Evening star., 1885-11-17
GEN. SHERIDAN'S REPORT.
Important Recommendations OF the
Commander Of the Army.
OUR UNPROTECTED sEA-BoARD-THE INDIA,
PRoBLEM-rHE NATIONAL GUARD-NEED o.
MILITARY LEGISLATION.

OUR UNPROTECTED sEA-BoARD-THE INDIAN
PRoBLEM-rHE NATIONAL GUARD-NEED OF
MILITARY LEGISLATION.
Lieutenant General Sheridan in his annual
report to the Secretary OF War states that at the
date Of the last consolidated returns the army
consisted Of. 1854 officers and 24.7O5 men.
Nothing has yet been done, he says, In the
division of the Atlantic for the protection of
our sea-board by the Improvement, enlarge
ment or increase and armament of our fortifi-
cations, SO that many Of our large cities are
still at the mercy of the iron-clads OF foreign
nations in case of rupture of our relations, but
it is hoped that public sentiment will before
long prevail on Congress for liberal appropria-
THE OKLAHOMA BOOMERS.
In regard to the disturbances in the division
of the Missouri, Gen. Sheridan says that the
sincerity of the leaders Of the Oklahoma in
vaders. who undertook to take possession Of
certain lands in the Indian Territory, may well
be doubted, but they were bold In their move
ments and carried their scheme to the verge of
bloOdshed. The belief exists that their inten-
si9n was not actual settlement me but to- call the
Indian Territory, and that money was SUBJ
scrlbed for their purposes by interested corpora
THE INDIAN QUESTION.
He hopes for an early settlement of the
Apache difficulty in such manner as will for
ever prevent q recurrence of the raids of these
Indians The situation in that part of the
division OF the Pacific comprisins the south
has been far from satisfactory. So long as Gen.
Crook had control of the Apaches matters went
on very well In Arizona, hut when contentious
began under the divided authority that existed
year ago, distrust and trouble arose among
the Indians, and continued until the outbreak
OF the Chiricahuas in May last The outbreak
was petulant and without cause, and embraced
only part of the tribe, but this element com.
LanaSaa prnea the Young and most @ vigorous; These
or captured, and he has confidence in Gen.
Crook ability to accomplish this purpose.
In regard to the Indian question the report
saws: ION account of the rapid growth of our
western settlements, the army is obliged, in
some places, to protect white people from In
dians, while an other places it is protecting the
Indians In their persons and property from the
whites The Indians are the richest people in
tions include some of the best land, and it di-
Vided among the heads of families each family
would have thousands of acres. III may be
permitted to suggest, would recommend that
each family be given and located on the 800
acres now provided for them by law in case OF
actual settlement. The government should
ton, buy it In at $1.25 per acre, and with the
proceeds purchase government bonds,
only giving to the Indians each year the inter
est on the bonds for their support. Let this
money, if you please, be disbursed the same as
The practical working would be about as fol-
lows: The Crow Indians for instance, have
nearly A ,SOO,OOO acres of land. There are not
more than 8, 800 of them and counting five per-
sons to q famiiy-a large estimate-they could
be settled separately on 32O acres for each fam
lily and then have over 100000 acres left,
which the government could buy of them when
condemned. If the proceeds were invested in
government bonds and the interest used for
their support, it would be more money than is
now appropriated by Congress for their yearly
maintenance. 1t would be their own money,
and take the question of annual appropriations
In this way the Indians would have perpetual
security in the principal until Congress chooses
tit. The government would lose nothing, and
the Indians would only be getting the value of
their property safely invested. The Indians are
not poor; they are only incompetent at the
present time to take care of their own property,
and therefore require looking after. The
fere with the condemnation and purchase of
these lands by the government, but Congress
could easily devise some means of overcoming
this difficulty"
Gen. Sheridan does not agree with Gen. Miles
recommendations regarding the Indian Terri
tory or in his confidence in the ability of the
short a time. "When a tribe becomes refractory
or has worked itself into q state of open revolt,
its temporary transfer to the control OF the
military for purposes of discipline, as has re-
Gently been done with the CheyenneS and Ara
pahoes in the Indian Territory and the Apa-
the permanent Control Of the Indians is not de.
sired by the army at large"
RECoMMENDATIoNs
He calls the attention of the Secretary of War
to the admissibility Of concentrating troops and
putting good large garrisOns in the vicinity of
our large cities. He thinks the service would
be greatly relieved If Congress could retire the
many disabled officers ready for the retired
list, but for whom there are no vacancies. He
holds that the status of the national guard Or
ganizations of the states should be regulated by
q general law of Congress, and the number OF
officers and men fixed. The general govern.
cOilld then iSSna them the hoS al nd
camp and garrison equipage. and exact a re-
sponsibiity which is not now required.
In the ensuing season he intends to require
increased attention to company skirmish firing,
and to advance it to its proper position, as the
most practical and appropriate exercise for the
company in rifle shooting. to be pursued as soon
as its individual members have been sufficiently
instructed in practice at known distances. The
discipline throughout the army he considers
good, and recommends only the increase of the
number of men in companies, and the addition
OF two majors to each regiment of infantry.
NEED OF LEGISLATION BY CONGRESS DEFIN-
ADMINISTRATION.
In regard to the important subject of the need
of military legislation he quotes bodily from
report of Gen. Schofield, whose views he most
heartily endorses. "It is sometimes of supreme
importance" he says, "that the responsibilities
OF military administration and command be
clearly defined by law. And it is important at
az times that the rules for the government of
tie military service be established, like other
laws, by competent authority, after due consid-
Grafton, and under all the light which expert
ence can bring to the aid OF the legislature.
Regulations thus established, and subject to
change only by Congress, would have such de-
gree of stability as to become the basis of a
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 i'm
portant questions involved in the command
and government of the army, which have been
the source of constant embarrassment and the
cause of much controversy for many years, re-
main unsettled at the present time. No COM
manding general, from the highest to the low-
est can know the extent or limits of his au-
thOrity and no one can have any staff RESPONSE
BILE to him for the faithful execution OF his
orders.
During the last twenty-five years the country
has passed through three momentous crises,
wherein these unsettled questions were of vital
importance to the nation, and their decision,
for the occasion, depended solely upon tndi-
vidual opinions. Another such crisis may not
be far distant, when such decision might not
be SO fortunate for the country. Hence, while
present the necessity OF a considerable increase
necessity, that laws be established by Congress
for the government and regulation OF the
military forces"
The House Rules.
INDICATIONS THAT TIE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE WILL BE RESTRICTED.
AS 1t approaches the time for Congress to
meet it becomes more apparent that there will
be a change in the rules, and the probabilities
are that some of the appropriation bills will be
distributed among certain of the committees.
This plan OF clipping the wings OF the appro