The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1871-12-14
written for the Advertiser.
THE INDIANS. D..
Position of Military Omcers and
Indian Agents.

By an explicit understanding Of the
Military and Interior Departments at
Washington, the "Indians when on
their proper reservation are under the
exclusive control and Jurisdiction Of
their agents. They will not be inter-
fered with in any manner by military
authority except by requisition Of their
special agent resident with them, his
or the Bureau of Indian
affairs in Washington"
BY General Order No. %, Of Brevet
Major General Pope, commanding de-
partment OF the Missouri, It is provided
that I" Indian reservations, and tho In
dians upon them are wholly under the
Jurisdiction Of the agents in charge who
are alone responsible for the conduct of
the Indians, aud for the protection of
the rights Of person and property both
OF Indians and White men on Indian
reservations. No person has q right to
be in an Indian country without . per-
NIT Of the agent or commanding officer.
"The military forces on or near such
Indian reservations are placed there
solely to assist the Indian agents to pre-.
serve good order OH the reservations.
"Undcr no circumstances except spe-
cific orders from department headquar-
ters or higher authority will any com.
mander Of troops assume jurisdiction or
exercise control over reservation Indi-
ans or their agents, nor originate nor
execute any act Of their own volition in
regard to affairs on such reservations.
Whenever the services of troops are
needed, it will be necessary for the Indi-
an agent so to state in writing to the
nearest commander of troops, setting
forth the reasons why troops are needed,
and the specific object to be accom-
plished. Upon the receipt Of such
written statement the military COM
mander will furnish the required mill
tary force, always IL possible to be COM
manded by commissioned Off Ger, who
will be instructed to report with his de-
tachment to the Indian agent. and to
act under his orders. No commander of
a detachment will Of his own motion
take any action whatever in relation to
affairs in Indian reservations even un-
der the orders Of an Indian agent, un-
less the agent himself or some properly
authorized subordinate is present with
him and gives the necessary orders"
It will be seen by the foregoing that
Indian reservations are under civil and
not military Jurisdiction. the agent be.
ing the executive authority, aud there
being no sheriffs, constables, or other
officers common In states and organized
territories, the agents are authorized to
draw on the military for such posse ~
he needs to perform civil duty. As soon
as such posse reports J. self to the agent
it is under a civil officer to perform civil
duty by civil process. They are virtu.
ally police force while under the con-
troll of the civil officer. In this capac-
ity there have been several instances in
which Friends, who were holding the
Office Of Indian agents have used the
soldiers. Comparable to breaking the
swords into plowshares and the spears
into prooning hooks" the prophet ap.
1oars to have seen no objection to using
the material OF the former for making
the latter instruments. In no instance
has any of the agents had guards when
the agencies, but ride over the country
alone or with their employees attending
to their business. ....-.z. .- st
The aggressive party in the Kiowas
and Camanche agency for the last year
or two has been the Indians who,
without any provocation whatever,
have been numbering and stealing Of
the Texans; for which . few Of tho
leaders have been arrested by order Of
the agent, sent to Texas for trial, found
guilty and sentenced to be executed,
which has since been commuted by the
Governor to life imprisonment. This
has had decidedly good effect upon the
Indians Of that agency, and has proba-
bly, saved numerous human lives in
Texas, besides thousands of dollars
worth of property. am not aware Of