The daily gazette., 1880-11-24

OF THE ARMY.-It gives us hope for
the future to find that some of our Re-
publican contempories are insisting
that the army should be reduced, and,
thereby a large amount of the money
raised for the support of the govern
ment be saved. The following good
and earnest and forcible reasons in
opposition to further compliance
with the demands of the General are
from the Philadelphia Telegraph, an
able Republican journal. They will
be read with interest by all who favor
an economical administration
''Since General Sherman has been in
command ofthe army, he has persist
emily, and with great emphasis, urged
Congress the necessity of increasing it
numerically. In his forthcoming re-
port, a synopsis of which we have al
ready published, he sets forth, at great
length and with some feeling, his rea-
sons for demanding additions to the
army. But we doubt if they will con-
vince the present Democratic Congress
or that they should convince future
Republican Congress, that the necessi-
ty which is apparent to him really ex-
lists. The disposition of the National
Legislature since the close of the Re-
bellion, and especially since it has been
controlled by the Democrats. has been
to reduce the army to what the wise
Judgment of that body considered most
expedient; and we believe the country
has been entirely satisfied with its ac-
tion in the premises. The legal
strength of the army, including Off
GERS and subordinates of all grades, is
2S,055 men. The effective or real
force, however, after making allow
ances for clerks, unassigned men, and
those who are temporarily on detailed
service, sick, or disabled, is about 20,-
OOO. What General Sherman asks Is
that the legal force shall be increased
by the number of 8, 200, so as to bring
the effective strength of the army up
to what it only appears to be. In 9TH
or words, he wants 20, 900 enlisted men
in the line.
There is no reason to believe that
General Sherman, or any other promi-
nent soldier, would be satisfied with
such an addition if it were made. Hav-
ing gained that much, ali the probabili-
ties are that they would cry for more,
until the army became something ike
what other countries understand an
army to be; for the larger aud more i'm
posing the force under their command,
the more important does their office be-
come and the greater their power. But
the country and the rank of the army
have never agreed upon the question;
aud as long as the country can have It's
own way about it, we hope they never
will agree. A great standing army on
the European plan circumst ances render
unnecessary, and an army even
as large as we have AT present would be
unnecessary if the Government would
but make up its mind, and abide by It's
determination, to deal honestly and
equitably by its Indian wards. Instead
OF $4,000 men wearing swords and carry
Ing guns, force of 10000 would be
quite large enough for everyday uses,
for the real army OF the United States
AAANHs ~ bS III LhC NOiuuIttT anu
not in the regular service. The larger
part Of the latter is kept on duty to e1a-
bic the Government TO disregard its OBJ
legations TO the Indians, and 10 keep
them in subsection whenever it is con-
sidered expedient for the whites TO
break treaties or steal their lands. If
the Government would tut declare In
dians TO be equal with others before the
law, allow them To sue and be sued, or
even TO have the commonest rights of
other dwellers upon our soil, the forces
which are now either watching or fight
ing them could not only be Withdrawn
from their territory, but disbanded.
That being done, an exceedingly
small force would do as we'll as a large
one; for it will be confessed by General
Sherman even, that an army of hun
dred thousand men would be of little
value in case of a real war occurring be-
tween the United States and a foreign
| Power, any one OF which counts us
soldiers by the millions. If such war
should unhappily occur, it would be
necessary TO have force somewhat
commensurate with any that could be
sent against il; and that kind of an army
cannot be kept from the ordinary avoca-
tsons OF life in this country, 10 be always
watching and waiting for war.