The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-11

EDITORIAL Opinions Of the Lending Journals
Uoon Current ToDlcs-ComDiied Every
bay for the Evening Telegraph.
QUAKERs AND INDIANS.

The association of Friends with Indians
has sweet traditionary fragrance that is
likely to last 1t looks as if General Grant
had done a wise thing in selecting commits
sioners from that body Of Christians whose
name suggests kindness, and whose prlncl-
pies pledge them to simplicity, sincerity,
honesty, and peace. These good men-whose
names are BENJAMIN Hallowell, of Baltimore
Yearly Meeting Franklin Haines of New
York Yearly Meeting John Dudley and
Joseph Powell, of Philadelphia Yearly Meet
ing-have made report of their expedition to
visit the Indians in the Northern Superin-
tendency in the State of Nebraska. There
are six reservations in the State. The Paw
nees came first in order, their reservation
lying but about one hundred miles west of
Omaha; next came the Iowas, Sacs and
Foxes, who occupy ground in the extreme
southeastern corner of the State; the Otoes
and Missourias lie to the west OF
Theses the Santee Sioux occupy reser-
vation in the northwestern part of the State;
the Winnebagoes are on the Missouri r1Ver,
but a short distance from Sioux City; the
location of the Omahas is adjacent to that of
the Winnebagoes All these six agencies are
under the care of Friends, each having an
agent who resides on the reservation and
who represents the care of the General Gov
ernment The superintendent of them all
is Samuel M. Janney, who lives at Omaha
Those men, Mr.. Janney included, were ap-
pointed ON the recommendation of the Indian
committee of the Friends. They went to
work last May.
Evidence outside of the report goes to show
that these agencies work well. Mr.. Janney
has made two visits to all the reservations
since his appointment. The influence of the
new agents is already seen in the greater
content of the Indians on the reservations,
their increasing Willingness to work, and the
disposition to adopt more and more the habits
of civilized life. Drunkenness is diminishing,
industry is becoming systematic; industrial
schools for the children have been instituted
and are found to succeed promisingly. The
peace-making agents encourage the arts of
labor, in preference to those of war and the
chase; and already the Indians begin to ask
for implements of agriculture, in place of the
guns, ammunition, and knives they required
under the old dspensation.
From the unstudied narrative before us we
are confirmed in the impression that maltreat-
ment of every kind and degree on the part of
settlers and of Government agents has pro-
duced good deal, perhaps the largest part.
of the misery, dissatisfaction, and ferocity of
the savages To the inquiries of the dele
gates, complaints of knavery, thieving, vio-
lence, bad or broken treaties, were the in
variable answer. What the red men wanted
Government. In some instances as with the
Pawnees, there was an inclination to be stub
born in their demand for something the
agents had no authority to give, and were
determined, if possible, to withhold: but they
yielded at length, on being assured that every
reasonable request should be attended to and
the influence of the authorities directed
towards their satisfaction. 1t was clear that
the agents were gaining power over the sim
pie creatures by their moral virtues. They
were winning confidence; and, backed as they
were by the General Government their words
were believed. Truthfulness and kindness
had been steadily making their mark, and
were slowly-not so very slowly either
erasing the lines stamped on the Indian dis
position by suspicion and anger.
Thus far the new experiment has worked
well. The press and correspondents of
Eastern papers from Western cities bear their
new policy and its missionaries. Some of the
anticipations may be too sanguine; the sweet
souled Friends may interpret too generously
the moral and spiritual manifestations that
were exhibited to them, and build too much
on superficial signs of progress. Their faith
in human nature seems to be in advance of
their knowledge of human character. But it
rs so delightful to Nave any honest testimony
In regard to the dispositions and capacities of
the Indians, it is SO pleasant to hear good
men speak hopefully of them, that we are in
clined to take their accounts literally, and be-
lieve that all they prophesy will come to pass
Surely, these fine Gospel methods will bring
it to pass, if the salvation of the poor Indians
is written in the book of destiny