The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-06-30
UNITED STATES INDIAN C0MM.sSsGy.

The second public meeting OF the United States
Indian Commission was held last evening in the
Cooper Institute, the hall being not more than half
filed. The chair occupied by the Rev. Howard
Crosbe, d. ID.
THE REPORT
is principally made up of extracts OF statements,
taken under OATH before the joint special committee
OF the United States Congress- on the present cond
ton Of our indian tripes and printed by the United
States Senate at its last session, 1857. OF tho
Indians General Pope says:-"rhey are rapidly de-
creasing In numbers from various causes BY diseases
both by irresponsible persons and govern
ment officials. 10y unwlse policy, OF the
administration Of tnat policy. Colonel Bent,
who has resided in Colorado Territory
for the past thlrtysX years says:,"Since have
tween the Indians and the whites arose from aggres
sions on the Indians by the whites.n Colonel Kit
Carson expresses a similar opinion. The report de-
scribes AT considerable length what 1t terms the
Chivington massacre" OF November 2s, 1854, at Sand
creek, near Fort Lyon, quoting among several state
torney for the Territory of Colorado to this effect
81 have seen over hundred scaps In the city and
through the country said to have been taken at Sand
creek. Early in september or late in August heard
Colonel Chinington In public speech announce that
that nits made ce" The way in which the Indians
Of Dacoah Territory fed Is next treated of in the
Haynes, Assistant surgeon Of the Sixth regiment
Iowa volunteer artillery that the food consisting Of
DeeI DeeI neadS, the OF DeeVeS, some Deans,
-four and pork, was lung into a vat constructed Of
cotton wood lumber, six feet square and six feet
deep. This mass was cooked by steam. 1t smelt
like carbon, Ike decomposed meat: The Santees
and WinneDagoes were fed from this vat Some
Of the Indians refused to eat this food, say
sick; that 1t was only ut for hogs, and that they
were not hogs The quantity OF iood issued them
did not ex ,eed eight ounces per head-man woman
and child The report alleges prices fifty to one
hundred Ter cent m excess OF regular market rates
are charged by contractors who have been employed
In senn. out articles to the Indians, who have been
ip several Instances furnished with q variety Of
things for which they could not possibly find use.
The capacity of the indian for improvement forms
the subject OF the second last paragraph Of the re-
port. The conederated tribes known as the Wascoes,
the Des Chutes, and the Tyghs Of the Warm Spring
year to have raised 1905 bushels Of wheat 275
bushels OF corn, 10 bushels Of peas 46o bushels Of
oats 1000 bushels of potatoes together with large
quantities OF other vegetables. They have devoted
considerable attention to stock raising In conclu-
sion 1t Is stated that the Christian missionaries and
instructors have never had fair opportunity, anG
that If Colonel Bent and General Pope were autho-
rized they would make solid and lasting peace
with the Indians on and below the Arkansas without
war.
The Chairman said this commission was estab-
lished to protect the Indians from faleehOod and
from cruelty and TO bring to bear public opinion on
the acts OF land spectators and unprnciped politi-
clans who had done much to degrade the Indian.
They did not deny that the Indian committed many
savage acts, but magnanimous nation like America
could afford to treat the savage with eniency. He
had expected that the representatives OF the Indian
tribes would nave been present tonight, but the In
dian Commissioner at Washington having given per-
mission for those representatives to come to New
York withdrew 1t. llisses The speaker then intro
duccd the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher (Cheers)
The Rev. Mr.. BEscuER said he was reminded that
one VI the first things he had written In favor of
the Indian. He was certainly disappointed In not
seeing the representative OF the Western tribes here.
He did not think that the audience would be pleased
with him instead OF with three Indian chiefs.
(Laughter.) the indian had been under a ban OF
prejudice, part OF II his own fault and part OF 1t
ours. But the Indian did not often appear among
them except as specimen. They mad no repre-
sentatives To make known their wants. They were
not represented IN Congress In the State Legisa-
ture The department TO which the Indian had
to come was rotten from the centre to the surface
and from the to the centre back again. Out
West when he resided there, twcnty-one years ago,
an Indian trader was regarded as an unmitigated
scoundrel, and, In TACT the name of SUCH trader
might stand for that Of Satan. The Indians had
been neeced under a system OF organized cruelty
and force. The Anglo-saxon people had been the
Lord wanted to make quarry stones he
would make them out Of Anglo-saxons-
teri 1t was the fate OF the Enghshman's pos
terlty to be hardhearted and cruel. Our contguity
to ,a weak people was meyer to their adyaniage
Mexicos 1t was very much like the advantage that
the spider was to the ny.. (Laughter.l Mr.. Beecher
suggested that the Chr stian newspapers might be
able to create public opinion on this subject and
make 1t felt at Washington. n this was done they
would made the indian Bureau as nearly humane
as anything humane could be done at washington.
The Indians were weak and he, therefore, hoped
something would be done for them.
length describing the evils under which the Indians
labored. He stated that the Pilgrim Fathers nrst
commenced this system OF cruel treatment, aud ex-
pressed his belief that the Indians were tsday
men than II they had never seen an Anglo.SaxOn
The following resolutions were unanimously
adopted
Resolved That both the honor and prosperity Of the United
States demand that the Indians should be protected from the
injustice and cruelty which they subjected originated
spectators and supported by oncers,
and that this protection begin with the full and forcbs
expression OF the public concurrence:
Resolved That call the other cities OF the land TO
take the Of justice IN behalf OF the indian race until
united shall suppress the growing and
God-defying evil
The fiiocers OF the commission are:-President,
Howard Crosbie. II. D.. Benjamin latham, Vice
President Peter Cooper Treasurer, and Vincent
Colyer, secretary.
The meeting then terminated.
SHARP PRACTICE BY MuRDERRR.-Andrews, the
Kingston Mass. murderer, has done smart but dis
honest thing since his imprisonment. 1t was well
known that there were two mortgages on Andrews
homestead but the mortgages, having perfect con-