The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-08-06

tive body composed Of delegates nom al the tribes
would be Babel Of confused tongues. Territorla'
governments, even among white communities,
sDnss sssi sSs %sEf'
q rule, to be avoided d. swindles which ere
h Part q h sq 1e PS sSa sy Y s ape @
CONGRESS aisss id discussion Of the subject y
Congressional Committee now here r Shall shall have
been printed and disseminated, to devise practi-
ca solution o. ne problem ntlmated In prlor
somewhat the same principle as that recently
established in the District OF Columbia would be,
II only the proper persons were selected by the
President to administer it, the most appropriate.
would not, however, have any Legislative body
sole control OF affairs to Governor and a body Of
commissioners, with certain definite and assigned
RoW,erslor instance over the Of
Of lands and internal improvements. 1t may be
assured at once that the Indians win
the present system; but whether with or without
their consent, 1t must be done and done quickly,
Of The q hsre
express preference for State government at
0nce but OF course that is subject to the objections
which have already stated as existing against o
territorial organization and to some others be-
Sides 1t viii take long time and q thorough
KNEADING OF THE INDIAN ELRMENT
with the body polite before the republican form OF
government can be put into full operation here.
pie, and that think, has been one great cause OF
shy and timid, and do not naturally form them.
villages among themselves. They have no diversity
ofpursuits. The Choctaws and Chckasaws do little
not take to any handcraft trade, and have to rely
upon the white traders in the Territory for every
ng se sf n Its The
whites exists the more rooted will their Indian
peculiarites become. We must no longer humor
them In that respect The best service we can do
the Indian s to encourage tine growth OF white
communities near him and educate him by eX-
ample. Another generation will see this Territory
which ls magnificent agricultural region, and
which Is also rich in
DEPOSITS OF COAL, IRON, LEAD COPPER
and other minerals, covered with hourishing towns
and cities. Let the Indians be brought within the
circle OF the movement and they will advance with
1t. Their sons will learn business aud handcraft
keeping arts as domestics In the service of white
famllles and thus the influence Of civilization will
extend to and embrace them. That Is the only
mode In which they can be practically benefited.
Further continuance in the isolation system will be
the assurance of their determination.
But how is all this to be brought about Under
the precedents of our government the consent Of
the Indians must be obtained to relinuulshmcnt
that Is obtained not house can be built nor
farm opened not an Improvement be made with
sold
THE INDIAN TITLE
must, therefore be cancelled But the land is
theirs, and they are not willing to part with it.
Any proposition OF that kind would meet with
unanimous negative. They do not care SO, much
about land. The instructions Of the Choctaw
Council co. to the Delegates who were sent to
were to give up annuities trust funds and every.
thing that the Nation possessed but not to consent
to the cesson Of any land They make little use
OF 1t, but they prize 1t above all things. The sug
gestion which their leading men make on that
point Is that II their country is to be opened
in his homestead and 100 acres OF land, to be
inalienable for twenty-one years and not subject
to execution; that the freedmen among them,
formerly their slaves, but now richer because
more Industrious than themselves, shall have the
same right lthey now enjoy the same land privl-
portion of the land shall belong to the Choctaw
Nation, and either be divided up among the men,
bers with power TO dispose Of It, or be held by the
Nation and disposed OF, for its benefit to actual
settlers. It is hard to question the Justice OF
this demand. and probably solution Of the din.
@ @ anaR s 6n Ke s %SsSS It
and dispose Of Se the to
works OF internal Improvement and to the estab-
lishment of common schools in the Territory. At
here for the Indians-none for the negrOes-but 1t
ianguishes for want Of means, the school fund
which exposed In former letter. certain
number Of scholars were also sent to and main
taneS higher schools in the States principally
for the The az aaop
conn1 nuke Ran not and having Te s been able 1ens sS
to the same extent as the CliOctaws. The people
are OF various religious denominatons-principa
Methodist and Presbyteran-and are said to be
good Christians. The worst that be said against
them Is that they have too much OF that virtue
which used to be regarded as Christian, but Is
longer-I mean contentment. The poet who wrote
the lines
Happy the man whose wish and care
few paternal acres bound
Content to breathe his native dir
On his own groundl
would find this to be q country OF happy men.
There are very few crimes committed by the In.
dams and their code has very summary and ell.
cacious mode Of dealing with criminals-for the
first and second OFFENCES fogging and for the third
offence death. Their courts take cognZance
only OF cases where the parties on both
sides are Indians. All cases involving whites
or freedmen come under the cognzance
of the United States authorities, and as the
Smith, Arkansas, $50 miles from here, to which
place all the parties their witnesses and their balls.
men must travel, 1t necessarily follows that there
is but little desire to prosecute men for trivial
offences That is another matter which requires
attention on the part OF Congress
THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE
has closed up its investigation at this point and
starts fer the East tomorrow. SO far as form
an opinion should say that Mr. Shanks (the chair.
man) and the other two members OF the committee
(MessIs. Burdett and Sinith) are indignant at the
manner in which the Choctaws and Chckasaws
nave been robbed, and are prepared to recommend
the most efficient remedies to prevent further
also given their best attention to the general cues.
tons OF Indian affairs, and will, hope, be able to
devise solution Of the various difficult problems
involved therein.
THE LIBERTY STREET EXPLOSION.