Arizona citizen., 1871-11-18
Saturday,. Nov. IS. 1871
Pima and MaricOpa Indians.

Wednesday, and will be found in The
 Union of the 10th, due here this
 morning. One reads thus:
 WASHINGTON, November S.-Vin-
 cent Colyer has received letter from
 Indian Agent Stout, dated Gila River,
 October 18th, complaining that wkite
 men at the head of the Gila River
 have taken the water for themselves,
 so that the Indians were deprived of
 the means of irrigating the ground
 for agricultural purposes. The Chief,
 Chimkuni, had announced his inten-
 ton of asking permission to take l27
 men and drive the whites off. The
 Indians will have to move away if
 the water does not come, or else
 starve These tribes have heretofore
 been peaceable; they claim the lands on which the whites are now settled.
 The Pima and Maricopa Reserve matters have at one time or another
 been plainly discussed in THE CITIZEN. The people generally understand it, and Congress last Winter refused to take land from the settler who civili- zes the country while he cultivates his lands, and turn 1t over to the Indians who have now more land than they cultivate. In the discussion of this question in the Senate, last February, with reference to an appropriation to pay the settlers the estimated amounts due for their lands, Senator Stewart, of Nevada, remarked as follows:
 I happen to know something about this, and do not think there was ever greater outrage committed by the Department, after men had settled on this land in good faith, and the h. dians mad plenty of land besides, to enlarge the reservation and take in the settlements.
 The people of Arizona are punished more severely by this Government than any other people. They are not allowed to fight the Indians on their own account. One half the popula- tion have already been murdered. Here are a few who have got on farms, and on account of some caprice the Indian reservation has been en- larged. A more atrocious thing l never heard of. I have had letters from most of this people settled there. 1 know many that are settled there. This land was surveyed after they had gone there and fought for years to maintain precarious existence, the best they could. Their land which they had dedicated to civilization is to be dedicated to barbarian when there is plenty of territory dedicated already to the scalping knife and to barbar- ism. l move to lay the amendment on the table.
 The Senator's remarks caused the whole subject to be tabled, but 1t seems there Is a renewed determina- ton to buy, against their wills and their consent, the homes of certain settlers on the Gila The old threats of war and plea of scarcity of water are called up again to do service in the bad effort to wrest homes from men who have honestly acquired them. It is about time that Pima or any other threats should be met promptly and decidedly on the ground, instead of having them plaintively reported to Washington; and it is also about time that the rights of settlers were :aken into account by local agents. We want, and will advocate, that the smplest rights really due the Pimas, ,r any other peaceable and honest In- lians, be guaranteed to them; but at ' he same tine we shall as determin- ( ally insist that the legal rights of nen who settled in good faith upon he public domain, shall have just f |
 INDIAN AGENT STOUT has reported o Colyer on water as regards the Pima and Maricopa Reserve. Will he ( low tell the public whether he ever ff vas twenty miles above that Reserve? m