The Washington critic., 1886-10-12
THE ENEMY IN HIS REAR.

1t would seem that the Apache cam
paign of General Miles is not entirely
over yet. He has disposed of Geronimo
so effectually that this sanguinary war
rior will never go upon the warpath
again, and henceforward the ranchmcn
and frontier settlers of Arizona can
rest easy of nights. But in the very
hour of his triumph, when it would
seem as If a grateful Government
should be sounding his praises, Gen
eral Miles was all at once confronted
with another campaign, the objective
point of which was, apparently, his
own scalp.
The Washington correspondent of
the Baltimore Sun said yesterday:
The War Department still refuses to pub.
lish the report OF General Miles ON the sfr-
render Of the Apaches. H. is clamei that
rigid inquiry as 10 the circumstances OF
the surrender should be made before the
publication. 1t is said that all that has thus
Tar been made public in connection with
the affair was taken from the report itself.
General Miles acknowledges that he
granted conditional surrender, but his re-
port fails to explain why. LieutenantCien-
eral Sheridan has several times demanded
an explanation, but without effect. Tue
question now under discussion is whether
court Of inquiry should be- ordered. The
whele campaign shows what too many
cooks will do. Adjutant' General Drum, as
Acting Secretary; Lieutenant-GeneralS Sheri-
dan, as commanding general of the army,
and Major General Howard, as command
ing general OF the division in which Gen
eral Miles serves, have all taken hand In
the Issuing of orders without consulting
each other. The result of this mode of
procedure 1t apparent. All the officers
mentioned are now at loggerheads, and
each claims he was opposed by the others.
But to-day what purport to be por-
tions of the report are out; and 'it Is
learned" by the grace of the War De-
partment that General Miles made no
conditions whatever with Geronimol
What mess is this! And the Presi.
dent, too; he is said to have had a hand
in the general conglomeration of blum
dersl
There Is surely not much encourage.
ment in such condition of things for
any officer to covet the post of danger
So long as the most dangerous post is
not In front, but in the rear, who will
care to be entrusted with any specially
difficult or hazardous responsibility iu
the military service Of his Govern.
ment?
Much pains as have been taken, how
ever, to cloud the title of General
Miles to the great distinction of having
brought his operations against Geron
imo TO successful conclusion, the
people of Arizona are entirely satisfied
with the result, and the great heart OF
the people at large instinctively shrink'
from adverse criticism of an officer
who has done the duty assigned him
as thoroughly and well as though he
had brought Geronimos head home on
charger and laid it upon the WaI
Department steps,
BY all means let there be court OF
inquiry. Nothing less than full dis
closure of all the conflicting orders
and secret influences and Vaccinations
that have led up to such a elimination
will answer the ends of justice.
The recent interview had by TnT
CRITIC with Mr. Romero, the Mexican
Minister, is reproduced with comments
in the Tuo RepuJlics, the leading
American newspaper at the City oI
Mexico. 1t says that the position talSer
by Mr.. Romero will be indorsed by
everybody knowing anything abou
Mexico or the people of that country
1--WE have often stated" says thu
editor, 'that Mexico will never par
with an inch of her territory unless she
is forced to do so, A long and init
mate acquaintance with the Mexican