The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-06
THE INTERIOR.
Operations of His Department
During the Year-The In
dian Question and its
Present Aspect.

From the lengthy report OF General JACOB D. Cox,
Secretary Of the Department OF the INTERIOR which
was transmitted TO Congress at noon to-day, we take
the following extracts, embracing the most material
portions of the document
During the last fiscal year public lands were dis
posed of, by cash sales, and by grants for home
steads railroads. etc, to the amount OF 1866, 15 91
acres quantity G greater by 1oo4os47 acres than
An appropriation of 1864, ,42O for the Patent ONCE
the coming year is asked for.
1t is estimated that, exclusive or the amount
chargeable to the navy-penslon fund.- S30,000,00
VIII be required for the pension service during the
next fiscal year.
In the matter of the new policy towards the In
dian tribes, the Secretary suggests the following
! understand this policy to look to two obeCts:-
First the location or the Indians upon fixed reser-
vations, so that the pioneers and settlers may be
freed from the terrors Of wandering hostile tribes
and, second, earnest effort at their civilization so
that they may themselves be elevated in the scale of
humanity, and our obligation to them as fellow-men
be discharged.
In carrying out this policy a great practical dln-
Guilty has arisen from the fact that in most instances
a separate reservation was given to each trloe
These reservations have been surrounded and gra-
dually invaded by the white Settlers and the Indians
crowded out of their homes, aed forced to negotiate
for new settlement, because their presence their
habits and their manners were distasteful to their
new and more powerful neghbors.
1t Is believed that the only remedy for this cOnd
tion OF things is to encourage the Indians to as
semble upon larger reservations, where their num-
bers viii be aggregated, and where the more civil
lized of them Will influence the others in striving to
progress in the arts of peace Congress has already
passed an act to enable the civilized Indians OF the
Indian Territory, properly so called, to form gene
raj organization, with most OF the elements of ter
ritorial government; but the requisite apprOprla-
tiOns have not been made to carry the plan into
effect. / would earnestly recommend that no
further delay be made in this matter. The assoc-
ated tribes OF which the Cherokees have taken the
lead, are those best fitted for fuller experiment in
self government. They are already familiar with
most.of the forms OF executive, legislative, ana u-
dlcial action in use among u.s. and believe them
well prepared to dispense with the tutelage Of our
agents. If they may have a delegate Of their S,yu
upon the moor of the House Of Representatives to
speak for them,
Both they aud we are suffering for the lack OF such
direct representation. The white constituencies
which are nearest to them are the ones of all the
nation whose interests are most in opposition and
whose personal tendencies are most hostile to theirs
The representatives OF such constituencies would be
more than human If they were not Influenced by this
fact. Representation chosen by the tribes them
selves, and responsible to themselves, is the only
mode OF making the country acquainted with their
condition and with our obligations to them In such
a territory the tribal organization would easily
merge into the county, and the territorial legislature
would not be very different from the grand councils
| at present in vogue among them.
The Indians north OF the Platte river are not yet
prepared for q similar concentration; but the time
cannot be far distant when two or three principal
| Indian territories may properly embrace all the
tribes east OF the Rocky Mountains. Without such
| system they will inevitably go through the old
process of being first surrounded and then over
Whemed and destroyed by the white immigration.
| AS they advance in Intelligence they will need no
urging TO adopt this pan for they Will see as plainly
as we that the existence OF their race depends
upon 1t.
apply TO the country west Of the Rocky Mountains,
and will be equally necessary whenever ana wher-
ever the feuds existing among them can be so far
settled that they can live together In peaceful neigh
borhOod Upon such permanent reservations farms
should be allotted In seVeralty soon as any dispo-
sitiOn TO agriculture is awakened, and every Induce