The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-11-14
BY TELEGRAPH.
TO THE DAILY IYTEI1IGEEcER.
GENERAL NEWS.
p ;l
Annual Report Of the General Of
the Army---A Comprehen-
sive View Of the Indian
l" Question. y tl'-t
President Hayes on His Southern
Policy---He Confesses His Dis
y Appointment at the Result.
But is Determined to Support the Rights
Of the People Irrespectiveof Party.
The Commercial Convention at Chicago
Important National and International
Questions Discussed.
But is Determined to Support the Rights
Of the People IrrespectivsOf Party.
sec'y shcrman's Arrangement for sub.
scriptions to Four Per Cent Bonds.


General SherInan's Annual Report.
WAsnIxGrox, d. c., November 49,
General Sherman has submitted his an
nual report TO Secretary McCrary. In /
he refers to the reports of the liilercn
commanders OF the Military Departments
and invites particular attention to that o
General Sheridan. His command, say,
General Sherman, embraces eight OF Ter
regiments OF cavalry and eighteen o.
twenty-five regiments OF infantry, which
compose the entire ermy, and although he
states this force to be entirely inadequate
to perform the duties required, yet II is
impossible to further reinforce him with,
out stripping the seaboarl or abandoning
other territories subjected to the same dan
gers which he so graphically describes In
his own. His territorial command Is 1,50C
miles long and ! 200 broad. This vast re
,gion has in the past ten years un.
tlergonc radical change. From be-
ing the pasture field OF millions oi
buffalo, elk, etc, afording abundant food
for the Indians, 1t has passed to a farm
ing country, traversed by many railroads,
the gaine Is nearly gone, and the Indian
has been forced onto small reservations.
Nearly all the Indian treaties were made
on this theory, that this change would'oc
cur more slowly, and that the Government
would have to furnish partial food for the
Indian, and that they would procure half
or quarter OF the necessary meat by hunt
ing. Again it was the iavorite theory that
the Indians would sec for themselves the
reason why they should cultivate the
ground like the whites, but their progress
In this respect is scarcely pcrceptable, save
! in the remnent OF the tribes like the San
tees, Pawnccs, Chcrokees, ETC., while the
Sioux, Cheyennes, Arapahoes, KiOwas,
etc., seem to prefer death to the common
toll OF farmer. Beyon n question,
it was hunger which drove the 'Bannock's
and Cheyennes to war this summer, and
similar escapades will occur each year un-
less these Indians be kept quiet with moro
food. It seems idle to expect that the
enterprising white race will not cease till
every acre OF this continent is suscepti-
Bile OF cultivation. 1t is not to be expect
ed that these pasture fields can be occu-
MED by the two races without everlasting
conflict, The reservations already set apart
for the Indiansare large enough and should
suffice them to raise all the meat and grain
for their subsistence, but in the meantime
they must have food else they will steal
and fight. To convert these Indians into
pastoral race is the first 'step in upward
progress OF civilization. That Of culture
must be the next stage, though s.ower OF
realization; but in this direction is the sole
hope OF rescuing any part Of the Nomad
Indians from utter annihilation. This can't
be reached by means Of the present agents
because persuasion is wasted on the lndi'
ans. There must not only be show o
force, but actual force and subjection used
Force will be necessary to compel the
Nomads to cultivate their own ground
There is wide distinction among the
tribes, and each tribe must be dealt will
according to its nature. a large discre
ton to supply food must be lodged will
the President or somewhere else, or star
yation will each year cause wars such n
occurred this season with the Shoshone!
and Cheyencs. Tho army can't prevent
the wars. all it can do after the Indians
plundcr or steal and kill harmless familic.
Il to pursue and capture them in detail
after infinite toll, and then conduct then
hack 10 their reservations and turn then
loose to repeat the same game dd Hbitlt1l
Congress alone can provide remedy, ant
In the prevention be wiser. than the cure
money and discretion must be lodget
somewhere in time TO prevent starvation
The reports OF Generals Mcdowell, How
nrd and Wilcox describe the condition o.
affairs in the States and Territories border
ing on the Pacific ocean. These Indians ar
collected by tribes and families on small
reservations well apart, so that Indian
wars on large scale, requiring concert o
action, arc not probable; yet the ne
Perces war OF 1877 and the Shoshone wa
OF this summer show, however, that thes
small bands OF Indians did large amour
OF damage and caused great CONSERVATION
The Pacific coast Indians depend much OF
fish for subsistence, and the establishment
|, OF fisheries on the Lower Columbia Is fas
cutting off the supply. Unless suitabl
regulations are adopted salmon will be
come extinct and the Indians driven !
!, stealing, and consequent war with tn
settlers.
Reference is made TO tho dangers OF hos
tilities between the Indians ahd settlers i
Oregon and Washington Territories, an
] also in Arizona, owing to trcspaSscs b
7 whites, The army is powerlcss TO the fac
r in either case, having no control or rigll
. to interfere, except atler hostlllties nav
, actually begun.
) problem is not single problem, bu
I. nany-as many almost as there arc tribe
1 Measures which would be wise in one il
!. stance would be folly in another; IN
/ whatever department OF the Governmer
v | IA charged with 1t must be armed not oni
4 with force but with large discretion IN
n authority to furnish food in emergcncie
j. One regiment will probably have to {
4 10 INC frontier in the spring from the y
Q vision OF the Atlantic. It would be well
/. there could be held at points like Atlant
n st. Paul and Omaha, in rotation, full re-
d iment Of infantry or cavalry for instruction
o but hitherto this has been imprachcabie.
General Sherman doubts the wisdom
!. selecting and preparing in advance, as re
d ommendedb by General Hancock, posts ar
I. camps in the South against yellow fever,
Il The artillery school ut Fortress Monrt
/, is kept to q high standard, and Is last b
81 coming past graduate course for otlicei
10 The General concurs In the recomme
dation OF General Scotleld that tho Sc
r. tember appointments OF West Point
4 discontinued, and further suggests tn
4. new cadets bo examined by the Acaden
a Board early in June and that no cadets
to examined or admitted after the first
n, July. He questions, however, the wisdt
d, Of The recommendation that the standa
70 for the admission Of cadets be raist
or He thinks that an erroneous impression
TO common that the Academy will gradul
cd more officers than are needed for the aru
d. but experience has shown that yacanr
annually occur in the army to at least