The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-17
TRANSFER OF MEAN AFSass 70 TINE wm DEPARTMENT.
NEW YORK. Dec. II. 1888.

NEW YORK. Dec. II. 1858.
To THE EDITOR or THE HERALD
Noticed to-day In your columns an article under
the head OF 1.-THE Transfer OF the Indian Bureau to
the War Department." and viii state few facts
gearing upon the subject which your correspondent
has omitted, and which may not be uninteresting to
some OF your readers Starting upon the premises
Of the writer OF the aforementioned article that the
experience Of the past Is the criterion by which to
Judge the future will endeav0r to proyefthat 1t IL
that experience which should teach our legislators
the Importance OF transferring the Indian Bureau to
the War Department
Flyst-Accordlng to the statement OF your corre
spondent the correctness OF which viii admit for the
sake OF argument the Indian Bureau for the period
OF ten years from 1885, while administered by the
War Department. cost the government $15 900 0O0 on
what your correspondent terms peace footingn-
cpted at an expense OF $50, 900 900. For the last
twenty years and under the administration OF the
Department OF the Interior the cost was $45 0oo
war expenses $500, 900, 000-making q total OF
$346 00O 900 for twenty years under the admnstra-
ton Of the Department OF the Interior, against
ministration OF the war Department. am Indebted
for my information to the 1gures OF your correspond
ent. With this enormous increase In the admins
tration OF Indian affairs have not been ayerted
On the contrary the most costly and disastrous In
dian wars have been waged, many valuable lives
his e are OF the De-
partnent OF the Interior to administer Indian AFFAIRS
with prOht to the government.
SecOnd-The cGuS1 BELLA very important matter
to be taken into consideration in connection with
the subject. Your correspondent OyeroOks the IRE
mote" causes OF Indian wars and - satisfied to base
In few words what these s'remOten causes are.
Treaties are made on the part OF the gov
eminent In good faith; but are the stipuatOns
contained in these treaties complied with
unhesitatingly assert that they are not, The gov
eminent does all that 1t promises to do; but do the
agents OF the carry out their instructions
TO the letter. No one who knows anything about
these matters will deny what l now assert Wiz
That the Indian does not get the benefit Of treaties,
but the Indian agent does The Indian In his un-
tutored state cannot discriminate. His presents are
not delivered promptly, and when weary with wait
ing for his agents at last they come, with but
moiety OF what his Great Father has promised him.
Kept from his hunting grounds In expectation OF re-
to, Disguised. enraged and rendered desperate by
starvation, horse Is stolen, killed and In
dian war inauQurated.
Third-The army is the natural enemy OF the
indian, and whyf Because he has none other except
an occasional emgrant or remote frontier settler on
whom a TO wreak ms savage vengeance and because
language and give him bad advice that the army is
his enemy.
believe, by just and equitable administration Of
their affairs, that the army is their best and only
friend. and you subjugate them. This can only be
done by wise legislation The transfer Of the Indian
Bureau to the War Department would place Indian
affairs under the exclusive control OF the army
Officers OF the army cannot be corrupt II they want
to, and an honest administration or Indian affairs
would at once be inaugurated. This would be paw
ing the way to an easy understanding between the
army and the Indians. Break up and abolish all
trading monopolies and drive the trade from their
country; distribute their annuittes promptly and
Justly; establish q fixed value on Indian articles OF
trade and give them in return the necessaries Of life
at cost Let army officers be their agents and
traders; they know the wants OF the Indian because
they are with him. The agent makes his semiannual
visit oftentimes by proxy and knows nothing OF The
real necessities OF the people to whose wants he pre-
tends TO administer. Withhold all these advantages
from hostile Indians until theY make treaties which
must be forced upon them by war il necessary. Ir
Will not be long before every Indian on the Plains
will know the true value OF a cup OF sugar and will
the enemies who call 1t dollar ana fix the value OF
robe at four dollars The Interior Department
has made an unsuccessful attempt to avert Indian
wars now let Congress give the War Department q
trial. 1t cannot make matters worse than they
already are.