The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1868-01-16
Report of'the Indian Commission.

The Indian Peace Commissioners
have unanimously agreed upon their
report, which will be transmitted to
Congress. The report, as it now
stands, was drawn up by Senator
Henderson, though Gen. Sherman
and Commissioner Taylor furnished
him with their views in writing. The
Commissioners begin by stating at
length what in their judgment were
the causes of the late Indian war,
and they say under this head that the
primary cause was the violation on
our part of Indian treaties. They
specify that the building Of military
roads through the Powder river
country, and the ordering out of the
Southern Indians from their huHtiug
grounds between the Arkansas aud
Platte rivers, were notable violations
They find, with respect to the burning
of the Cheyenne village by Gen.
Hancock, that he acted on Official re.
ports made to him by Major Douglas,
which reports were subsequently
proved to be wholly false. They also
found that the white settlers on the
frontier had been guilty of contin-
ued series of depredations upon In
dian reservations, and that this was
in particular one of tho melting
causes of the war. They censure the
Overland Express Company for its
order directing the employees to shoot
down all Indians who came near its
posts, and thank the military for pre-
venting Green Clay Smith, Governor
of Montana, from waging unprovokcd
war with her militia upon the Crow
Indians, with whom we have always
been at peace, They censure Con-
gress for its tardy and inefficient
manner of dealing with the Indian
question, and the various missionary
societies of the country for overlook
ing the home field and turning their
attention to the ends of the earth
They recommend that the Indian
Bureau be made a separate depart
ment, leaving Congress to determine
whether its head shall not be a mem.
Der OF the Cabinet; that no more
money annuitics be paid to Indians,
but that whatever is due them be ex.
pended in buying agricultural imple-
monts, food, and clothing; that re-
newed efforts be made to promote
civilization among the various tribes;
that friendly Indians shall be con-
trolled and dealt with by the civil
arm Of tho Government, through a
now department f; that power to de
clare was with any tribe shall be
placed in the President; that any
tribe assuming hostile attitude, or
refusing to keep peace, shall, by the
President, be put under the charge of
the military; that Congress designate
a time, not later than February, 1860,
when all Iudian agencies, aud super.
intendcncics shall be declared vacant,
only the best men Of the present in
cumbents to be reappointcd, aud that
the Governors of the Territories, who
are generally politicians, should not
be made suporintoudents, and that
our Indian interior laws be compiled
and printed and published for gen.
eral circulation. They also recon,
mend setting off part of two reser-
vations exclusively for Ird an occupa-
tiou; that for the Southern Indians
being what is known as the Indian
Territory, aud that for the Northern
Indians being portion of Dakota
Territory, bounded on the north by
the forty.ffth parallel, east by the
Missouri river, south by the Nebros-
ka, and west by the Que hundred and
fourth meridian- They recommend,
finally, that the Commission be CON
tiuued and sent out in the spring to
meet the Northern indians, who have
expressed a willingness to hold a
council at that time.