The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-04
THE INDIANS.

g After referring briefly to the Indian out
breaks that have occurred during the year,
the secretary says that our policy toward the
Indians should be designed to enforce these
propositions, VIZ: s5
First-Fair and just treatment Of the Indi-
ans, including the faithful performance on
our part of every promise; and
Second-That prompt and effectual pun
ishment 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-
quires, and prevent the possibility of the de-
feat or massacre of small detachments of our
troops, by which Indian wars have been so
often in the past encouraged and prolonged.
The experiment of enlisting for special
service Indian scouts has proved quite sue
cessful, and it has been source of regret
that the department has not been able to en-
ploy q larger number. Under the existing
law, which treats such scouts as part of the
twenty-five Q thousand enlisted men of the
army, it has been impossible to employ. of
the one thousand authorized, a greater num-
Der than three hundred without impairing
seriously the efficiency of the regular forces.
AS material aid in the management of In
dian affairs, I recommend that the law be so
amended as to authorize an increase of the
number of such scouts, and so as to declare
them to be q forcein addition to the number
of enlisted men authorized for the army
proper. s.la ttaEs4s6.a.E gf
a3Et Stg THE MEXICAN BORDER szF,as.5 Cll
lsit The secretary then urges that better facili-
ties be afforded for education in the army,
and says of the troubles on the Mexican
border: aEa@ S&8Ei sglss.I tlf{ttS 4
y The increase of our force in the vicinity
of the Rio Grande, and the vigorous policy
which for some time has been pursued q
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 heartrending atrocities, yet they have
been fewer in number than during any year
for q 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
region, and the ayowed purpose of the Mex
ican government is to put stop to raids
upon our people and territory
THE EMpL oYMENT OF TROOPS AS A POSSE COM
.
The 10Th section of the act Of Congress of
June 18th, 1878, 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 such employment Of said force
may be expressly authorized by the constitu-
ton or by act of Congress-; . y @
In my Judgment it is important either that
this provision be repealed, or that the num-
Der of cases in which the use of tho army
shall be fsexpressly authorized be very
much enlarged. In many portions of our
Western Territories, and even in some por-
tions of the newer States, resolute desper-
ado, with few followers, can defy the Off
GERS Of the law and any local posse that can
be organized.
During the year numerous attacks have
been made upon the mail coaches in 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, T
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 q posse cO9,status, and this is
nowhere by law tsexpressly authorized II
the new and sparselY populated regions of l