Year: 1877

Nor are they any hetter satisfied


when they turn to the far Northwest


and peruse the record of Indian mas.
sacres, and the generally futile pur.
suit of the savages by skeleton


battalion Of our soldiers. In the In


dian wars of the last four years we


have won no laurels. Chief Joseph


has been captured, indeed, but the


victory is not worth the scores of
brave officers and men who were
slain by his active tribesmen. Sitting


Bull is camped sereheiy on English
territory, and the hundreds whom he
slaughtered on the Rosebud are as
yet unavenged.


1t is not week since the flags Ia
the City. Of New York sVere AZ half
mast IN honor Of Gefefaf Custer,
whose grave has just been filled at
West Point, and while the earth
above his brave heart is yet fresh,
how could our representatives vote
to still further reduce our little army.
or leave its decimated ranks to
become prey to the willy savage ?
1t ought to suffice that the men who
have been daring death in the Plains
all Summer have been kept out of
their scanty pay. To say that they
deserve no help in this hour of need,
would be adding reproaches to their
sutferings. No one can read the rec
ord of their campaigns without ac-
knowledging that, as a body, they
have done all that could be expected
OF them. The least that can be done
in return is to fill up the ranks to
their maximum, while prudence
would suggest such an increase as
will, IN future, keep our flag out of
the dust beneath the horse hoofs of
the Mexican banditti and Indian
savages.


The business interests of our coun.
try are intimately concerned with
the speedy and satisfactory settle
ment of this question. If Congress
will take care of the Army, its action
will materially advance the interests
of ofemigration, mining and agricul.
ture in the Northwest. The fort and
its garrison are to the enterprising
frontiersman the pledge that his
pioneer labors are to bring him in
their fitting reward. Were these
withdrawn, he would have no cour-
$50
would turn to other skies and seek
protection where he knew it would
be assured. For this reason there
ought to be no daIlying with this
important subject. 1t is no question
of politics, nor even of military STRAIT
egy, that is at issue, but the CONNER
cial life of the country is most deeply
concerned. Peace has been restored
at the South; now let it prevail also
on the Rio Grande and in the defiles
of Montana and Idaho. The welfare
of the people of the East is as deeply
concerned as those of any other Sec
ton in the cessation of hostilities on
our border.


Congress cannot be reminded too
often that the country is heartily
wearied with politics. There has
been so much partisan legislation in
the last ten years, that no interest is
felt in any action that does not tend
to directly promote the general good.
Ofcourse certain amount of political
buncombe must be talked at Wash
ington, and the people will try to
submit to it next Winter as grace
fully as possible. But they want to
hear none of it now. There is not
only no occasion for it, tut there is
no excuse for its introduction. The
Presidents Message has given the
keynote of this extra session, and the
time calls for nothing more. To act
at once, and adjourn as speedily as
red tape will allow, is what the pub
lie demand. The Congressman who
has a grievance in his heart and
speech in his pocket will find out his
mistake if he attempts to air one or
the other. 1t would be a matter of
general congratulation if, at this ses-
sion, Congress would make proof of
an exceptional patriotism by follow
ing the path we have indicated. Its
members have now rare opportu-
nifty of rising above partisanship and
doing the public generous service.
1t remains to be seen how they will
acquit themselves of their duty
Frank LesLie'S Illustrated Newspaper.


General Grant, in a letter just re-
ceived by relative. says that he has
found the labor of accepting the
hospitality of his English friends
more arduous than the cares Of state.
1t had become so great tax upon his
health that from the 1st of October he
had determined to retire to private