New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-02-06
DAKOTA.
INDIAN AFFAIRs-CHARAcTER OF AGENTs-THE
LATE CoMMIssION-wHAT SHOULD BE DONE.
r,om IN, snecal Correspondent

INDIAN AFFArRs-cHARAcTER OF AGEsrs-THE
LATE CoSIMIssION-wHAr SHOULD BE DONE.
''O" 01' YANKros u. T.. Jan. 81, 1868.
Enclosed I send you memorial of the Legis
atre OF Dakota relative to Indian affairs Dakota and
since the Indian question has become important one
have taken the liberty of giving you my in relation
10 the question from Association with them, more or
less for the last ten years. shall take for my text the
following extract from the report Of the Indian Commits
sion. They say:
1--WE know nothing about agriculture; we have lived
On came from our infancy We love the chase. These
are the wide plains which the vast herds OF buffalo
roam In the Spring they pass from the south to the
,ryies Where they go you have settlement, and If
YOU had there room enough for us both Why limit us
the game If you want tho lands for sttlement, come
and settle them %e VII nS wnst we w sare
with YOU II we want bread and you have IT to spare
give il 10 but do not sP1 US v6 IRON yOT s GSo ne
milton give il or sell IT TO us We Will not uset 10 hurt
you but pledge you all we hayen0. ,eo'@'h'' az inc
risk Of our own we will defend your lives
We think the above a sufficiently strong argument
against the plan of separate territory to be set apart
for the exclusive use OF the Indians, but you ASK ona
continue tho present iniquitoas system VIC 9"y
emphatcay No. for it Is rotten to the core anu eIo
quote from the Commission again; But ltslbSstcu '"
the present Indian service is corrupt ana that TINS change
shond be made TO get rid OF the dishonest Ihat here
are many bad men connected with the service cannot be
denied The records abundant to show that agents
have pocketed the funds appropriated by the Govern
ent and driven the Indians starvation 10 cannot be
doubted that Indian wars nave originated lIohi sis
The Sioux war In Nnnssoa Il SUPPOSE 10 hv
from what know OF the indian service; ir ni or
could have been done VII" than has been done
with the entire amount for the last 10 years inc Local
agents are not the only dishonest persons connected with
the service but il commences al Washington, and, in our
opinion there more dishonesty at inc CAPITA a, 'i
elsewhere. 1t is asked. How do You know tiat
answer. IL happen that flour DOugnb by tnc
department mt Washington when delivered to the lndl-
"a good our is selling at retail at the post for S2
y 100 10 Asst is In this article, so IL Is win al
others which generally cost at least onethrd more t
the same goods sold for by the merchants NJ inc
places whore such goods are sold For further nIorI
ton Indian Affairs are conducted would rser you
70 mage $50 OF the Commissioner OF Indian Anars re-
port for the year 1ssspee report OF Alexander John
ported Is carried with impunity, and winked at ny
The authorities at Washington - A.. cor,,,,ss,orors
are practicable and will work no better than me present
system. All the trouble win tne lnuisi dS h ~ ~
directly. results from the inelcency ana Va
those having control OF them. In THIS respect we aee
with the COMMISSIONERS iurther hah tnaS vii coy r
the Indians should have been located on sha IeseT
tons, and absorbed in the various States III WHICH ny
were originally located: ana me pest rat et o W tb
with them at present Is to turn the managenen on nei
at 10 the states ana IeIrltOries III witch e
arc located and let those states locate them on small
atoms. from time TO time as me setetneI Oh t
country requires. These states ana territories cvuiu
they cared for now, with one-haI ,t ol
the money that ia expended, abolish the
thousands to the Government and by doing you will
away with the system Of making Indian agents OUT 9i
baukrupts and thieves, men destitute OF every plhcpe
Of morality truth or honor The churches and better
portion OF the people viii at once nave ter
enlisted in their behalf and 1t viii be Du lew years Dc
or. we shall see them partially civilized and christian
lied. The state and Territorial legislatures VIII at
that they longer robbed wronged since
they will feel that they aSe special guardians OF tne IN
dlau aud they will always have sufficient Information 10
AT h romnision think IL strange that our churches
have taken more interest in The welfare oil me inuans
In only say that under the present system
they could hardly go among the Ihuans N ". b ta
nsuted and laughed to by majority OF the lnan
Present condition of the Indian Should missionaries
among them agents could not amass from $4,000 10 sengo
of the Indians in four short years To show now mem
cent and expensive the present system Is we VIII take
two OF Sioux Indians lankton sioux ana santeo
Sloux The Yankton Sioux number 800 the Santee sioux
1850 this number If probably from 10 TO 90 700 are
The Yankton Sioux are located on III
Territory containing 100000 Of the best agcunra
rh ,r,aes in Srbraska about 30 miles below and
sioOoo appropriated yearly for them. OF course they
have two agents and all the other employees &c %e ior
keeping tie two establishments Now why are not these
two bands united they are OF the same trpe anu All
placed the same reservation say Ihe danhton' ,nen
and child, which certainly 90 too much TO eacb,
and then cut the Santees annuites down onehaf ana
thereby 10000 to the Government stu the In
dams have been very poor AT Times, even starving,
while their agents have become very rich Ihe
writer has seen about dozen employees on thIs
Nankton agency paid with Indian money ana all WORK
fahenaw he has seen same agent come 70 the agency
bankrupt and In three years thereafter boast that he
X.
the management Of the Indians over to the states
and Territories In which they are now located ana tneIe
10y slough OF OF corruption. and one that sa
disgrace Government or, II Congress Is AFRAID 10
them TO the Of these States and territories
then let them turn the Indian 10 some missionary
society and say here, will give you onethird VI the
amount OF money have been eXpending for the last
Indians. and i will guarantee that IN less than
ten years such men as compose the American Board
Of Commissioners OF Foreign Missions would make these
Indians all self supporting instead Of costing the Govern
ment millions at present. some so Of these sanee
Indians that have referred to- az the present time
working IanktOn, doing ell kinds Of work. both male
and female and they good workers as any other
by the Indian H. that under the present system there IS
desire the part of his managers that he never should
do anything Tho territory selected in Dakota by the
Commission for separate Indian Territory Is not ss
bic for Indian territory 10 being almost entirely min
era country and containing all the pine timber In the
territory consisting Of millions OF acres and as gold has
been discovered larger portion OF the same. II
should not apart for the Indians exclusively nor Is
there many Indians located IN that country at the
Time the country directly north OF H. which
Is equally well fitted for tIndans. The people or this
territory have no objections TO the Indians
portion OF Dakota but they think it is better for the
whole country that the mineral portion and that covered
with fine timber should be TO all, rs large portion
OF the must have the pine and coal OF that
gon order to settle and improve the vast prairie TO
the Of the same, and, II the quotation have made
from the report OF the Commissioners be true II is all the
Indians desire They willing the whites should settle
among theU and there will be trouble OF the two v
ing side by Side can get rid OF the present
SYSTEM for under it, the agent wants none around him
TO witness bis populations.