, 1864-08-28
DUH INDIAN POLICY.
Letter from Gen. Pope.

General Pope, in letter to the sec1s.uy
Of Var, recommend an entire change Ia Dur
Iudion policy, as the only guarantee OF peace
with the Wild Western tribes lie dap
proves Of tic sjstsm Of Indian reservations,
the payment Of znnuities, &C., which brings
them Into association with depraVed whita
msD, and mikes thesr condition worse, NOR
ally and phx xsically, thau 10 their native will
derncts. Gen Pops Gays:
~ bsye proposed to establlsl, large military
pets N the E.idat OF the Inliat countr5.
which shall cover the border settlements Of
dxiance. asd at the esuc time so locate
them that they shall furnish some projection
along The emtgrant 1oUte to ld4ho Strong
cayalry forces y Ill visit the various tribea OF
JrtlIars esbt, 1arth sud south OF the .1ttsou1f
River, MD hold such conferences With them
or tnkesssrch measures as shall assure quiet
" wonld ssk, therefore, that the military
be lcfs to deal with theee INDIANS without
the intelposition Of Indian agenta. ask 1t
because believe: that anJ permauent peace
with the Indians depends upon It, AID be-
cause am convinced that the condition OF
the Irdian IN his wild state Is far better than
hts status under the prestnt Indian policy.
II Ee could provide BY treaty for TIE removal
Of the Indians to points far within the from
tier Ststes, and could place them In such
u
temptation to coVetous white men, while Ut
the same time they would be prevented from
fntulGfns their wandering habits, aud sub
tectcd under the r1Gtt faTorahle circumstau-
ces to Ill the Influences OF education and
Christianity, have no doubt that such ttca-
ties won1d he cmfnently wise aud humane;
but hetH een such = condition and the native
state Of the 1cdian there IL no intermediate
arrangement which Is not attended NTH
wroag tothe lrdian, unneceasars expense to
the government, and constant danger to the
| frontier settlements. In his Wild condsion,
| the Indian possesses, at least, many nobls
| qunlitiee, and has only the vices which are
! tueeParahte from the savage stale He Is
free, End, so far IS be can be, hsppy, con-
tented. md easily managed. II the govern
ment mslsc any charge in bis condition It
| Should he tor the better.
| +" It Is easier iar 10 preserve the peacs and
| protect emigration where only Wild Indians
| ere IL question than where these Aunciey In
| tians ars cuncerDea. Either radical c3l1age
| ic cur Indian policy should be made, Or, in
Indian and to the cause OF humanity, he
should be left In h&s uatire state, only su l}o:t
to the condition that he shall not 1nusest the
emigran's who pureue their journey through
h}sTatt domain
"If ne cannot adopt the former Of shcsc
Alternatives, the latter has at least bcet. made
InoTs essy BY the fact that ne have already
reached the western limit Of the great fertile
region between the Mississippi River and the
| Rocky Mountains. The ET-at res sfcn- no y
ruan.ed over by the Indians off5rs no iuauce-
ments to settlement ana cultivation, and the
lar ds arc not coveted by the whites except in
! the clrcumscrt0ed regions within the nouu-
tsins whsre gold HIS bten discovered S,e-
c1al arrangements can, If necessary, be made
with the Indians whe Claim those 1inmed ate
districts; bat there Ia 10 longer the n-ces:gsy
nt interfering with the !. Id In'i'a.s Of the
| great plains, further than to secure humanity
CT travel for nhitn emigrau.s. This satety
! OF travel csn readily be SECURED hy the kind
action cf tho 1nia1.sry autho'tti
| believe that the further application by
Indian treHty of our pIcsect s>etem ol
trcsy-m. King would only jeopard this r. suit,
sud for this reason, as wcll as in coueid~ "a.
tion Of tht fscts heretofore stat:d, / ur.e
rpcn tho Department that no treaties be
made nor rcrewcd with indians In tais de-
pattua7nt.
"The syst, n of Indian p:licy have here,
| In ski tcAt Il and recommended | hnpe earn.
ektIy will be adopted, as we'll Tor th" good o!
the II diats as for the good OF the coautry
II Until thnt Is done hr some such change II
our Inaf an eyet.n be made, / trust thai
on grcu:ile OF humanity Is will Es 1T inter
est tle government will decide to Iea-c thl
In,sisn iu tls native wildness.
ri have tho Eonor to be, very resnrctful
u, your obedicnt, JouS PoPzr
"Mcjor General Commanding"