald., 1878-11-30

indian scouts. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 800
Grand total M761
The reports of the Quartermaster General and Com
missary General of Subsistence, well as those OF
the General OF the Army and the department anu ui
vision commanders all concur in showing that the
army has been well and economically subsisted and
clothed while the character of the rank and hle has
been materially improved GreSt care has been exer-
cised the selection of recruits and as one of the
gratifying results the number Of desertions . has
the number last year being Sss.
DEsERTIoNs
The aggregate number of desertons during each Of
the past six years has been as follows:-
Aggregate number of deserthoDs from United States
Army, fiscal year ending
June 80. 1873. .----..-..--...-12
June ~
June 81, lsI5. .-......-..ZoI
June 80, 1876.
June 80, 1877 .2516
June ~, 1873 ..-.-..---..-..... .lo,o
Notwithstanding the improvement apparent from
this statement the fact remains that the crime of
uesertion is still alarmingy prevalent and an evil of
no ordinary magnitude.
THE INDIANS
Indian hostilities have occurred in various loca-
hes in the Territories and have been suppressed by
the army but in some cases not without serious loss
of life, both among soldiers and citizens remain
Of the opinion that permanent peace in the Indian
eountry only be maintained by the exhibition OF
force sufficient to and keep in subjecton the
warlike and dangerous Of the savages. 1t is to
be hoped that the time is coming when the Indian
be governed by other methods. but until he has
been reached and elevated by the influences of educa
ton and civilization we must deal with him as he is
and by such methods as will keep him at peace and
make the lives of settlers in his neighborhood
While therefore, should persevere in the effort to
improve the condition Of the Indian tribes by
teaching them the arts of the herdsman and after
ward those of the husbandman and by providing for
the education of their youth should, at the same
time confront them with such military force as will
leach them the futlity of any attempt to resist the
power of the United States. also fully agree with
the General of the Army in the opinion that such
provision should be made by Congress will prevent
the possibility of suffering for lack of food among
Indians confined upon reservations. In short. our
policy toward the Indians should be designed to
force these two propositions, viz -
J. Fair and just treatment of the Indians, includ-
ing the faithful performance on our part OF every
promise; and,
= The prompt and cffectual punishment OF all acts
of their part and to this end the employment
Of sufficient military in the Indian country
and prevent the possibility of the defeat
of small detachments OF our troops by which Indian
wars have been often in the past encouraged and
prolonged
The experiment of enlsting. for special service,
Indian scouts has proved quite successful and ii has
been source OF regret that the department has not
been able to employ a larger number. Under the
twenty five Thousand enlisted of the army, it has
been impossible to employ, of the one thousand
authorized. a greater number than three hundred
without impairng seriously the efficiency Of the
lar forces. As . material aid in the management Of
Indian affairs / recommend that the law he
amended authorize increase of the number Of
such scouts. and to declare them TO be force
in addition to the number of enlisted authorized
Tor the army proper
The increase of force in the vicinity Of the Rio
Grande, and the vigorous policy whichfor some time
has been pursued III dealing with marauders invading
our soil from Mexico. have produced the result pre-
dbcted in my report of one year ago. Although the
people of Texas have not been exempt from these in
cursons during the year. and several Of them have
been attended by heartrending atrocities, yet they
have been fewer in number than during any year for
long period and within the past four months almost
perfect quiet has prevailed A considerable Mexican
force has been sent to the vicinity OF the border to
operate against the bands of Indians infesting that
and flp III epff fne
ernment is to put stop to rads upon our people and
territory.
TROOPS AS A POSSE coMrrATus.
The fifteenth section of the act ofCongress of Juno
u. l51S provides that
From and after the passage of this scs H. shall
posse otherwise purpose exc
nee AZ s % ~" oss Snasn CIR
pressy authorized BY tho constitution or by act Of Con-
In my judgment it is important either tina. this
provision be repealed that the number Of in
which the use of the army shall be expressly
thorzed' be very much enlarged. In many portions
of our Western Territories. and even in por
tons OF the newer States resolute desperate, with
. few followers. defy the officers OF the law and
any local posse that be organized. Dur
ing the year numerous attacks have been
made upon the mail coaches in New Mexico
and Arizona TOR purposes OF robbery and
plunder; 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 insruc
tons that they cannot without disregarding the act
of Congress, be employed to aid the officers Of the
law i'll capturing the robbers after they have com
mitted the crime. In doing so they would act as a
posse comitatus, and this is nowhere by law "ex-
pressly authorized. In the new and sparsely popu-
lated regions of the West, to say 10 robbers and
shieves tnat they shall not be taken any writ
less the sheriff and his local posse il able TO capture
thsm without AID from the soldiers, is almost to
grant shcm immunity from arrest. In those
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 strik-
1ng example. The inability of the ofhcer in com
mand of the troops in that vicinity to aid the
officers of the law in making arrests of the
principal causes which led to the most dsgrsceful
scenes of riot and murder. amounting, in fact TO
anarchy. This state of things continued until
could be made for declaring the district in nsurrcc
tion, after which proclamation of warming was
issued by the President, the troops were called into
opinion that the President should he left free
poy the national forces in aid OF the process Of the
federal courts whenever he shall deem 1t necessary;
but IL such is 10 be limited TO cases where de-
clared by tho act above quoted, 1t lis expressly
authorized by the constitution or by acts Of Con
gress then IL is respectfully submitted that Congress
and specification Of the cases in which use OF
troops is to be permitted.
YELLOW FEVER sUFFEBEns.
In reference the of rations to yellow fever
sufferers the Secretary says that while there
statute authorize the orders given in the premises
they we're not unprecedented, similar action having
been taken by the government. through this depart
ment on several previous occasions. II. however no
such precedent had been found. think the circum-
stances OF the case would have fully justified the
action taken.
The fearful ravagcs of this terrible disease consti-
tuted extraordinary calamity which required that
aid should be granted. In ordering the issues in
question. however. thought It necessary to adopt