Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-11-16
TELEGRAPHIC.
=. S. ARMY MATTERS.

WASHINGTON, -. ", NOV 10
General Sherman has submitted his
annual report to the secretary of
war. He agrees with Gen. Sher-
idan that ..the army is too small to
fulfill the heavy duties now imposed
upon it. It is overworked. For
these reasons Gen. Sherman renews
his recommendation of lastyear, that
congress be asked to give 25,000
enlisted men specifically to troops of
the line and make q separate pro-
vision.
He says, 1--WE now have fifty mil
lions of people, and the idea of any
force landing on our coast is simply
preprosterous. Yet our great com
mercial ports should be made so safe
that even apprehension of danger
would not be felt. Portland, Boston,
Newport, New York, Pikedan, Hamp-
ton Roads, Port Royal, Key West,
Pensacola, Sandy Hook, San Fran
cisco and Portlour Island should all
be property fortified and garrisoned
for detachments of ordnance men,
engineer battalion, hospital stewards,
eommissary sergeants, West Point
detachments, detailed clerks, ETC., in
the same manner as has already been
done for the signal corps. The re-
vised statutes limit the strength ot
the army to not more than 10000
available men, but subsequent pros
visions have limited expenditures tc
$4,000. The end desired can thus
be reached by simply emitting the
provision in the next appropriation
bill.
Gall minor forts should be sold o!
abandoned. The annual appropria
ton of one million of dollars woult
in ten years put these forts in goot
order and another million a yea
would properly arm them, and th'
secretary of war and the presiden
should have the discretion as to theil
disbursement. Artillery officer
should also be associated will
engineers in constructing, altering
and repairing our sea forts, becaus
men who have to fight their batterie
should have something to do will
their construction.
Both West Point and the ARTILLERY
school, at Fortress Monroe, are in a
good order as possible. Education
must always be the surest basis 0
security and honor. The education
and mind training impaired to tn
young men at West Point has repaid
the United States thousand time
it's cost, and has more than verifet
the predictions of Gen. Washington
Reference is made to the Whitake
case. A thorough investigation, il
the midst of tumult and abuse, re
suited in the perfect vindication o
the authorities of the academy
The corps of cadets is a youth
full counterpart of our ma
tional house of representatives
Prejudice is alleged against the col
ored cadets. PREF ejudice of race is
most difficult thing to contenc
against. There is no more sue
prejudice at West Point than in tn
community at large and the practic
of equality at West Point is in ad
vance of the rest of the country. Z
discriminate in favor of a colored ca
det by reason of his color is as muc
a violation of the fourteenth amend
ment as to discriminate against hin
The officers of the military academ
have endeavored to be impartial.
Gen. Sherman says that in hi
opinion the requirement that all en-
listed men of the 7th and 10th CAY
airy, and of the oath and 25th in
fantry, shall be colored men, Will
the officers are white, is not consist
ent with the amendment referred tt
All men should be enlisted who ar
qualified and assigned to regiment
regardless of color or previous con
dition. Such has been the law an
usage in the navy for years, and th
army would soon grow accustome
to it. The usefulness of the artiller
school at Fortress Monroe is spoke
of highly. Gen. Sherman desires
establish similar school for il
fantry and cavalry at Fort Leavel
worth as soon as the condition {
Indian affairs will permit.
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