spies have been hovering about our boundaries and prowling in our midst, where they have many friends and correspondents, of which we have positive proof, and considering the fact that the commander of the Confederate forces in Texas still claims this Territory and that of Arizona as belonging to his department and still flaunts, at the head of his orders and letters "Headquarters Department of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona," thereby making either a puerile and ridiculous vaunt, or indicating a standing claim on this country which he is only waiting a favorable opportunity to enforce and considering the fact that bands of guerrillas and robbers, claiming to be Confederate troops, hover along the thoroughfares leading to New Mexico from the east, which bands doubtless have their emissaries in our midst to give information when the trains of our wealthy citizens start with funds for the purchase of goods in the States, so that these trains may be waylaid and robbed at the points of the road favorable to such enterprises, as has recently been done, it continues to be a military necessity that persons traveling through this department shall be provided with passports, by which they can be identified and distinguished from spies and traitors and rebels.

The general-in-chief of the army in alluding to this matter sums up in a few words why these police regulations are necessary here:

In a department like that of New Mexico and Arizona, of great geographical extent and a sparse population, mostly strangers to each other, with a small military force mostly at isolated and remote stations and with numerous spies and traitors scattered throughout the country, measures of military police somewhat stringent in their character are sometimes necessary to preserve peace and good order. No good and loyal citizen can object to them. All such can comply with the rule without inconvenience or loss of dignity. I mention in this connection that I myself and the officers of my staff have been required to procure in Washington and Saint Louis passports from our inferior officers, the provost-marshal, for our identification, to enable us to pass the guards in the streets and public roads. In times of war and public danger this is a proper and necessary measure of military police and no officer, military or civil, no matter what his rank, can object to it in places where the public safety requires its adoption.

The offices and soldiers throughout this department, as well as all good and loyal citizens, are admonished not to be thrown off their guard against the machinations of the rebels, who have long coveted possession of this country and the rich silver regions and gold fields of Arizona, and, above all coveted a highway across the continent and a port on the Pacific coast; are admonished not to give up their watchfulness because we have had a short season of immunity from rebel raids; not to believe that we may not again he menaced by such raids, and even in greater force than before, whenever a propitious season shall offer. Whenever our vigilance becomes relaxed, or our state of preparation to resist is yielded up, that will be the moment when we shall be menaced and be in serious danger. While no one must give way to causeless or unmanly fears, all must be prepared to guard against the traitors in our midst, as well as to defend our property against the lawless bands of ruffians who infest our roads, and who are but precursors of a still stronger force of unprincipled brigands, which will be hurled against us to lay waste our fields and without recompense to eat up our substance, whenever we are of four guard or cease to be ready resolutely to defend our country.

All men of an age to bear arms, who are not natives of New Mexico or Arizona, when traveling within this department at all places east of and including the Valley of the Rio Grande, will until further orders, be required to have passports, which will be furnished gratis at the military post of Franklin in Texas, and at the following posts and