, 1870-12-29
THE LHDIANs,
letter from william wcIel. Eso.-
EInuds in lndinn Affairs

letter from william wclah. Esa.-
EInuds in lndinn Affairs.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. q.
Iii DEAN sla: 6n reaching homo from
Washington, at midnight, I found your note,
announcing tho arrival ol Mr. Lang, your col
league in the Board Of Indian Commissioners.
Tie called to sec mo this morning; and, nl-
though frauds in Indian anairs were very
great in tie region t5ayersed, set Mr. Lang
discovered etill greater frauds In the Southern
1udian Territory, from which he has just re-
turned Te1As oxen, Weighing 934 pounds.
vcuched for and paid for II i, zoo pounds, fell
under my observation; but Mr. Lang saw
tuch certified At ! 800 pounds each. He also
witnessed the payment Of $50. 900 to tie Qus-
Fastment, one-third of the sum, gay e30, 900,
being takeu BY General Blunt, on tie plea
that he bad procured the legislation at much
coet OF time and money. Theae and other ini-
auities Will be revealed by the Appropriation
Committee Of tho House Of Representatives, a.
Il u chafesd by resolution with the invest.-
gatlon o. thete and other wrongs. The Pres
ideht Of the United States desired tnat com
nittee to search the a1aiss thoroughly, and
not to screen any guilty party, whether in =
high or low cf1ice.
Yesterday. Willie examining vouchers in tie
Office Of tue Second auditor. my feelings were
stirred up by seeing tho criminal waste be-
cause your Board OF Commissioners Was not
called on TO euperfiee ali expenditures Of
money and to inspect all goods purchased for
Indians, in accordance with the act OF Cen
grtss. When fret looked ut these vouchers.
before writing my report, my indignation was
not sesy passive, 9ut, yesterday, the case
dlan Office, whero the Lcting Commissioner Of
Indian Affairs had declined to send tent cloth.
even At the urgent requeet of tho agent Of the
Upper Brule !nciane, who pleaded for the life
OF women and children exposed TO the winters
cold. The excuse was the fear that top n.cch
OF tho appropriation Aad already bcen epcnt
10 Justify such an expenditure.
Spotted Tail and his associates had carried
70 thcif people tho pledge By our government
that good lodges should be given, as skin
tereta could no longer DO made, az hunting
the bnffal0 lad been forbidden. They said
that fraudulent contractors had sent sheeting
that could not resist the fierce winds Of that
regicp, instead Of furnishing stout cotton tent
cloth. had recently passed over the very
ground where three hundred helpless children,
with many fond Indian mother, had periahed
in the winter through similar bad faith by
government ofllcia1s. With these thoughts in
my mind, do you wonder that such vouchers
as this impEeased me deeply: November
%, PISS 600" to = rich contractor, where The
prcdt must hkvo been over lbs per cent. I
feel the moro deeply becauee the head Chief
had recently said he would bo elald to
have school tor his children II ali Of them
did not perish iuling the winter. TIE dam
have pleaded SO earnestly. His p1eadings,
however, wero specially for widowe and fath.
erleta children. The cost of tents will be
about e3,5OD, and $500 should be expended to
give ponies 10 twenty at the Indians who have
been foremost In cultivsting the dry soil on
which the Upper lsru1es wefc forced to live.
THIS present was pledged to them By The
Congressional Peace Commissioners, and
there Ieens Eow TO bs all urgent need
for its immediate fulfilment. Osine
10 the abseneo of rain, not 4 einele
ear Of corn reached matui,y lAst sum.
| mer dcsponcency is settling down upon
this people, and under such a bautful in.
nutnce Indians degenerate rapidly. Oae OF
theeo Indian tillers of the soil insisted on nv
| tnkirg and returning to the g1vers alt tho GER
tlficates OF coed conduct aud friendship fol
tho Hhites that he had received at various
times from Peace Commissioners. army Off
GERS, snd others, Is he said these p1pcra con.
tanned false promises only. This mau, being
heatheu Chief, ii further dieheartened,
! might naturally head enmc Of the hostile mar.
tics that occasionally mako incursious on
! whltc eettlera- Although We muet by force
RESTRAIN tucl'. yet it is very wrong, as well Al
INV isc. to e1aApcrate tho Ir1ian by acting il
| lad faith toward him.
do not like to tax our over r-burdoncC Pres.
ident with euch comparative trites, but it il
| pcssible that Secretary Delhno may, on biz
| return to Washington, give the subje.t favor.
able consideration. Immediate action should
however, bo had, ard it is probable that tht
publication Of THE letter may induce ten per.
eo1ls, In this and other citiss, to guarantee te
you the cost Of these tents and horses il the
government does not authorize tile purchase
I will gladly be oas OF Tic ten; AID would vii
liuFly 70 further but for other engagements
made during my last journey
Thete need be no fear fox the in-nediatt
future Of The Iudlans, nj euch stream, =.
popular indignation Ii NOW rushing toTarj ill.,
Indian Office that that Augran stanjt
will ut last bc thorough,
cleaned. The Senate aud Uouet
Of Representatives., sm satisfied from nor
soral observation, gro now fully prepared to
sustain tho nlcrciful Indian policy Of presi
dent Grant, while tho powerful lotbyiste, viii
their ample pccaniaty resources. find it dill
cult 10 Induce one prominent nan or ! 70
rpectablc newspaper to advocate only thci.
unrighteous Gauge,
1ttuet you may see your way clear to send
twenty bates OF good cotton tent cloth, viii
peedles and twinc, 10 the Whetstoao Agency
on The Missouri River. and also to au,lotiz,
lilo worthy sgcnt 10 give ponies to twenty Iu
| dams who have ststyen to cultivate tho soil
| 1oura. sincerely, WILLIAM WELSH.
| No. 1122 Spruce street.