The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1869-12-09

respect for the rights of Others Third, A
union OF all the States with equal rights
| indestructible by any unconstitutional
means.
To secure the first of these Congress
has taken two essential steps. First, in de-
claring by joint resolution that the public
| debt should be paid principal and interest
in coin. Second, by providing means for
paying. These measures, however,
could not secure the object desired with
| out proper administration of the laws for
collection of the revenues and economical
disbursement of them. To this subject
the administration has most earnestly adj
dressed itself, with results, believe, salts
factory to the country. There has been
no hesitation in changing officials in order
to secure the efficient execution of the
laws; sometimes, too, where in a mere
party view undesirable political results
were likely to follow for any hesitation in
sustaining efficient officials against remOn-
strances wholly political 1t may be well
to mention here embarrassments possible
to arise from leaving on the statute books
the sO-called Tenure Of Office act, and to
earnestly recommend its total repeal 1t
could not have been the intention
| of the trainers of the Constitution,
|
made by the President should re-
ceive the consent of the Senate, that
the latter should have the power to retain
in office persons placed their by Federal
| appointments against the will of the Pres
ident. The law is inconsistent with a
faithful and efficient administration of the
government. What faith can the Execu-
tive put in officials forced upon him, and
those, too, whom he has suspended for
reason? How will such officials serve an
administration which they know does not
trust them? For the second requisite to our
growth and prosperity, time and expert
ence will affirm; but humane administra-
tlon OF existing laws, amended from time
to time, as they may prove ineffective, or
prove harsh and unnecessary, are probably
all that are required The third cannot
be attained by special legislation. but
must be regarded as fixed by the Constitu-
tiOn itself, and gradually acquiesced in
| by force of public opinion.
| From the foundation of the Government
to the present, th" management of the
original inhabitants of this continent, the
Indians, has been the subject of embar-
rassment ard expense, and has been at
| tended with continuous rObberies, muir
dcrs and wars. From my own experience
upon the frontiers and Indian countries,
do not hold either legislation or the conduct
OF the whites who come most in contact
| with Indians blameless for their hOstilities
! The last, however, cannot be undOne,
and the question must be met as we now
find it, / have adopted a new policy to-
ward these wards of the natiOn-they
cannot be regarded in any other light than
as wards-with fair results SO far tried
and which | hope will be attended uti-
mately with great success The society of
! Friends is well known as having succeed
ed in living in peace with the Indians in
the early settlement of Pennsylvania
when their white neighbOrs of other sects
in other sections were constantly embrOil
ed. They are also known for their op-
position to all strife, violence and war,
and are generally noted for their strict
integrity and fair dealings These con-
siderations induced me to give the manage
ment of few reservations of Indians to
them, and to throw the burden of the
selection of agents upon the society itself,
and the result, ,has;proven most satisfactory.
1t will be found more fully set forth in the
report of the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs. For Superintendents and In
dian agents not on reservations, officers
\
for this. are numerous. When Indian agents
are sent there or near there, troops must
be sent also. The agent and the COM
mander of the troops are independent of
each other, and are subject to orders from
the different departments of the govern
mcnt. The army officer holds position
for life, the agent one at the will of the
President. The former is personally in
terested in living in harmony with the
| Indian and the establishment of per-
manent peace, to the end that some portion
OF his life may be spent within the limits
OF civilized section; the latter has no
such personal interest. Another reason
Is an economic one, and still another hold
which the government has upon a
life officer to secure faithful dis
charge OF duties in carrying out a given
policy. The buildingof railroads and the
access thereby given to all the agricultural
and mineral regions of their country is
rapidly bringing civilized settlements in
contact with all tribes of Indians. No mat
ter what ought to be the relations between
such settlements and the aborIgines, the
fact is they do not harmonic well, and
one or the other has to give way in the
end. A system which looks to the exter-
mlnatiOn OF race IS too horrible for a ma
ton to adopt without entailing upon itself
the wrath of all Christendom and engen.
dering in the citizen a disregard for hu-
man lite and the rights of others danger
Gus to society. l see no substitute for
such system except in placing all the
Indians on large reservations as rapidly as
can be done, and giving them absolute
protection thcre as soon as they are fitted
for it. They should be induced to take
their lands in general and to set up terri
torial governments for their own protec-
tion. For full details on this subject |
call your special attention to the reports
of the Secretary of Interior and the Com
missioner of Indian Affairs.
The report Of the Secretary Of War
shows the expenditures of the War De-
partment for the year ending the 30th OF
June, 1869, to be $S0,G44,042, of which
$23, 1892 ,301 was disbursed in the payment
OF debts contracted during the war, and
is not chargeable to the current army ex-
penses. The estimate of $34, ,531 OBJ for
the expenses of the army for the next fis
cal year is as low as it is believed can be
relied on. The estimates of Bureau Of
ficers have been carefully scrutinized and
reduced wherever it has been DENIED prac-
ticable. If, however, the condition OF the
"
of the next fiscal year as to admit of a
greater concentration of troops, the apprO
priation asked for will not be expended.
The appropriation estimate for river and
harbOr improvements and for Notifications
are submitted separately. Whatever
amount Congress may deem proper to ap-
propriate for these purposes will be
expended. The Recommendation of the
General of the Army that appropriations
be made for the forts at Boston, Portland
New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans
and San Francisco, if for no other, is con-
Cured in. l also ask your special atten-
ton to the recommendation of the Gene
raj commanding the military division OF
the Pacific for the sale of the seal islands
of st. Paul and st. George, Alaska Terri
tory, and suggest that it either be com
piled with, or that legislation be had foi
the protection of the seal fisheries, from