Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-02-27
From tbo Iro,oro ,,nn,o,.., ,1-,--,-,
From the Helena {Aontana) Herald. I
THE INDIAN PEACE POLICY ITS
SUCCESS In MONTANA.

l.
nishes report Of the recent meeting
OF the Board of Indian Commission.
ers, recently held in that CITY. Mr.
Brunot, Chairman, and Messrs. Hal
pin, Campbell, Stuart, Bishop, Foley
and Long, members Of the Board, and
| L. IL. Cree, Esq, Secretary, were pres.
ent. Gen. Halpin delivered an ad.
| dress, i'm the course of which he com.
mended the labors Of the Commission
ers saying:
"There is now established what new.
| CT before existcd-an organized Indian
policy--and its continuance for -four
years more will settle finally the In
dian question in manner bcfilting a
great Christian nation. There has
been some blunders committed, and
some confusion resulting from rela.
tions existing between civil and milf
tary arms, but nevertheless the army
to. day is, almost without exception, in
favor of peace"
Mr.. Brunot bore testimony to the
fact that, in his travels of over 10000
miles in Indian country during the
past three years, including journey
ipgs in Oregon, Montana, Wyoming,
Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona,
and elsewhere, on service connected
with the Board, he had personally
witnessed much of the benefits of tho
peace policy, and had always and ev-
erywhere met with the greatest. kind
ness and courtesy from army officers
of every grade. He had not met with
an officer of rank in the army who, un-
Outstanding the views of the Board
and the policy of the President, did
not heartily sympathize with it and
and express desire to cooperate with
it in its high aims aud objects.
1t is not untimely to supplement, il,
this connection, Ame views of our
own in regard to the Governments
Indian policy as applied to Montana.
There is little difference of opinion as
TO the wisdom of that policy, if we
accept as sufficient the fattering sue
cess attending its operation under the
two years and half efficient admins
tration of Indian affairs by Col. Wall.
Carrying out his instructions from the
Department at Washington with a
thoroughness and fidelity we cannot
too highly commend, the late Super
intendent achieved under the new poll
icy results more signal and gratifying
than the authorities could reasonably
hope to attain in so short time. II
we except the Apachcs of Arizona,
some of the most powerful, blood
thirsty, and intractib.e Indians on the
continent were here to be dealt with,
and wisely, discreetly managed-not
alone in tho interest of the savages,
but in behalf of our own people, in
erecting bulwark of peace and secn-
rity along the entire reach of our cx-
tended frontier. The task before him
was not an easy one. On the contra
ny, difficulties that would have dis
cd officer were encountered at the out
set, aud were mastered at last only
by persistent and wisely directed ef-
forts to carry forward to their full
fruition the salutary objects he had in
view.
The opportunity is not presented at
this writing to chronicle in detail the
success. accompanying his labors in the
direction he was enlightened by no
previous example to pursue. The
people had been schooled to the doc
trine that the sword and not chaplet
of peace was best adapted to the I'M
Outstanding and appreciation of the
more savage hordes which infested
our border, and that rigorous meas
ures by Government, administered by
the military arm, could alone be relied
upon for efficacious results in solving
the problem of Indian management
and control. This doctrine or mode
of reasoning was speedily exploded
by steps taken to set apart the Indians
on reservation limits, and to bring
them under the immediate care Of
wotchfo, and trusty agents, provided
by Government with means Of subsis-
talice aud prerogatives looking to their
wards temporal affairs and their ulti-
innate good in other important re-
spects.
Excepting the raid into the Gallaiin
valley in July, 1871, no dcpredations
of moment, accompanied by murder,
occurred during the entire term of
Col. Wallis service The guilty par
Elephants in that thieving and savage
visitation upon the Gallatin settlers
had not at that time been reached,
counseled or treated with by the Iu-
dian authorities. Immediately follow
ing the raid plans were set on foot to
''corral" under the peace policy the
powerful tribe thus carrying terror in
TO the settlements, and TO exercise
over these Indians the same supcrvis
ion that obtained i'll the management
l. Al L. n
selected to perform this difficult duty.
Under instructions from the Superin-
,endent, he proceeded to Fort Peck,
OH the Missouri, and there, after con-
siderable delay aud numerous troubles
and disappointments, succeeded in
getting together some of the leading
chiefs of the Teton Sioux, aud treat
ing with them OH the basis of peace
His admirable report, published at the
time i'm the Herald, and subsequently
endorsed by the military authorities
from the District Commander up t.
the General of the army, met with the
hearty approval and commentator Of
the Superintendent and Department
The hold of the peace rule upon tho
| Sioux eliminated in their removal, The
past autumn and present winter, nortl
of the Missouri. where they will prob
ably hereafter remain, subsisted and
managed by the agent, in the manner
adopted toward other bands in Mon.
| tana.
tits unquestionably source of gen
uine satisfaction to Col. Wall, tina
neither during his administration o.
the Indian SUPPLEMENTARY nor since
his retirement from Office, has his public
acts subjected him to hurtful criticism
To the contrary Of censure, he ha
been complimented by the press ant
people for the excellent Judgment dis
played by him on various trying &C
casions in dealing with and govern
ing the numerous family of ''Lo' sub
mitted to his charge. No ruptures o
disagreements between him and tn
military authorities occurred durin:
his whole service. Between the In
dian Office and the army the utmos
harmony in all matters pertaining +
the management of the Government
wards obtained. The retiring Super
intcndent, we consider, has well earn
ed the few good words we are enable
at this time to speak of him. We ar
glad to know that unlike most publ
| al 4