Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-12-15


fail to derive great advantages tc..,
Tie Repor. of the Can:;nissary General oil onpss' :
ence EXHIBITS tic very prosperous cohal'oh o' .'I w
partment All the accounts of dsbufsns agents ~
becp faithfully rendered. For the reasons stated ny
him M appropriation for the irst six months oil io4
will be necessary, account Of subsistence Q, 'he
army The SUCCESS which has so far ATTENDED Tue
system of purchase by contract, induces me 10 usseh
from the reconme ndaiion TO change H. Perhaps more
discretion might be safely allowed, 10 purchase IN the
omen market when proposals arc deemed exoreant.-
The unsettled accounts for subsistence iurnsHea IN
Florida IN 1889 and 1910, wond 10 require special
LEGISLATION for their od jusarnt.
From The report vt the Commissioner OF Pensions,
il an.esrs that the number of pensions on the rolls Is
less hy 1885, than The date Of the last annual report
The whole number at that tine was 2oool ne mum
her at nresent the rolls is 3 OF when 2ou2 are
nyaliGs 72i receive pensions under the act OIL 1919
1l2 under the act of lc29 !o'.'o unoer the act Oh
$40. "G1 under tho of lc.i6; aud 30 iave been
pens;oned under the act Of o2S consequence CHIEFLY
Of the Joint resolution and act OF the last session Of
Conpress relating the death Of pensioners since le2
and TO Tie marriage of their widows. 1t IS believed
that many must have died. without the fact being known
70 the eGen,s and of course not reported by them
The persnns who received their pensions, in the first
and second quarters Of lot, amounted 10 lc0Il and
il is supposed that this arproxnases very nearly TO inc
actual number now alive This would exhibit a DIM
mutton of Si5, which is not so great as that which
occurrad between the dates of the reports in lcl0 and
ls1I and which amounted 10 l7,SG3 Ii will be seen
that e estimate for pensions is much below that Tor
1912.
The law relating to military bounty lands for sevlces
in the Revolutionary war; and IN that OF lol2 having
been revived by the Of July ~ 1872 the examlna.
ton of the clams presented referred to the Com.
missioner Of Pensions es The rolls and documents re-
Iatnu to them were in his Office From the stat meni
annexed to his report it will appear that JOG claims on
account Of revolutionary services, have been presented
within The year. and that - have been issued
T. nj md. haf i'm
the las, war with Great Britain have been presented
within the time, and that % warrants have been
issued for 1920 acres of land.
By the act of March 4, 1870, the Office of Commits
soner Of Pensions continued until The 4sa day OF
March 1913, when it will cease, unless further cont.
nued BY Congress. by the eel, the pension bust
ness Of the Navy Department was transferred TO the
office of the Commissioner of Pensions. The duties
vel remaining to be performed under the laws reutng
to army aud navy pensions, and 10 the military bounty
lands, require the continuance oil The ONCE OF the com
missioner.
The condition Of our affairs with the Indians presents
subject Of The deepest interest 10 every phantlrcpst
The report Of the commissioners who has them mued d.
aely under his charge with the accompanying tabular
statements and the returns Of the various supernend
ents and agents, furnish copous information oi the re
suits of pas, labors aud the grounds hope Tor the con
taued Improvement OF these victims oil tie progress OF
civilization. The policy Of removing The Indians from
their nat We homes make room for The white man. ami
large
tier is not now debaeabp. Ii has heen long settled,
and i, NAV now be considered having been executed
There is no more land East of the Mississippi, re-
mannr unceded, to be desired by Us No new source
.. expense this account need be opened Tor many
years to come; and when the treaties now pending
shall be ratified, aad those requiring the removal OF
Indians shall be executed system will become set
lied II 10 be hoped, that the red man will then b.
suffered to rest peace and tina. our undivided efforts
will be bestowed in dscharsing the fearful resPonsb
es we have incurred, 10 improve his intellectual and
moral condition, as The only means ol rendering nam
happv here hereafter.
From, the returns we have been able TO obtain, ap
pears that SS,l2i have been removed to the regions
ives: of the Mississippi, and that Of TIE once numer
Gus tribes East Of that river, less than 1000 souls
main The greater portion Of these, are under Treat
obligations, to remove within very few years.
This policy Of collecting The Indians, has proceeded
on the idea OF relieving them from that dependent end
degrading condition when mixed with white poPula
ton, and of solting ,hcm from the vices OF semi
civilization SCARCELY cpabc Of sell! government, they
are quite incompetent to pro,ec, themselves from the
frauds and from the violence OF the white man. The
present system Of superintendent ard agents IS made
G,iate and the time seems TO have arrived when We
should turn our attention 10 devsmg some form OF 60
ve.nment which may secure peace and order among
the nseives and protection against others Until they
feel safe in their persons and possessions they can make
no advances towards civilization. Although the criin
nal jurisdiction of the adjacent courts ct The I. s. Il
extended over them, yet all experience has shown INA
i, is merel; nominal The mast arocious offenders art
seldom pursued, and mere rarely brought TO Justice
Civil obligation wholly vain 10 attempt 10 enforce
There is no for surprise that, III this state
things the Law of force and Of retaliation IS the only
one recognised. The plan Of something Ike terrific
rial government for the Indians, has been suggested
Tic object is worthy the Nest deliberate cons!dera
lion of all no take an interest in the fate Of this hap
less
! Tie vice 20 which they most inclined and which
The mos; deadly 10 their prosperity, Is an indulgence
IN intoxicating liquors. All the powers given TO thu
department, by existing laws, have been exeyted I,
strain this propensity, end 10 prevent the introduction
OF alcohol INTO tie Indian country. Circulars to agents
and superintendent, and instructions to military com
mande,s have been reiterated with but partial etct-
The cupldily Of the white man, boas!lng OF his supe
r;or civilization, stimulates his craft, in devislDg ht
means Of evadng The laws, and still further brutal
izng his ignorant, weak, and yielding red brother
Depositares Of ardent spirits, are established on thu
confines Of the Indian territory, within the jurisdiction
of The Sta.es-where tho laws oi the Union caEno. ap
pr and where there are none Of tie State laws adapc,
10 the case or if they exist never executed Some
remedy may lie provided, by substituting mr1ison
meat for the present pecunmry penalty prescribed H.
selling introducing liquor, or establishing disiiier
les in The Indian country, which is wholly Intellectual
against class Of persons who have no visible proper
", and by giving jurisdiction over tie offence, It
some local other authority, TO which convenient &c
cess can be had.
/ Among some oi the more civnzeu tribes, partcu
atly the Cboctaws ard Chcrokees, it is understood
Tia: the doctrines and the practice Of temperance have
made much progress, and that they have passed som
wise laws restrain their people. The fact thu
established that tie Indian cun be made temperate i
calculated to cheer us in forts 10 save him.
/ AN exhb:, Of the condition of the civilization fund
and Of lis application, accompanies the report Of ih
4 commissioner. This small furd has accomplished
much Il sca,tcrs lis COED seed very extensively, an
great portion Of il falls in good sul. lis fruits ART
to he seen IL the gradual bu, decided improvement
of many of the Indian tribes. THIS fund appliet
SO as 10 co operate, far practicable, with lii
schools established and maintained by means o
the moneys provided by treaties with various tribes
for purposes of education. Frc;n table a, append
ed 10 The comuissonets report, ii appears that th
whole amount thus provided at the present time, y
SCI, lJ5. II wall also he seen from table 60, tha
there are ,y schools maintained for Indian youth
at which there l:'2 scholars; of whom ,05S arr
boys, and SOP girls, and 222 whose is not stated
were instructed during the past scar, and that from