New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-03

Mouroe's last term, TO exclude all private traders
rrm the Indian country, and to supply the Indians
with such articles as their necessities required at
cost. BY a system Of Government trading-houses
kept up for that purpose.
Tie humane and excellent system was at length
abandoned through the intrigues and representa-
tions of Indian traders. five mistake not Colonel
Benton had an active share in this as in many other
mischievous pieces Of legislatOn-at all events ne
greatly Iauds il in bis Thirty Iears IN The Senate.
Secretary McCleland states in his report andwe
doubt not with truth, that this system of private
trade has been found by experience most deleteri-
Gus. exposing the Indians as it does-especially
since the great increase in the immuni;ies paid
them by the GOYernmelt-tO all sorts OF practices
On the part of interested and unprncipled traders
eager upon each securing to himself the greatest
share of the plumber. "If well-regulated system
"coud be introduced among them" says the Sec-
Rotary, "by which they d. e. the Indians could
"obtan at cost price what would be under fixed
"rues and regulations essential to their comfort,
"spd all the licences were Withdrawn from the
"traders, stronger hope of their civilization and
characterization might be entertained. The license
"system is an incubus upon al healthful action in
"tbeir behalf and until abandoned will continue 70
'demorelize and degrade them"
Another change in our Indian policy, introduced
by the backwoods party, of which Col Benton
and Gov. Cass were distinguished leaders and
Gen. Jackson the sympatkizng agent, was the
system Of removals west of the Mississippi, under
the pretense, as Secretary McClelland expresses
it, "that mixed occupancy of the same territory
by the white and red men was Incompatible with
the safety or happiness of either
This system of Indian removal which General
jackson conceded to the mingled ferocity and
ayarice of Georgia, against the earnest protesta-
tons of the beneyOlence intelligence and religion
Of the country, is now confessed TO be complete
failure. The very same reasons which twenty
years ago were urged for removing the Indians
from their native homes 10 the lands which they
now occupy west of the Mississippi, are now urged
for fresh removal of them from those lands to
the Lord knows where
The only feasible scheme for the civilization of
the Indians, as the Secretary seems TO imply,
though he does not STATE III III TERMS, Is not W Dt
constantly removing them to a new frontier, where
they will be surrounded by invading hOrdes of Bor-
der Ruffans anxious to force further removal,
but rather by intermixing them with settled and
really civilized population to give them the advant-
age of an example of sober and regular industry.
The Secretary Ofthe Interior makes no direct al
fusion to the border wars now going on in the far
West; but what he does say tends inevitably TO the
conclusion that the war has been brought about by
the fault of somebody else than the Indians. We
shall be curious to what sort of case in justl-
fcation of the pending campaign the Secretary OF
War will be able to make out by way of answer TO
the Secretary of the Interior.
In this connection We beg also to call the atten-
ton of our readers to some statements as to the
past history of Gen. Harvey, our present Com:
mander-in- Chief, against the acknowledgements
gathered from official d, Gments and published in
The Anti- Sarery Standard over the initials of Da-
yid Lee Child Did Secretary Davis, in selecting
this Harvey as commander, have his antecedents
in yiew'