The Nevada journal., 1859-01-14

NdtaOn0t contains me followlng card from
v. E. Geiger:
observe in the late message of Gov.
Weller, that he thought proper, inappro-
priately, if not maliciousIy, to travel
somewhat ont of his way to assail the
management of the Indian Reservations
in this State. therefore wish to make
a remark or two, which seem to me to
be justly called for, at this time. TIE
Governor says that from the "most re-
liable authority l can obtain, there are
not, upon all these Reservations, more
than three or four thousand Indians" In
the report of Commissioner of Indian
Affairs for 1857, l find that Major
Hentzleman, agent at klamath, reports:
There are living at this Reservation
about 1000 Indians. They are peaca-
bly, disposed. and generally obey the
orders of the Agent" He also reports
in Hoopa Valley 700. On Trinity
river, above Hoopa, 500; and in the vi
cinity Of Crescent City and Smiths
river, 600; all under the control of the
klamath Agency. Capt Ford, of the
Mendocino Reserve. in his report says
"Siuce my last annual report, there
have been removed to this Reserve,
three thousand and seventy Indians. -
Of this number, one thousand Ole hun
dred and forty-four are adult males one
thousand and sixty-seven adult females,
and eight hundred and sxty-four chill
dren. These, together with those pre-
viously here, make total of three thou
sand four hundred and fifty now under
my care" Judge Lewis, of the Fresno
and Kings river Agency, reports 2,2s9
under his charge. Col. Vineyard, Age t
at the Tejon, reports the number of In
dians on that Reserve, at over one
thousand. These are the reports made
by the Agents for which we have their
official communications. But if Gov.
Weller will accompany me to Nome
Lackee, l will show4im thousand In
dians, comfortably clad and well fed
Equally as much so. if comparisons are
admissible, as the inmates of San Quen-
tin. And if he will go two DAYS ride
further, still in my agency, will agree
10 exhibit to him twenty five hundred
Indians at one view; and in another
half days ride, l can show him an a6-
ditional five hundred, making total of
as many as he asserts are to be found on
all the Reservations.
Interference to the Governors remark.
which seems to be quite gratuitous, that
the benefits Of the Reserves are sadly
disproportionate to the expenditure,
have only to say that while l may not
have managed the affairs of the Indians
under my charge with as much success
as was desirable, l am quite willing to
enter a comparison with HIS expendi-
lures in subslsting the State Prison con-
victs, in reference to which the Cover
nor modestly asserts there will be no
complaint from any quarter, so soon as
lie has sent in his forthcoming special
message on that subject; in which the
expenditures will doubtless be paraded
in as favorable and imposing view for
him, as he has labored to make those of
the Indian Department prejudicial.
The object of this uncalled for attack
upon the Indian service seems most diff
cult to divine. If it were his purpose to
prevent further appropriations by Con-
gress, break up the system and turn the
Indians loose ;even the 1000 he speaks
of to deprcdate upon the stock and crops
of the ranches and farms, and disturb the
peace and quiet of the country, lie has
adopted plan most admirably suited to
his purpose. The Governor has recent
ly, and it may be is now, engaged in a
miniature Indian war, in which he cap
tured some two hundred Of these 'red
DEVILS" and have been entrusted by
the Supervisors to receive and provide
for them at the Nome Lackee Reserva-
ton Does the Governor wish to break
up and destroy the very place at which
his prisoners are to be provided with
food. before they arrive, so that can
not take them off his hands, ami they
be allowed to return to their old haunts
in Trinity and Humboldt, to become
again the pest of the inhabitants, and
meet the inevitable determination which
awaits them in that event?
1t may be that will on some future
occasion undertake to show some of the
advantages which have already result
ed from the Reservation system. as well
as suggest some of the disastrous effects
of abandoning the protection of the In
dians by the Government, and again
turning them loose upon the community.
V. f GEIGER,
Nome Lackee Reservation.
~ Ihn San Eranciccn (InH ,olntoS