The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1873-05-10
tine INDIAN Pa0DlEM.

SaluTd0v, may ~, 1000
the INDIAN PaoSlem.
Aa!e ed Characteristic Letter 81 Genera
rssrnas to thr Correspondent 81 tn
NcW Ysrk Herald.
WAs.issTos. b. G.. Apsd II. iS:a :
DEAF SIn:- have yosr letter Of thI'
dsse, and an unwilling 10 private letter Il
express ny opinions on On The qsestions you
make
The army hes no .'policy" about Indisnl
or anything eise. Il be- no voice in Co"
gress. but acerpts the Isws - enacted and
she Interpretation thereof BY the propc'
officials, and executes them with - much
Intelligence. fidelity. and humanity - any
other body IT citizens. From the orgsn'zs.
ton Of the Government " to 1850 the In
dams and Indisn Buresu were under the
War Department, % that nearly oil the CIV.
iIixesion and Contamination Of the Indians
thus far accomplished occurred under army
supervision. To dsy. IN case On Indian sui
fsss wrung. ! believe he will br more likely
70 spNol u the commanding officer Of the
nearest military Iv~', sWs. "" s.'."".. i.
for Ia the one he sees with his eyes the evi
dcnce Of force 10 peIObcdicnce. where
% In the other nothing If the kind. In like
manner I believe the snnuilits I" treaty In
dams would reach the parties in interest
quite - surely through army officers -
through civiliSnO And when Indians have
committed deprrdstions-ss 10 very comn"'n
And the annui.ies are chsrgestle with the
amoun, Of damage. such stoppaess could
more safely be made by commanding On.
Ger having soldiers At bis tack than by IN
agent sfrsil Of bis life-as too many Of
them are, and have reason 10 be. The pres.
eni Indian agents. - cIa.s, IRE very good
men but they lack the force, the power.
which savaees Al0ne respect.
The existing policy, usually called the
pesce policy, 10 to gradually assemble the
wsnde,ipe tribes on reservations, with boun.
dsri.e clearly defined. and then. through
civilisns. 10 instruct them In agriculture
sod the ruder srts, and 10 educate them .
fss % pttSnble. To this I ,b,nk no army
odicer ob)ecss. And furthcr, when the In
disns lesvs their iescrvsiion to steal, NOR.
der. end plunder. they fall under the juris-
diction Of the army This 10 the theoretical
condition at things. but Il would require
ten timso our present army 10 make . ca's.
don around the reservation, % that muir.
ders sss done, the stealing Of cattle, horses.
&C., perpssnted, and the Indians quickly
ef:.pe u their reservations, where the troops
ON not follow them, " that 10 .sct these
reservations help them In their lucrative
business. lam safe In saying that half the
horses and mules now owned BY the Kiowas
Comanchss. Cheyennes, Arspshoes, Sioux,
&c-sll treaty indiana, al Ct peace. with
agencies and snuuiiies-hsve been stolen
from the United States or from citizens. I
hogs myself seen 1t the Kiows and Com.
snchs agency. and q several Of the Sioux
sssncies, horses and mules branded U. 6.
I'D ~ 70 be packed with annuity goods,
ond never heard Of % agent d.
maEdinR the restitution Of one for that res
con; end though murders ore Of frequent
occurrence I do not hear of the murderer
being sarrsndsred, - 10 required By the
ssestisa.s Again, though the Sioux and
Cbeysnoes are d peace, the army nas :"
sesd sscusts with oil trains and parties Of
susveJon who 90 rightfuIIy 70 work within
The borders OF such STATES - Kansas and
Nebraska - though actual war existed.
Al tbat will venture 70 assert 10, that the
army has much moro dificult task now
than u W wsrs actually q wss, and could
aa'icipsss dspredssions and follow the dep.
sed.toS TO their very camps, - did in the
csss Of The Ktowas two years ago. Then
he T'exas peopIe were constantly complain.
ink that the treaty Indians were depredst>
Ing their property, killing their people, and
taking refueeon their reservstiona lwould
not believe Il uusil l went IN person. and
W. actually near BY when Ssn.anls killed |
seven poor seamssers 10 Texss, one Of whom
Va found burned, tied q the wagon wheel,
end few days after be came TO the sgency |
y Fort Sill, busting Of the iced. With
sbs approval Of the agent, M. Tatum, l |
arrested him sud two Others snd sent them
y TeRas for trial. Now ! an told that
Santsn's isto be turned loose agar, although |
! believe be has Committed 6fty murders,
and has notoriossly violated every promise !
hitherto made.
No general rule viii answer for the gov.
eminent Of every tribe, but each must be
erssied according u their conduct, and ] |
think the army officers ere better qualified |
y judge than the average citizens, ihough / |
IN by no means anxious that this disagree.
bile duty should b. imposed upon 10. II
he Christian agents can better control the
Wild ssvases, wish them ill success; bu,
Dorsly The white TeOple whe ven,urcd Into
he wilderness " labor and iOii sss entitled
p The protection Of their lives sud property,
md II 10 natural that they should fssl thu
Iecsisss interest, although II 10 the exclusive
privilege Of Congreas 10 devise the best
nsans % secure ihis end.
Assy s'od people residing east of the
AlIegheaiso mistake the character Of the
migrant population who have Of late year,
'roughs millions OF acres under cultivation
nd prodacsd some dfv Of sixty millions
y do''.~ Vt gold and silver, where, twenty
'ssrs EGO. . white man dared not venture. |
rhoss psopls are If the same k,sd q settled
'hso. Indiana. and Iowa: they srs q eood |
. We ~, and were ~ In their stead w
could oct just . they DO. I know It, b.
asss hsvs been one OF them. They now
~ their full share Ut Axss and coulsibuis
. our national wealth and power. A .
Ne ths e0tgraats DO net object that the
ndisne should forever remain non .produ-
esv. bsRkass, and robben. II not werye. II
10 lsdisna ase williag 70 work, - shey
ssd 70 Do u Ne gold mines Of California
eoody will pssvens them. 60 TO day, n
hs Cheyennes. AnpaAoss, and Kiowas,
I'LL aiiliss ths tssuufui pastoral land q.
:sssd them 10 ralsias ssock, they viii soon
ecoos ths Richest psopls In he Southwest:
y this thsy hsvs not dons, end II leoks y
Iosgh they never win And the question
I'll sasely asiss. end shas very sooa, how