The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-02-20

business, or the success Wnicn cFOWhS
their efforts, as may be seen at the an
nual Agricultural Fairs which have heen
instituted among them.
"These Indians exhibit a great inter
est in the education of their children;
and, as their location is such as to give
them the benefit of the common school
system of New York, they are not slow
to avail themselves of the privilege,
there being twenty three schools among
them, containing eight hundred and
seventy-two scholars, out Of popula
ton of under four thousand, larger
portion of scholars to the total popria
ton, than obtains in most white com
munities. Notwithstanding the ravages
of the small pox among the Tonawandas
| by which forty our persons died, the
average number Of births in the agency,
| for the past year. has exceeded the
deaths,''* so that the whole population
| is increasing"
Governor Fenton, Of the State Of New
, York in his last annual message To the
Legislatures, SAYS: s.These Indians in
the SGase Of New York. living upon
reservations. have steadily increased in
population for the last twenty five years,
without being Indebted 10 i:nni grafton
for the result This growth Of tGs
Aboriginal race is opposed TO the theory
of their final extinction; and their era';
ual improy ement in Intelligence and
thrift. even induces the hope, tlas when
ever they shall have Uniformed to the
usages of civilized people iii respect to
the marriage relation, they will be pre-
pared to receive their lands, now held
in common, IS Individual property, and
the principal of their annuties. The
motives which iDcite men to acquire
| wealth and Inheritance for their families
would then operate in the Indians with
appropriate effect and Lhey might ftly
receive and assume ali the privileges
and duties of the citizens" "*
These facts and conclusions are of
areat interest and significance, III the
present condition Of the Indian question
among the tribes west Of the Mississip-
pi. we desire that our "governInent
may calmly weigh the result Of the ex-
pertinent of kind treatment and foster
ing care of the Indians in Western New
| York. There are enough thousands of
these Indians 10 make the experiment of
real value; and the more SO, because
they have been, and are. divided into
separate bands-rniuiature nationaiities
'-encompassed about witt: destructive
influences, in addition to the inherent
extinct from the intermarriage of blood
relations, and TO fose heart flo1n the nu.
merieal weakness of their respective
communities. Ii the New York Indians
could live and pass the crisis, and begin
to thrive and to increase in population,
steadily and permanently, as shown by
the reports of the Commissioners of In
dian Affairs, by the census returns, and
by the message of the Governor of New
York, there can be no ground for de
spairing of like results any where, where
kind treatment and honest regard for
their rights, can be extended to the In
dian race, for sufficient length Of time
to give them faith in the permaneRce OF
such policy
A change of our Indian policy, on the
part of the government. being therefore
evidently demanded by every consider
alton of humanity. Justice and Christian
ity, your memoralists solicit youa stten-
ton to the four following points. which.
in their judgement. if faithfully acted
upon by those in authority. will secure
the objects so ardently desired by all
who have regard for the eternal princ-
Piles of right and justice-the dictates
of Christianity.
First. To restore peace between the
Indians and the government upon the
most fair. just. and liberal terms to. them,
rs to !, likely to secure from all the
tribe, t;.eir FAITHFUL observance OF the
stiput :iras entered into n. G. Fa,loY,
the present Com M s4sStOuer Of Indian
/ Affairs II lis report to Congress, dated
July 18th. 1867, saws, we can have all
we want from The Indians, and peace
without war, we SO will. with entire
security upon all our frontiers, All" n
I'll our territorial domaia at cost u!
less than two days expenses of the ex
listing war, to-wit, quarter Of s. million
of dollars; and in less than one hun
dred days; and this can be done simply
by retraclng our wrong steps, and by
doing right Oh IL the name of all
that IS sacred, let this be done. Let the
representative OF Christian nation.
/ immediately retrace any wrong steps
which may have been taken, and have
( al their transactions and intercources
with these, thelr wards, governed by the
strictest principles OF justice and kind
ness, and an honest regard for their
rights and interests. for all time to come,
SO as to restore and preserve 8 tha bless
ings of peace.
.Sec0nd.-Let the agents and employ
ees who are sent to reside among the
! Indians, be persons of high character
and strict morality, without any regard
| to party bias, and let the Indians be
secured and protected from intrusion
and encroachment by white settlers, and
allow an easy and prompt means Of re-
| dress for wrong and injury inflicted up
on them by the whites, through the pro-
ceedings of judicial tribunal.
Zhird--A difficulty of no small mag
nitude, as the publications referred to
abundantly prove, attends the admins
tration of the affairs of the Indian Ru-
reau. We trust that, in your wisdom,
some measure may be devised to render
it more prompt and efficient, to carry