Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-12-11
LITTLE PILLS VIEWS,

IVA "a NV SS+A
mander OF the army, after referring to the
defeuseless condition of the Atlantic cities,
the raids of Oklahoma by the boomers"
tho sincerity of whose leaders he doubts,
mentioning the belief of some that they are
in the pay of interested corporations who
desire to have Indian Territory opened to
settlement, and the troubles with the Chey-
ennes and Arapahees, takes up the subject
Of the Apache murders and says:
am in hopes of an early settlement of the
Apache difficulty in such manner as will for
ever prevent a recurrence of the raids of these
indians. y + = So long as General Crook had
control of the Apaches under the agreement
of the Secretary of War and the Secretary Of
the Interior matters went on very well in Ari-
IONA, but when contentious began under the
divided authority that existed a year ago,
diStruSt and trouble arose among the In
dams, and continued until the Outbreak of
the Chiricahuas in May last. The outbreak
was petvlaut and without cause, and en-
braced only a part of the tribe, but this ele-
ment comprised the young and most vigor-
Gus. The conduct Of this band, not exceed
ing forty-two men and pine s9uaws, was ticnd-
ish in the extreme. Unprotected and I'M
armed people were murdered wherever met,
and when pressed by the troops they scattered
like a flock of quail and came together
again ut some designated spot from
fifty to one hundred miles distant. They
should, all be cXtcrminated or captured,
and i have the greatest confidence in
General Crooks ability to accomplish this
purpose, though the difficulties are very
great. 1 beg the people in that section to
bear in mind that General nH,a Crook is the best
dams, and will accomplish in the end moro
than, perhaps, any man i'll the army. He is
familiar with the Indians and the country,
and, unfortunate as the people of Arizona ana
New Mexico have been, there is no other man
in the army who could do any better or who
is more wrapped up in the welfare OF the
people OF that section as regards life, prop.
erty and business prospects. In regard to
this hostile band in Mexico, under the agree
ment, our officers and men have been treated
With consid Grafton and kindness which it is
my duty to acknowledge. ! take great pleas
ule in commencing General Crook for the ad-
mirablc disposition OF his troops and his
steady perseverance under disheartening cir
CumstanccS.
General Sheridan recommends as a solu-
| ton of the vexed Indian question that the
Government give each Indian family the
$50 acres now provided for them by law and
buy up the remainder of their reservations
at 81. rs per acre, investing the money for
tho tribes in Government bonds, the in
tcrest to be used in lieu of the annual sub
sides voted them by Congress for
J their maintenance, and the principal
to 4 be given into their control in
the course of time. General Sheridan
shows that the Crow Indians have
4, 1900, 600 acres, the Cheyennes and Arapa-
hoes a, 100, 900 and tile Qtes $500, OOO,
which could be bought by the Government
for this purpose. Some of these lands are
worth from SIS to $40 an acre, and could be
! cDlI 70 ,otflnro rnolifv OF oN -o,o, ~
$1.25 an acre. Ii the treaties in existence
between the tribes and the Government in
terfere with the execution of tlGs plan
General Sheridan suggests that Congress
could easily devise some means OF over.
coming this difficulty" The report con.
tinues:
I can not agree with General Miles in his
ideas regarding the Indian Territory, or in his
confidence in the ability Of the Indian to make
himself sel1-snpporting in SO short a time. All
our experience heretofore does not warrant
such confidence, and such opin. MS should
be regarded as individual rather than repre-
sentative of the army The processes of
will, no doubt, be worked out in time ii firm
ness and fair treatment be observed
ultimate result is still some distance in the
future. When a tribe becomes refractory or
has worked itself into Il state OF open revolt,
its temporary transfer to the control OF the
has recently been done with the Chcyennes
and Arapahoes in the Indian Territory
found OF benefit; but the permanent control
OF the Indians Is not desired by the army
at large. The Seminole Indian scouts now in
the vicinity OF Fort Clark, Tex. mentioned in
my last report. have not as yet been brought
back to the Indian Territory. Sympathy for
them is very great, and the injustice they
been often referred to without effect. They
are a good people, and should be provided
for i'll the Indian Territory.
The Lieutenant General commends the
recommendations of the Adjutant-G General
in regard to promotions to the rank of field
officer; he calls attention to the necessity of
concentrating troops near the large cities,
where they can he more economically sup
ported, and whence they can be more read
lily moved; and says the status of the ma
tienal guard should be regulated by a gen
eral law of Congress. The report concludes
as follows:
The discipline throughout the army is very
good. l have no recommendation to make
except to increase the number of men III the
companies and to add two more companies
and two Majors to each regiment of infantry.
] most heartily coincide with the remarks of
General Schoticld on the Weed OF military
Legislation. His views are OF such importance
that | transmit them bodily to my report:
There is a great need in the military Serv-
ice OF legislation, under the power conferred
by the Constitution upon Congress. to make
rules for the government and regulation Of
the land and naval forces. 1t is sometimes OF
supreme importance that the responsible
ties OF military administration and command
be clearly defined by law, and it is important
at all times that the rules for the gov
erDment of the military service be observed
like other laws by competent authority
after due consideration and under all the
light which experience can bring to the aid OF
legislation. Regulations thus established and
subject to change only by Congress would
have such q degree of stability us to
become the basis OF q sound military
system, which up to the present time has
not existed in this country Although
the regulations have undergone changes
almost without number, the most important
questions involved i'll the and
government OF the army. which have been
the source of constant embarrassment and
the cause of much controversy for many
years. remain unsettled ut the present time.
No commanding General. from the highest to
the lowest, can know the extent or limit OF
his authority, and no one can have any staff
responsible to him for the faithful execution
OF his ORDERS
During the last twenty-five years the cour.
try has passed through three mo1nentOus
crisis wherein these unsettled questions were
of vital Importance to the Nation, and theiI
decision for the occasion depended solely
upon individual opinions. Another such
crisis may not be far distant when such a de-
cisiOn might not be so fortunate for the u
try. Hence, while 1 present the necessity OF
a considerable increase of the army, l also
ElVUaSt Sc a still Tra1fpr uoraSSitv that OWs