The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-23
The Evacuation Of Rom
SHERMAN.
His Views ON our Indian difficulties

The following letter from General W. T.
Sherman. dated st. Louis. September 8, and
addressed to o. 7. B. Williams, Cheyenne,
Wyoming, appears in the Cheyenne Stdr:-
Dear hir:-In my hurried departure from Fort
Sanders was unable to stop long enough to
see you aud talk over matters. was member
of the Peace Commission-concurred with it in
some respects but differed with it In others;
and yet, by an executive order, was required TO
conform my military action to its decisions.
There were some members OF that Commission
from. civilians, and then army officers. We
naturally regarded the questions which arose
from our respective standpoints, but in our
conclusions were generally OF one opinion.
/ From the very origin of our Government the
Indians have been held to possess a certain title
to the lands held by them, for the surrender of
which the general Government has always
treated and made compensation. We found the
Cheyennes, Arapahoes, Kiowas, and Sioux in
possession OF the plains traversed by our great
highways, and we proceeded to treat with them
all In detail, and made with them treaties by
which they agreed to surrender to US substan-
TALLY the vast region now embraced in Ne
braska, Kansas, Colorado. and Wyoming,
and to remove and permanently occupy reserva-
tiOns North and South, described ia my General
Orders No. H. To accomplish their removal
Congress has placed in my hands certain moneys
which shall disburse for that sole purpose, and
when Indians have failed to act in good faith
they shall receive nothing from me. ALI indians
are lawfully under the control OF the In
terror Department, by and through civil agents,
but that department is extremely Jealous of any
interference by the military, so that our officers
and soldiers have no right to anticipate Indian
hostilities but can only act against Indians after
the commission of hostile acts. In all the
treaties by the Indian Peace Commissions was
clause of doubtful wisdom, viz, leaving the
Plains Indians the right to hunt budaloes as
long as they lasted, outside their reservations.
Without this condition it was commended no
peace could be concluded, and though the men,
bers varied In opinion, this concession was made
by decided majority and tried on, long as
the Indians maintain peace. But as they have
broken the peace have ordered the military to
renew their efforts TO remove to their proper
reservations all Indians who have not been
drawn into war, and to kill, destroy, and cap
ture all who have been concerned in the recent
acts of hostility. Nearly all the people on the
plains, even the Governors of the States aud
Territories, who ought TO know better, seem to
have an idea that have right to make war
! and peace at pleasure-a right to call out vol
| unteers and pay them, and to do more IN this
connection than any monarch OF constitu-
| tionai kingdom. possess noue OF these powers:
| The regular army is provided by Congress, and
| but small portion OF 1T Is assigned to my CON-
| nand With this small force am required to
| protect the two railroads, the Missouri river
| the various stage routes, amounting In the
| aggregate 10 over eight thousand miles OF
travelled road, besides the incidental protection
OF tens OF thousands OF miles OF frontier settle
ments. Each OF these settlements exaggerates
| its own Importance and appeals for help, from
| Minnesota to Arkansas, and from Montana TO
New Mexico, Were TO grant ten men where