Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1883 — WAR. [ARTICLE]

WAR.

Synopsis of Secretary Lincoln’s Report. The report of the Secretary of War gives a pretty full history of the operations of his department, but has not much to offer in the way of active military operations. After referring to the retirement of Gen. Sherman from command of the army the Secretary says that the only active employment of troops was in the brief Apaobe campaign last summer under Gen. Crook. He adds: As for some time past the only Indian outbreaks have been in Arizona, special attention has been directed to an en-' deavor to secure for that region of the country the same quiet which exists elsewhere. After careful consideration of the difficulties involved, an arrangement has been made between the Interior department and the War department, under which the police control of all the Indians on the San Carlos reservation has been given to Gen. Crook, and he has been charged with the duty of keeping the peace on the reservation and preventing the Indians from leaving it. Gen. Sherman expresses the belief that if Gen. Crook is permitted to manage the Apaches in his own way, all wars will cease in Arizona, and that with them will disappear the complicated Indian question which has tested the patience and courage of our people ever since the first settlement by whites on,this continent. The number of desertions from the army in the past year was nearly 3,600; only a few less than the extraordinary number of the year before. As a means of checking the evil, the Secretary recommends that the pay of enlisted men be raised to sl6 a month. He also recommends that enlisted men be retired on full pay after thirty-five years’ continuous service. The whole number of national cemeteries now under the care of the Quartermaster’s Department is eighty-three, containing 321.369 interments. There has been some delay in prosecuting the work of providing heidstones for the soldiers’ graves in private, village, and city cemeteries, but the work will be continued until brought to a satisfactory close. Referring to the improvements at the mouth of the Mississippi river, the Secretary says: The last annual report of this department brought the history of this work to Sept. 9, 1882. During the four quarters ending Sept. 9, 1883, there was no failure of maintenance of the channel. From Sept. 10,1882, to Sept. 9,1883, both dates inclusive, four quarterly payments for maintenance, amounting to SIOO,OOO, and two semi-annual payments of interest on the s!.*• 000,000 retained, amounting to $50,000, were made, the total expenditure for the improvement to the latter date being $1,850,000. A considerable portion of the report is given to a history of the Proteus expedition, but beyond a mere recital of the facts the Secretary does not go, as a court of inquiry is now in session investigating the causes of the failure of the expedition. Referring to the militia the Secretary says: “I earnestly recommend that the attention ot Congress be invited to the subject of giving substantial encouragement to the formation of volunteer militia organizations in every State, and in the District of Cqjumbla, by liberal appropriations to supply the necessary arms, equipments, tents, ammunition, and other ordnance stores. With our small standing army our main dependence for public defense must be on our militia; and the wisdom of the comparatively small expenditures which would encourage their organization and their efficiency in drill and discipline seems apparent. In the last Congress a bill on this subject was reported from the Senate Committee on Military Affairs (S. 1596) by which it was contemplated that, in lien of the annual sum of $200,000 provided by the act of the 23d of April, 1806, the sum of $600,000 should be annually appropriated, the purposes for which it should be used being more extended than under the provisions of the old act. A careful consideration of this proposed act leads to the belief that its enactment would be a great public benefit, and I strongly recommend the passage of such a law.” Tea plants are growing in portions of Mississippi and Louisiana, and poor people pluck the leaves and steep them. The plants have had very little attention, and yet they are of fair size and appear hardy.