The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-12-16
WASHINGTON. ID. e.
ABSTRACT OF THE REPORT OF THE sECRE-
TARY OF WAR.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, December 4, 1852.

.yibes within our borders For this purpose,
,yt Of about / 600 officers and men borne on
rbe rolls of the army. about 5000 are employed
I'm the defence Of Texas. New Mexico, Calitor-
mia and Oregon or OF emigrants destined TO
the two last
The benefits that were anticipated from the
iudicious arrangements made by the command
srs of the Ssh and 9Th military departments
Texas and New MexicO) have been fully real
lzed With the exception Of portion OF the
Rio Grande country, the former has been COM
uaratively exempt from Indian depredations.
A number Of persons of desperate character
and fortunes were attracted to that frontier by
the lawless attempts OF Carvaial and after
his defeat they dispersed through the country,
and resOrted to plumber for subsistence. On
the other hand many Of the inhabitants OF
Mexico either sought to avenge themselves Tor
tho wrongs inflicted on them by that adyentu-
rer and his followers, or found in his lawless
proceedings "a justification for their own, and
retalaled on the peaccabie inhabitants.
The Indians in that vicinity awaited them
selves OF the confusion and alarm consequent
upOu this state OF thing, to renew their depre-
datuus Ihefir, robbcries, and even assassina-
tons were the consequence.
lu New Mexico, the depredationS Of the In
dams have been entirely arrested The Naya-
los and the Apachcs, the two most formidable
tribes in all that region, have been completely
oyerawed, and manifest every desire to be at
pea &c with the whites.
ia consequence Of frequent collisions between
the Indians and the white inhabitants Of Cali
lplnia and Oregon. it was deemed advisable Il
send the 4th regiment Of infantry to the Pacific
O. replace the mounted ritemen that had been
ordered thence 10 Texas.
Intelligence has been received that the Yuma
indians. "A bold and hostile tribe occupying a
portion of country On the ella and Colorado
rivers. whose lnroado and depredations have
been the source OF frequent annoyance and
alarm to the inhabitants both of our own ter
Iitory aud of the Mexican State Of Sonora,
have agreed 10 a peace.
In spite Of every effort tn reduce the expenses
ut the army they must continue to be very
great ia proportion TO Its numbers, 50 long a.
Il .s necessary to maintain 80 large force in
countries which supply 80 little Of what il
niece sary to It's support as those in which the
greater part Of it is now stationed.
The whole history Of our country shows that
whenever the two races are brought frequently
iuto contact collisions generally produced 10y
expressions OF the stronger on the weaker
partl are inevitable. | know OF no other
means by which those collisions can be pre-
seufrd. than rigid adherence to the policy
which has heretofore been successfully pursued
ut setting apart portion OF territory for the
exclusive occupancy Of the Indians
difficulty occurs in the application of this
policy to Texas. by the terms Of the compact
admitting that State into the Union, she re-
served 10 herself all the vacant tsrEitOry within
her limits 1t is understood that she ackpOwl-
edges 10 right Of occupancy in the indians
Aithir her borders, but proceeds to lay OF her
territory iutO counties, and as fast az il is need.
I'd, to sell it, Sithout assigning any portion Of
i 10 them, or providing in any other mode for
their support Nothing Sould be more calcu-
lated To alarm and irritate the Indians and to
produce collisions between them and tbs y hites
tLan the adoption Of this policy. 1T, in fact,
drives the Indians to desperation. by leaving
ahem 10 alternative but to steal or to starye 1t
also de,giyes the Government of the United
states of taat control over them and of the
GerritOry they occupy which is necessary for
their UWh preservation ~ Well as for the safety
Of the white settlements IN their vicinity II
the United States are bound to protect Texas
against the Indians it is manifest that the Gov
iunitAt 81 lLdL pldlt HLDiiiO 20 nOJlnH 10
thwat but on the contrary, all in its power to
promote, tie fulGlment Of this duty. | there.
Fore respectfully suggest the expediency of en-
deuyOriug to make sJme arrangement with that
State, whereby Il portion - her vast unOccupied
domain may he temporarily allotted to the ex-
elusive occupancy Of the Indians withip her
borders
What policy, however, it may be deemed
proper 90 adopt in reference To the Indian
tribes IA Texas California, and Oregon IL n
question only Of humanity or Of temporary poll
,.y a. the period cannot be very remote when
lhey viii DO swept before the resistless tide of
emigration which continually flows towards
ghese countries.
The case ~ different with regard to New
Ncx,co That Territory is 80 remote and in.
,lc, essible, and holds out SO little inducement
a. emigration, that the struggle between the
two races il destined, in all reliability to con.
yinue there iong after it shall have ceased in
every ether portion Of the continent.
By the last census, the total population OF
New Mexico, exclusive of wild indians is lin
auaad uumbar-) $1,000 souls, and its whole
real estate Is estimated ut (jn round numbersl
- , 100000
10 protect this small population, We are COM
;,rlrd to mUntalu u large military force, ut an
annual expense nearly equal to half the value
,,c the whole real estate of the Territory. Would
D, not be better 10 induce the inhabitants to
abandon e country which seems hardly tit for
thr hahitutiou Of civilized man. by remunera-
ting them for their property in money or in
sands situated in more favored regions Even
d the Government paid for the property quin-
tuplc it, value, it would still, merely on the
score Of economy, be largely the gamer by the
transaction, and the troops now stationed in
New Mexico would be available for the protec-
ION di uther portions Of our own and Of the
Mexican territory Unless the means | have
Indicated, on some other, be adopted, TO relieve
the indians from tie necessity Of plundcrng to
procure the means OF subsistence. their dcpre-
litiunS must not only continue but increase
Thia would require a corresponding increase in
Tie means OF protection In that view concur
az the recommendation of the Genera-in-
Chief that au additional regiment Of mounted
3ncu be authorized
Oac Of the most important and responsible
duties which have deyolyed on the Department
during the present year il the execution of the
works known ~ the river aud harbor improve
meuts,
The number OF works for which appropria-
lions were made by the act recently passed, is
about one hundred and the snm appropriated
about two millions and quarter The appro-
priatons. however, will only in a few instances
bo sufficient 10 complete the works for which
they were made by far the greater number
will require additional, and some OF them very
large additional, appropriations, to complete
them It is 10 be presumed. that, even if Con
gress shoud not see tit 10 continue the system
aud to provide for other works of similar
character. not included in the present act they
will at least finish tie works that have been
beguns
deemed it, therefore, Of the utmost import
auOr to make at the outset such permanent
arrangements tor the execution Of these works
ful, iud.ciou3 and economical application Of