The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-08-31
GRANTS INDIAN POLICY.

dent who has attempted to carry
out the wise and liberal policy Of
Penn, in relation to the indiana.
That policy has been criticised
With great severity precisely be-
cause it has been inspired by those
qualities which Gen. Grant is de-
clared not to possess. Broadly
speaking, there are two ways OF
dealing with the Indians. The
first and simplest is 10 kill them.
The other is to treat them kindly
and set them to work. The firs'
way is much the mere expensive
although it has often been the
most popular. Passion, beg. item
Of outrage. does not stop to count
the cost, but humanity and the
national interest, as can be proved
by statistics, are ~ one in the
matter. For example the total
amount appropriated for the Indian
service for the fiscal year ending
July l, 1872, Including q deficien-
cy account was . trifle over &c.
100000. This outlay gained us,
apart from its other uses, the
formal session Of some hundreds
of millions of acres Of land, part
of which the Government has
sold at much higher pro rata fig
ures than it gave.
Now when it is remembers that
a single Indian war has cost The
United States over $35, 100000, it
will be seen that peaceful policy
has something to recommend it
besides it's humanity. Still IL
must be owned that the Indians
often commit grieveous outrsges,
and the pressure at Washington in
favor Of harsh me asures has often
in consequence, been very strong.
Hence We assert that it q further
proof of the native kindness OF
Gen. Grant that he their ssGreat
Father" haS 50 uniformly inter-
posed for their protection, and
never more firmly than when large
numbers OF our people have been
highly exasperated by Indian mis-
deeds.
It has been demonstrated, and
is indeed almost self-evident,, that
bloodsned ana trouble, - incident
to our intercourse with the Indians
diminish in proportion as they can
be got to cease TO roam about, and
to settle permanently on assigned
reservations. Now, without. count
ing these in Alaska, the whole
number of Indians within the
Limits of the United States, is
something about 100000; and OF
these nearly one-third, or upward
of $4,000, have. been settled ON
reservations, and brought under
the care of established agencies,
during the three yesrs OF this Ad-
ministration. Al the present time
about 135, 600 in all are so settled,
and, at the existing rate Of pro-
gress, within q few years, the
whole body may be peaceably dis
posed OF in the same way. The
wise policy, the humane policy,
and the cheap policy is that which
has been adopted. 1t mas poli-
cy especially pressed upon the
President by that estimable class
in the community, the Friends
or Qnakers, After the Indians are
once comfortably settled en- their
reserves they cost the Government
very little. They are taught how
| to break up The land, build houses
and fence, saw lumber grind corn
and talk English, aud then by de-
grees left to take care of them.
! selves. They receive allowances,
that is to say, and certain stipulat
: ed supplies, but the cost per hea,
r is trifling. During the year it was
Q less than S22 each, for the I30,00'
D or so, living on the reservation.
! Nearly one Thousand whites ar,
now engaged in teaching Indian
the things named-carpenters
blacksmiths and millers constitut
q ing most Of the number.
1t is surely far more to GU
II credit as nation to deal with tn
Indians in this way than in an
a other less liberal or gentle. Tn
. poor savages are fast dying out q
best, and it 10 probable that in
r few decades they will live only i
It history. 1t is q matter Of rea
a concerne TO the record Of the RI
public that the last generations G
the red men should be generousl
: treated by the race that succeed
= and displaces them. The philar
:. ,hropic and urbane spirit of Wi
N liam Penn has dictated the India
o policy of President Grants Al