Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-12-05
Report OF the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs,
The following are the main features of
the report of General Walker, Commis-
sioner of Indian Affairs:

Cue report OF General walker, COmmlS-
sioner of Indian Affairs:
Want OF completeness and consistency in the
treatment of Indian tribes by the Government has
been made the occasion for much ridicule and par
tisan abuse, and it is indeed calculated to provoke
criticism and to afford scope for satire But it is
none the less compatible with the highest expe-
diency OF the situation. 1t is of course hopeless
Iy Illogical that the expenditures of the Govern
should be proportoned not to the good but the
Ill desert OF the several tribes but that large bod
les OF Indians should be supported in entire indo-
ienee by the bounty of the Government, simply
because they are audacious and insolent, while
well-disposed Indians are only assisted to self
MAINTENANCE, since it is known they will not fight
1t Is hardly less than absurd the first view Of it
that delegations from tribes that have FREQUENTLY
denied our authority, and fought our troops and
who never yielded more than partial and grudg-
OF the Government, should be entertained at the
national capital feasted and loaded with presents
Inere could be no better subject for the lively par
tor1al writer's on a dull news day. than such
course course on the part of the Government. These
are undoubtedly influenced, in great DEGREE to
the prejudice of the Indian policy, by the inces.
SAINT small arms fire of squfbs and epigrams even
argument and inyective declared against it. And
yet for all this, the Government is rigid and its
Sacs Ss @ strong The Indian policy is sound, sensi
loss of life and property upon our
flontier' haaae1' and allows the freest devel-
opmeot OF our settlements and railways
possible under the circumstances. The mistake Of
those VINO oppose the present Indian nolicy is not
IN enormously trying to change the course of the
government from the standard they have taken,
but In taking an altogether false standard for the
purpose. Il is not more unreasonable that the
Government should do much for hostile Indians
and little for friendly Indians than it is that pri
yate citizen should to save his life surrender an
the contents of his purse to highwayman. while
on anotner occasion, to distressed and deserving
applicant for charity he would measure his contri-
button by his means and disposition at the time.
There Is precisely the same justification for the
course OF the Government in feeding saucy and mis-
chievous Indians to repletion, while permittinp
more tractable and peaceful tribes to gather bare
subslstence by hard work. 1t is not, of course to
be understood that the Government of the United
states Is at the mercy of the Indians, but thou
sands OF its citizens are at their mercy Their ex-
posed situation on the extreme verge Of the
Government for buying off the hostility of sayages
excited and exasperated as they are, and most nat
uraly so, by the invasion of their hunting grounds
and the threatened extinction of game. It Wonjd
require !O9 600 troops at least to form Gordon be-
hind which our settlements could advance with
the extent OF the range of unrestrained choice of
location, security of feeling and freedom of move
ment which have characterized the growth of the
past three or four years. Indeed, the presence of
no military force could give that confidence to
pioneer enterprise which general cessation of In
dian hostility has engendered. Men of an adyen-
tnrons tuaa cast cast will i i live and work behind line Of
feeling on that account, but as rule men
will .,tIsttons not place women and children
nor will they put money into permanent improve,
ments under such circumstances Fsnecia1iv hos
the absence Of Indian hostilites been of the high
est value. within the last few years. in directing
and determining to the extreme frontier emiora-
tion arriving in such vast numbers on our shores,
species of danger one of the features of pioneer
life will scarcely comprehend the reluctance with
which those accustomed to absolute security of
person and property in the settled countries of En-
rope expose themselves and their families to per
lis Of this kind. The fact that Americans are
more daring and adventurous in the presence of a
dancer n fhoO if,,fo
er reason for maintaining the immunity which has
for three years now been secured by the feeding
system. There are innumerable little riffs Of
agricultural or mining settlements all over the
Western country, which, if unmolested, will in O
few years become sefprotecting communities
but which, in the event of general Indian war oc
curing at the present time, would utterly and in
stantly disappear, either by abandonment or massa
ere; The first month OF hostilities would fifty
steadily creeping under cover of the feeding sys.
tem swept bare by the horrible atrocities of an In
tants, hastily driving before them what of then
stock could be gathered together at moments
notice, and bearing away what of their household
goods could be carried in their single wagons
Such would be the result, even with the most ia
vorable issue Of military operations.
1t Is right that those who criticise the policy o.
the Government toward the Indians, and rdicult
it as undignifed in its concessions, and unstates
manlike in its temporizing with recognized evil
should fairly face one alternative which is pre-
sented. There is no question of national dignity
be 1t remembered, involved in the treatment O
savages Dy ctV1l1zed power. With wild men, al
with wild beasts, the question whether, in give1
situation, one shall fight or run is question mere
ly of what is the easiest and safest. The system
now pursued in dealing with rowing tribes danger
GUS to our frontier population and obstructing ou
industrial progress is entirely consistent, and re
quircs but an occasional use of the military arm
in restraining chastising refractory individual
and bands. Such use Of military constitutes
abandonment Of the peace policy, involves no dis
paragement in it. 1t was not expected in the ne
ture of things that the entire body of Indian
should be restrained in 1shmaelitish proc1ivitie
without struggle on the part of the more audacou
for their traditional freedom. In the first an
nouncement made of the reservation system it wa
expressly declared that the Indians should be mad
as comfortable on and as uncomfortable off thei
reservations as it was in the power of the Govern
ment to make them that such of them as weI
right should be protected and fed, and such
went wrong should be harrassed and scourge
without intermissieH. 1t is unquestionably tru
that the Government has seemed somewhat tard
IN proceeding under the second half of the rese
vation policy and in applying the scourge to ind
V1duals and bands leaving their prescribed limi
without authority or for hostile purposes TT
sentiment of the general community being tn
1orbearance was due to the Indians, on account
past wrongs and the Government having sue
full knowledge of the difficulties to be encounte
ed IN fully acquainting these people with its bene
olent intentions, all resources of expostulatit
AID conc1liation have been exhausted b
fore the aid Of the military arm