Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1873-05-03

Indian Tcrriiory-Thc Army shonId
Have Charge of the Tribes.
The following letter from Gen. Sherman,
written to friend in Washington, will be
read with the deepest interest at the pres
ent moment:
HEADoUARrERs)
ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES,
WASHINGTON, d. c., April II, 1873.
DEAR SIR: have your letter of this
date, and am unwilling in a private letter
to express my opinions on oil the ques-
tions you make.
The army has no "policy" about Indians
or anything else. It.has no voice in Con.
gress, but accepts the law as enacted and
the interpretation thereof by the proper
officials, and executes them with as much
intelligence, fidelity and humanity rs any
other body Of citizens. From the organi-
zation of the government up to 1860 the
Indians and Indian bureau were under the
war department,so that nearly all the civ
ilization and christianization Of the Indi-
ans thus far accomplished, occurred under
army supervision.
To-day, in case an Indian suffers q
wrong, believe be will be more likely 20
appeal TO the commanding officer Of the
nearest military pest than to his own
agent; for in the one he sees with his eyes
the evidence Of force to compel obedi-
encc, whereas 10 the other nothing Of the
kind. In like manner believe the an
nuities to treaty Indians would reach the
parties in interest quite as surely through
army officers as through civilians. And
when Indians have committed depreds
tions-- as is very eommon--and the annui.
ties are cbargeable with the amount Of
damages, such stoppages could more ssfel,
maze by a commanding offioer having sol
diers at his back, than by an agent afraid
Of his life-as too many Of them are and
have reason TO be. The present Indian
agents, as class, are very good men but
they lack the force, the power, which saw
ages alsRe respect.
The existing policy, usually called the
peace policy, is TO gradually assemble the
wandering tribes on reservations, with
boundaries clearly defined, and then,
through civilians, to instruct them in ag-
I riculture and the ruder arts, and educate
hem as far as possible. To this | think
no army officer objects. And, further, when
/ the Indians leave their reservations to
steal, murder and plunder, they fall under
the jurisdiction Of the army. This is the
theoretical condition Of things. but it
would require ten times our present army
TO make a Gordon around the reservations,
90 that murders are done, the stealing Of
cattle, horses, &C., perpetratsd, and the
Indians quickly escape to their reserva-
tions, where the troops cannot follow them;
90 that in fact these reservations help
them In their lucrative business.
Lam safe in saying that half the horses
and mules now owned by the Kiowss, Co.
nanches, Cheyennes, Arspahoes, Sioux,
&c.---sll treaty Indians, ell at peace. with
agencies and snnuities-have been stolen
from the United States or from citizens
have myself seen, ct the Kiows and Co
manchs agency, and at several Of h.
Sioux agencies, horses and mules branded
aU. s." led up TO be packed with annuity
goods, and never heard Of an agent de
manding the restoration Of one for ths
reason; and though murders are Of 90 fre
quept occurrence, ! do not hear Of tb'
nurderers being surrendered, a. Is re