The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-31

I.
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Ne following report has been sent TO the 6enate,
and ordered TO DO printed -
WASHINGTON, Nov. ls, 1854.
Hen. GsoRGE W. MONTERREY,
Commissioners Of Indian A6sirs:--
Sn-I deem the time appropriate TO report TO
Jon the present state Of the investigation conded TO
me, rsepee ing the Indian tribes.
ID has, from the inception Of the plan, bsen found
difficult 10 overcome tbs reluctance Of the Indians
to furnish their stasisics Even their gross populs
ton has been vrang from them. Aggregated ess
mates Of tbs Idian population have prevailed from
The planting Of the colonies. The earliest attempt
10 give certainty TO the numbers resding between
the Allegheny and Rocky Mountains, vas made BY
NE French government in l736. Returns hled In
Aat year in tbs proper bureau in Aris enumerated
sixty tribes, having an aggregate population Of
6l0s warriors which, ct the rate OF one warrior to
every ave souls-a ratio since adopsed-gives 80 OILS
souk. Vol. D. 553). At the period Of taking Ca
nada, beginning with the taking Of Quebec, in 1859
CAPTAIN Thomas Hutchinson, . gsographer for tho
colonies, estimated the Western population Of the
tribes, az 1850, which, .. tbs ratio stated, gives
h,694 warriors. (Vol 8. p $50. In 1764,
when Colonel Bosquet marched against the Western
Indisns, he computed the number Of lighting men,
capable Of being brought into ths contest st $780,
manifest over estimate, which il owing, In part, to
tbs duplication Of tribes by employing synonimss
(vol 3.p. 559.)
h ITS, during The early pirt Of the American
revolution, when tie topic had great vitality, the
number Of warriors capable OF being brought into
The Ae,d was carefully estimsted ct 12,430, pro
dusng gross population Of 62,l50 on the line OF
the frontiers. OF the number of fighting men stated,
1850 Me assigned to the Six Nations OF Ifoquois.
cvoL 3. p. 660.) In 1906 Pike estimated the Indian
tsihes Of the Upper Mississippi alone, q. 32,S52
(yol 8, p. 1927 The Indian forces under BIRTHS /,
orders in the war Of 1914, we're estimated in Lon
dsn at $3.50 fighting men, which, b. che ratio here
tefo,e assumed, supposss gross population Of
AZ, $50. (vol. 8, p. 557)
American estimates Of the force engaged ia the
war Of this era, in the Northwest aud toe Missis-
them at 5000 warriors (vol. 3) II is evident that
this estimate excludes the prairie tribes, few or
Aore Of whom were brought into tnis conflict, ex
sept 4 part Of the Sioux, In 1872. The heavy dspp
pulation Of the lIGian tribes which took placs
IN this sanguiDsry war, Was owing less, 1t Is
believed. to the numbers who fell in battle
than the vast destruction caused among them by
camp disease and hardships and suffering during
SnO paItCuiatly dibcI VIC COntc5s, wnSa tuoi VT
diion was Of utter poverty and restitution, fof
they had neglected both hunting and planting.
This Was indeed, the lowest point 10 the scala
Of number of those tribes who had engag
ed in the 10 them fruitless contests. Ii the
period from 1872 to 1916 Was q very marked one
m their depopulstiou, that from 1916 to 1924 con-
tinued to be one OF languishng depression and 10
anity. The Indian mind was broken down and
sunk in Dependency. The marching Of armies
through the country, the changes Of habit, against
which their NEST energetic chiefs had inveigded,
and the torpid state Of tie fur trade had rendered
their vast territories worthless to hunter pop1la
ton and IT, sitter the last named year, they again
appear to rise in the SCALE il is owing to the fact
that whole tribes, the fragmentary tribes, were
Transferred West into the fertile districts OF game
country, and that large bodies Of the wild tribes
were Included in the Schedules who r0ved over the
states OF s,Ciety, we are assured, from the data
Of Adam Smith, Of which one Is the superior,
and In the ascendant, and the other the in
ferlor, cannot exift in prosperity together and
II now became evident that the Indian tribes
could rot be preserved with0u. trsnsference from
the scenes Of their decline, within the States and
territories, to an area over which th5ir own laws
should prevail. Georgia was the earliest 10 assert
The Il compatibility Of divers systems of poisy,
the question sooi found advocates throughout tse
Uniop. Stress 10 laid on this ep3ca bee suss is IL
conceived 10 be nadir in our Indian history.
In 1925, when it be came evident that the tribes
and remnants Of tribes roust perish, if po cooniz
ed, an, The plan Of transferring them wss; Of tee
Mississippi was originated, the whole anori ssnal
population east OF That stream was found TO be
land (vo,. g. p. 596.) These aibas were stua ed in
fOi1OwiDC States Territnriea.--