Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-11-02
MISCELLANEOUS.


MISCELLANEOUS.
The Quakers and the Indians.
1.-The following viii be of interest to
the many who are'questioning the In
dian peace polieyso earnestly urged by
our Quaker friends:,ria saIqaS e9t4
Tothe Editor Of The. Democrat and Chronicle
Having noticed that reports are going
theIounds of 1.-The papers that the efforts
of the Quakers under General Grant to
improve-the condition of the Indians
eproyed a faiit1re, I wish to make
some Statements, thereon. Being q
membel-of the dHdisR committee of the
Genesee yearly meeting of Friends, and
in corresponds with all the agents
or some person at the several agencies
of the northern superintenden state
of Nebraska also the Valuable super
intendent, S. M. Janney, at Omaha,
and having visited all the agencies dur
ing the-summer5of 1870, and three of
them during the fourth and fifth
InOhths of this spring, spending con-
siderable time at each place. claim to
know more thoroughly the workings
there than these who make these false
assertions. / met all the agents at the
sIperintenHentis office In Omaha, in
6tii month last, and heard a full and
free expression from each relative to
the affairs under their charge, all lot
which proved their efforts successful
Since my visit a year age, my personf
observation Is that there is decided
Improvement at those agencies. A
good feeling exists between the Indians
and those who are with them as over
seers and care-takers. They expressed
themselves much pleased with the
workings of the peace policy. The
agents are using all the available means
at their command to build houses and
make such imBEoy yements as their best
Judgment will dictate. THE Indians
have been liberal to, appropriate from
scanty annuities for the purchase oi
agricultural implements, such as NOW,
ing machines, reaPers, harnesses, &c,
I Iattended several councils of the In.
dians. The.cail from them was almost
universal, "We want help to build
houses; swant more teams. and tools
that we may improve our land and
ultimately live like white man, II
maybe remembered that the young
men of the Winnebago tribe petiiioneo
the supetintendents, and agents last
summer for a change of chiefs, alleging
THAI TIE old ones were opposed to ad
va4cfnents This Ee9usst yves grantee
andneH ones appointed, since Nhicf
time they nave had their annual , ap
pointment OF chiefs, by ballot of the
tribe. the agent reporting their selec
ton to, be. we'll made. There are schools
at each reservation, and well attended
the teachers stating that they learn a
well,aS white children. The system D
ebject teaching is the principal nethOC
and Is considered very effee. nal. ,sThs
oEerseers having charge Of the differ
ent branches Of work STATE that. tht
Indians are very industrious and che
dients e5noticeable feature being, tina
they rarely have to show them tn,
second time in regard to the same piec,
OF. work. At the Winneb ebagoes', ] thinl
the: carpenter had about ten employed
aud the same number at the 0mahas,
The agents say they could getany mum
Der to, work; if they enlY- had means t,
paydhHni j lAtthe Winbsbage agehc,
I exafninedsa house of five rooms bull
by the Indians.g and planned by tn,
head carpenter, also an Indian, twa
weAldone; being just ready for the ma
SON.. The doors and windows were o
black walnut. AT the Omaha reserva
tion the agent had two kilns of bricl
made last summer. n The quality wa
very good Y
EWhile atshe above place this spring
agyoung married Indian. whom Il EN-
ployed TO transport some robes for aal
teffleplace of shipment, expressed nj
wish to accom- paly me home, bringlnl
hiswifa and child. that he might iearI
the ways of the white man, and II
back toteach hisspeople, He owned
good team of horses, + lumber wagon
and 160 aeresof land, all OF which h,
could sleavs. IN charge of a lfeIatiye @
his. The Indians are itillihgl all th,
lands that they have teams to plough
and MANY OF them dig the lands owe
and till it to corn growing last summer
cultivated entirely by the Indians.
has been stated that General Sherman
has pr0nohneed the peace policy "a fall
ure; while another general, wh0sejudg
fnent we believe as much, entitled Z
credit, ,statesthat the governmentwotIlt
find it cheaperttel feed The Indians thai
to fight them, with which we fully con
eur. 1t will be remembered that
party of Indians made an attempt {,
surround and capture General Sherman
short time since, and no doubt hat
they succeeded. he would have felt it .
great modification to have been out
generated by such an inferior race a
many belleye. them to be. It shoul(
b noticed that the above stasemen
refers only to the Indians within tn,
Northern superintendency,f who ar
under charge of a superintendent ant
agents selected by the Six yearly meet
ing Of Friends of New York, Philadel
phia, Baltimore, Indiana, Ohio anC
Genesee. There has never been, AM
cali from either snperiHten or agen
fOf military assistance to enable then
to put in execution their planss Gov
ernment has Kept several companie
stationed to protect the white settler
and TO prevent raids from the surrouil
ding Tribes, ooceasionaliya attack tn
more peaceable ones as Q retaliation 70
previous alleged wrongs. The affair
OF the Central superintend dency I an
unable TO speak of definitely; but from
accounts lately received froma membe
14sss 70 sEsv -.-,. sf '.l 80 5,,c = o.