The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-21
Reports Of tho Commissioncr Of India
Affairs and General Sherman.

Reports Of tho Commissl0ncr Of Indian
Affairs and General sherman.
The report Of the Commissioner Of In
dian Affairs, which has been submitted
to our readers, embraces many Indian
treaties, some of them of very suspicious
complexion, and many recommendations for
the amelioration of the condition of destitute
Indian tribes and quite number of requisi-
tions for more troops to reduce the fighting In
dams to law and order; but it has no general
system to recommend for the settlement of this
Indian question. The Indians will probably,
by whiskey, debauchery, disease, starvation
and predatory wars, be rapidly exterminated,
saving the remnant of q tribe here and there
provided with reservation and taught the
cultivation of the soil. But, do what we may
for him, it seems to be the fate of the red man
to disappear before the pale face. and within a
few generations, at the rate the red men are
going, the places which knew them will know
them no more forever. But, however this
may be there are immediate difficulties to be
grappled with which threaten serious interfer-
ence with our designs to settle our vast West
ern territory and complete the Union Pacific
Railroad. Upon these distinct points Gen
eral Sherman dilates very fully in his repor:
to the War Department After stating in
detail the incidents Of the outrages committed
in General Sheridans department during the
past few months, which have already appeared,
from time to time, in the columns Of the
HERALD, he complains that the military au-
thorities can take no Independent action, can
not prevent settlers from locatin z themselves
In dangerous localities on the frontier, nor
prevent the civil authorities at Washington from
extending surveys and granting patents of
public land for the purpose of building rail-
roads, establishing mail routes and 80 forth,
as though that part Of the country were in pro-
savages. ''We the military" says General
Sherman, fare daily and hourly called on for
guards and escorts, and are left in the breach
to catch all the kicks and cuffs Of war Of
races without the privilege Of advising or
being consulted beforehand"
We have reason to know that these views
are shared by nearly every army officer on the
frontier General Sherman, naturally enough,
recommends the adoption OF the plans suggested
by the Peace Commission at Chicago, Of which
he was prominent member, namely, that the
Indians should be bound by treaties to retire to
certain reservations and leave the region Of
the Pacific Railroad unmolested, the govern
ment engaging to provide for them. This may
be very well If il can only be accomplished
but under the present management this Is sim
ply impossible, for there is no disposition on
the part of the Indian Bureau TO '1et ns have
peace" on the frontier If IL can be prevented.
A more cogent argument Of General Sherman
is this--which we have urged over and over
again in these columns-that s'the only hope
to end any end to this eternal Indian war is in
the transfer Of the entire business to the War
Department" That win settle the whole mat
ter. Sherman and Sheridan, with their brave
subordinate officers, If left to themselves and
properly supplied with troops, can bring 'ths
eternal Indian war to an end in one cam
paign.