The New York herald., 1869-12-08
III be required for the pension service during the


eceacy as aids to the ONCE IL protecting the gov.
eminent against fraudulent claims.
Tae pension "a agents arr now entitled 20 per.
item. In my Judgment thus is the exact opposite OF
the true rule Ia such cases. The governments may
be beL Gifted by paving collecting officers percent
age on their c0cctlons, since their vigilance Is stn
ulated in tnat wav; but to the olcers
saton IN tne ratio OF the amount disburss0. Is to
make il his interest TO De blind to frauds which
tend to increase the payments to be made by him.
and his own consequent profit would recommend.
therefore, that tho salaries or the several pension
agents be liked at the amount actuslly paid them
during the past nscaj year. and that the sliding
scale, dependent upon dlsburs6ments be abolished.
/, Under the presen. laws examining surgeons are
apointe from the medical men resident IN the
various districts OF the country They examine the
applicants for pension in their own neghDorh0Od.
such applicants paying the fee therefor. which (s
repaid TO the applicant II the pension 9 hnany
granted Under TINS RUE the feelings OF good neigh
borhood, the disposition TO favor friend, and the
desire 10 extend MS own practice by increasing MS
popularity. all tempt the examiner to be lax.
and there is conclusive evidefce tnat such axity
has greatly and Improperly Increased the pension
roll ana the consequent burdens oi taxnlion. ~ !
medical officers be permanently attached 70 the
Pension Once. to make the required examinations
invalid pensions or an increase OF rate and that the
fees now paid for such examinations be turned Into
o fund for paying proper salaries TO such med-caI
INDIAN AFFAIRS
The problems presented by our relations to the
Indian tribes winch still lnnaDlt portions or the
Western States ana Territories are every year max.
ing more imperative demands for fixed general
policy that snail give some reasonable probability OF
an early aud satisfactory solution.
The completion Of one 0f the great lines Of rail-
way TO the Pacao coast has totally changed the con-
country come In contact with the Wild tribes.
Instead Of q slowly advancing tide OF migration.
ence OF the great interior wilderness. the
very centre OF the desert has been pierced.
nSoeus ior upon asea and Dass
from which mes OF exploration for both mineral and
agricultural wealth are pushed IN every dlrectlOn.
Daily trains carrying thousands OF citizens
and untOd values Of merchandise across the Cont
nent, and must be protected from the danger OF
having hostile tribes either side Of the route The
range OF the bunalO ls being rapidly reJtrlcted and
the chase iS becoming an uncertain reliance 70 tn0
Indian for the sustenance OF his family II ne Is In
want he Will roD, white men do In the ike circum
stances, ana robbery Is but the beginning OF war In
which savage paI bar.tie and retaiatlons soon
whole frontier.
1t mas long been the policy OF the government to
require OF tue tribes most nearly in contact with
white settlements that tney should fx their abode
upon defnlte reservations and abandon the wander
Ing life 70 which they had been accustomed. 10
encourage them In civilization large expenditures
have been made In furnishing them with the means
OF agriculture and with clothing adapted to tIelr
new policy is not so much neeoed as an en-.
larged and more enlightened application OF the gen.
erai prncpes Oh tae oa one are now ~ Con
and can no longer assume that we may. even Tor q
time, leave arge part OF them out OF the operation
understand this policy to look to two objects:-
First, the location Of the Indians upon liked
reservations 30 tnat the pioneers ana settlers may
be freed from the terrors OF wandering hostile
tribes; and second. IN earnest effort at their CIVIL
cation, 80 that they may themselves be elevated In
the scale OF humanity and our obligation TO them as
fellew.men be discharged.
in carrying out TINS policy o great practical dim
must must Instances Inst s'A separate ressrva,on @ ' was
given 10 each tribe. These reservations
nave been surrounded and gradually invaded
hv q w mite flara md ma uian nnr
OF their homes and forced to negotiate for new
settlement because Their presence Their habits and
more powerful neighbofs.
Is believed thai the only remedy for this condi-
tlon OF shings s 70 encoulags Tue indians 70 assent
Will be aggregated, and whero the more civIlizel Of
them viii influence the others In striving to progress
an act 10 enable tue civilized Indians OF the Indian
Territory, properly SO called to form .
ments OF territorial government; but the requisite
appropriations OF money have not been made TO
carry the plan into eject. would earnestly recom-
The associatOu tribes OF which the Cher0kees nave
taken the lead are those best lifted for iuller K
Iamiliar with most OF the lorns OF executive cRlsa-
tive and judicial action IN use among US, and be-
lievc them well prepared to dispense with the TUE
lage OF our agents, II they may nave delegate OF
their upon the floor OF the House OF Representa-
tveA 10 speak for them. Both they and we are sui
iering for the lack OF sucn direct representation.
The white constituencies which are nearest 10
them are the ones OF all the nation whose interests
are most Ia opposition, and whose personal tenden-
are most hostic to theirs. The representatives
OF such constituencies would be more than human
If they were not influenced BY this fact Represen-
taton 0y the troes themselves and RESPONSE
bic to themselves Is the only mode OF making the
country acquainted with their condition aud WITH our
obligations to them. In such territory the tribal
organization would easIly merge lnto the county,
and the territorial legislature would not be very DIFF
ferent from the grand councils At present In vogue
among them.
The indians north OF the Platte river are not yet
prepared FOR q similar concentrations; but the time
cannot be far distant when two or three principal
Indian territories may properly embrace all the
tri0es east OF the Rocky Mountains without such
system they Will inevitably go through the old pro-
cess OF being hrst surrounded and then overwhelmed
and destroyed by the white immigration. As they
advance III intelligence they VIII need no urging to
adopt this plan, Tor they win see as plainly as we
that the existence OF their race depends upon II.
as ia me poy o % M ota9 s nes w
and VIII be equally necessary whenever aud wher-
ever the ieuds existing among them can be so lar
Settled tnat they can ve togesher In peaceful neigh
bOrhO0d. Upon such permanent reservations farms
should be allotted IN severaiJ as soon as any dlsp0-
ment offered to stimuate the uesre Tor property OF
liked character.
The late peace commission negotiated treaties
with all the principal tribes east OF che Rocky Noun
talns and were guided their action by the genera
views stated ABOVE, which indeed may be saId to
have peen accepted by all dlsnterested persons who
have had an opportunity OF examining the subject
me treaties were duly ratified ana so became the
solemn sS compacs Desween ~ tno United states anu
appropriations were not made TO carry out strictly
the terms OF the treaties; for although the general
as possible In the fulfment OF the obliga-
lions incurred, the Commissioner OF Indian Affairs
faith OF the government and all promises regarding
the future have been douDtngiy received and an
swered by the inqulry-what agreement could be
more binding than that made under the authority OF
Congress by so distinguished persons the am6as-
sadors OF the United Statesf Everything attending
the peace commssisn was OF nature TO excite The
imaglnations Of the Indians ana to impress them
with the Deler that now, more tnan ever before we
were thoroughly In earnest In our negota-
tions. Tne disappointment Is proportiOnally
great, and the comparative quiet which has
been maintained througnout the year could only
have been secured by greatly increased care and un
tring effort on the part OF the ocers OF the Indian
Bureau and OF the army officers. who have ope-
rated with the greatest zeal In carrying out peace
ful policy.
A savage h the last person with whom any