The New York herald., 1870-01-18
The Gevern.ons and tho Indians.

The Govornnont and tho Indians.
It Is manifest from our Washington corres-
pondence that government ID vigilAntIy
and resolutely attending to the case OF
'Lo, the poor Indian" in all its phases.
Information has been received from Montana
showing that the most vigorous measures have
been adopted to enforce the Territorial Grim
inal laws against the Dlaokfeet Indians, who
last fall murdered Malcolm Clark, prominent
citizen Of the Territory, in his own house.
The murderers were indicted and deputation
was sent to Washington to urge on the PresI-
dent the policy Of instructing the United States
Marshal to execute, with whatever force should
be necessary, the warrant Of arrest. The duty
of the government was at once fully recognized
by President Grant, but the question was not
Immediately determined as to whether civil
process could be executed against the resis-
tance Of whole Indian tribe. On December
90. however, the United States Marshal,
accompanied by an adequate military force,
left Helena for Teton river to demand from the
Blackfeet Indians the murderers of Clark, and
If necessary forcibly to arrest them. This II
the true policy for government, which has also,
we understand, ordered military protection in
aid Of the development Of the Arizona mines.
At the meeting of the Indian Commission with
the Senate and House Committees on Indian
Affairs, the Secretary of the Interior and Com
missioner Parker, on Saturday last, Commits
sioner Colyer repeated his report Of tho
previous day on Arizona and New Mexico.
Commissioner Brunat gave an account of the
trip Of himself and his colleagues into the
Indian Territory, and the Secretary Of the
Interior urged upon the Congress joint
committee the value Of the services Of
the Indian Commission, very justly calling
attention to the facts that although
it had been in existence only six months it
had visited half the Indian tribes in the Union,
at an expense of less than one-third of the
small OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES thousand
dollars-for the purpose, and had served
wholly without pay. Economy is startling
novelty in anything connected with Indian
affairs.
At this meeting Of the Indian Commission
general discussion on the wisdom of abolish
ing the treaty system arose. General Parker,
the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, presented
forcible arguments in favor of abolishing 1t,
and thought reservations essential. It ia,
indeed, a great fallacy to make treaties with
the Indian tribes. Inferior in power, as in
every other respect, they cannot be treated as
| equals. Paper treaties with Indians are
trash. They are only kept by the government
at pleasure, and oftener are not kept at all.
The Indians are wards Of the government, and
| should be treated as such. They should be
ohastised when disobedicnt and provided for
when friendly. The Quaker policy will not
answer SO long as civil process must needs be
executed by aid Of an adequate military force
| against hostile Indians.
As for the peaceable Cherokees, delega-
| ton from whom has just arrived in Washing
ton, there is every prospect that the new
treaty between them and government, now
| pending before the Senate, will be ratified.
| This treaty provides for the sale to govern
ment Of twelve or thirteen million acres for
about three million dollars; SO that the Chero-
KEGS may have no further complications with
other tribes, and that in the settlement of the
Indians government may have, as it ought to
have, the entire control Of them.