Arizona weekly enterprise., 1882-08-12

As SOON as General Geo. B. Stoneman was nominated for Governor of California on the anti-monopoly platform put forth by the San Jose convention, some of our Territorial contemporaries indulged in acrimonious criticisms of his military re- cord in Arizona. They knew of course, that their caustic paragraphs would be copied by California papers, to the disad- vantage of the General and that his friends, ignornant of the motives prompt ing them could offer no refutation. In this fact they saw an opportunityto gratify the resentment they had so long har- bored against Gen. Stoneman. That it was an unmanly and unjournalistic way to consummate their wishes, made no diff ference, for men who have personal re- venges to satisfy, do not usually question the means, if only the end can be reached. And now as to the cause if this bitterness against Stoneman. His predecessors here had made practice of centralizing the troops at Tucson and Prescott, leaving the entire central portion of the Territory unprotected and at the mercy of the Ap- aches. The soldier trade and the busi- ness that naturally centers around large military post was of vital importance to those two towns, in fact almost their only support. A diminution of the forces sta toned at either point would have very materially affected its prosperity. Knowing this, the business men of each town, fought with desperation every prop osition to establish new posts at more convenient points for campaigning pur- poses and by some potent influence, not apparent to outsiders, drew the command CTS to their side of the question. When General Stoneman appeared on the scene they expected, of course, that he would yield to the same seductive influences as did his more plant predecessors. But in this they were mistaken. As an upright man and conscientious solSier, he care fully looked the field over with view to laying his plans, not in the interest of particular localities, but to provide for effective operations against the hostiles At the confusion of his observations he establishing posts in the very heart of the Apache country. Obedient to this plan he established temporary headquarters at Picket Post (now Pinal city.) a strong hold of the hostiles, and from this point built trail over the mountains into the Globe country, the very center of the Apache domain. Up to this time his plans hadnot been divulged and he had been made the recipient, constantly, of fiattering attentions and lavish praise from the press and people of Tucson and Prescott. But as soon as the news of his proceedings reached the latter places vail of disapprobation went up and very determined effort to alter his purpose was made. A delegation of prominent Tucson citizens came to Florence to conferwith the General and endeavored to convince him by every means possible that the honor able and ancient pueblo was the proper place for headquarters. He was not open to conviction and the committeeman re- turned to their waiting and anxious con stituents with the information that Stone man was determined to follow his own plans. Then their praises turned to abuse, and the local newspapers with the frenzy of love to hatred turned, began a malignant and slanderous warfare against him. Subsequently they were joined by hord of contractors whose schemes of persistent and systematic robbery had been reported to the War Department by Gen. Stoneman and this interruptions combination continued to misrepresent and malign him till they drove him from the Territory, much to the regret of the unprejudiccd citizens and greatly to the detrinent of Arizona. The paragraphs which called out this article are simply continuation of that malignant pursuit of him began at the time he established headquarters in the field; breaking out of the old sore in fresh place, so to speak. In conclusion we desire to say that Gen. Stoneman's conduct, while here was that of soldier and a gentleman, and had he been permitted to carry out his plans uninterrupted, Arizona would not have been cursed by San Carlos res ervation to-day. Excepting Crook, he killed more Indians and did more for the protection of settlers than did any of the officers whe preceded, or than have any of those who followed him.
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