Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1859-04-06

. 81 iONhi1ObDChS
; INDIAN TROUBLES IN TEXAS.
5 Speech Of EEon. John III. seagals
T OF TEXAS,
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
February "a, 1869.
The House being in the Committee of the Whole o
the State Of the Union
!, Mr.. REAGAN said
Mr.. Chairman: do rot propose TO pariici
pate this evening" in The very Interesting dis
cus>on which is going on in relation 10 lh
tarff; or 10 follow The geuileman who ha
just taken his seat, [Mr. Thayer,l in the dis
cussion Of the relative merits of free and slav
labor; Lutl will call the attention Of the con,
mirIce, very briefly, TO another question q
great Inporane TO The Stale ! have the hon
or in part TO represent.
! Il NAV NOT be generally known to member;
4 OF this House, that state of war has existed
with the Indians on the frontier Of Texas from
1854 10 The present; and that during tina, time
n very large amount of property has been $40.
len from the frontier BY the Indians, and a
great many persons have been killed by them.
| And it may not be known thar during the a
year two very bloody battles have been fought
on that 'front.' r, two of the most important
battles which have been fought with the ~
dans of this government fer several years
past.
Frem remarks have heard in The course ol
Tformer dlscusSIohs, infer that gentlemen may
be aboring under the impression that these
wars bav resulted from the bad conduct of the
whites, and not from the fault Of the indians.
Aud il is my purpose to remove this impression,
| by the presentation of such facts as may be in
my possession A portionyof the lndians, on
| the immediate borders of the settlements oil
Texas, consist Of small bands Of friendly In.
di ms, numbering, in the aggregate, fourteen or
fifteen hundred who have for many years
been at peace with the whites, and whoslive on
what is knnwn as the lower Brizos reserve, un-
der the control o the superintendent and In.
dian agents in that State. Aud some three
or four hundred Of the more ffendly-dispased
Comanches are living on the upper Bfazos ie-
serve, and also at peace with the whites
The Indians on these reserves are being in
structed in the arts of peace and civilizations;
and are making considerable ADVANCES in
knowledge of agriculture. Then there are
many rowing bands Of Indians in the vicinity
Of our frontier, and OH the upper Red river.
about the Wichita mountains, and on the Ca
madam and Arkansas rivers, who ha G no per-
,manent homes; who do not pursue agrienIturc,
OF any OF the arts OF peace; and who hvegby
.plunderlngsand numbering The people along.
the frontier of Texas, and in the northern
States Of Mexico. These Indians know nott-
ing Of the obligations and duties Of civilized
life, md live by war aud p|lage. And it is
with these we have been al war since 1854; not
BY any fault of ou:s, but to project ourselves
against their hostile ncursions. Aud the eff
cIa papers in House Document No. 81, ofth 81
session, which is now in the document boxes
of members, consisting of the correspondence,
between the Governor o. be tate of Texas,
and the Secretary of War, and between the
Governor aud Genera! Twiggs--th,' comnand-t +
ing general Of the military department OF
Texas; and between General Twiygs and the |
Secretary OF WaEand between General Twiggs
and the General-n-Chief, General Scott; and
ihe report of Maior R S. Nershbors, the sn-
of Indian nffa;rs lhrrc, and his
letters; aud the official reports If np'ain John
s. Ford aud Major Van Dornaud Others, show !
most of the facts connected with this ,ndian
war. And feel anxious that IN mbers may
look 10 these documents. as far as their time
will permit. From them. what have SAID 1
will be verified; and II will be seen also from
those off iaI papers, that the Kickap,os, Co
manches. Kiowas, and Wichttas. who have
treaties with the Government Of the Uniied
States, and receive annually their annuities,
aud their presents OF arms &C., and who do not
live in ,h territory OF Texas, come down on
our frontier for hostile purposes, and use the
very arms given them as presents by the Coy
to murder our citizens and that they
steal our horses, and take them north into the
Indian territories, and into the States Of Ar.
kansas and Missouri, and sell them where
they can find market for them.
will mention another fact OF importance IN
this connection The climate on the borders
Of Texas aud Mexico is mild and genial and
these rowing bands Of homeless, hostile sava-
ages can live there without houses, and. If me- I
,essity requires il, pretty much without clothes,
IS many Of them do. The pssiuraee is so
good at all seasons OF the year. that their hor-
'es keep in goed order oHffhe grass. and with =
'ut other food; and game is generally snfi-
'ienly plenty 10 keep them from suffering =
inddhese facts, no doubt. have much 10 do
With drawing the bad Indians OF all tribes ini !
each OF US down on our frontier in the fai.. J
vinter and spring months. and accouE:siof 2
much Of our ,roubes with the Indians
n the f,il oF 1854 ihe-e hostile iac1Hioes :
a5 hecsns 50 tsssiSss. ard sa.aAEF . gnF