The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-04-23
THEINDiAN QUESTION.
General Sherman on the Proper
Treatment ofihe Savagsa

Washington, D. c, April II, 1873. J
DEAR SIR Il have your letter of thi
date. aud am unwilling in a private
letter to express nv opinions on all TIT
questions you make.
The army has no policy" about In
diaps or anything else. 1t has no vote
in Congress, but accepts the laws as en-
acted, and the Interpretation thereof by
the proper officials. ami executes them
with as much intelligence, fidelity and
humanity as any other body OF citizens
From the organization OF the govern
ment up to 1850. the Indians and Indian
Bureau were under the War Depart
ment, so that nearly all the civilization
and Characterization of the Indians thus
tar accompl shed, occurred under army
supervision To dsy in case an Indian
suffers wrong, | believe he will he more
likely 70 appeal to the commanding Of
fl .er Of the nearest military post than
10 his own agent; TOT in the one he
sees with mis- eyes the evidence OF q
force 10 compel obedience, whereas, In
the other nothing OF the kind. 10 like
manner | believe the annuities TO treaty
Indians would reach the parties in iu-
terest quite as surely through army Of
ficers as through civilians. And when
Indians have committed depredstions-
"a is very common-and the annuities
are cbargable with the amount o. dam
ages, such stoppages could more safely
be made by commanding officer hav.
ing soldiers at his back than by an
agent afraid OF his lfe--as too many OF
them are and have reason to be. The
present Indian agents, "a a class are
very good men but they lack the force,
the power, which ssvages alone respect
The existing policy, usually called the
peace policy, is TO gradually assemble
the wandering tribes on reservations,
with boundaries clearly defined, and
then, thsough civilians, tOs instruct them
in agriculture aud the ruder arts, and
educate them az lar az possible. 10 this
think no army officer objects. And
further, when the Indians leave their
reservations to steal, murder and plum.
der, thev fall under the jurisdiction OF
the army. This ls the theoretical con-
dition Of things, but it would require ten
times our present army TO make q cor
don around the reservations, so that
murders are committed, the stealing OF
cattle, horses, DC, perpetuated, and the
Indians quickly escape to their reserva'
tons, where the troops cannot follow
them; so that 10 fact these reservations
help them in their lucrative business. !
AN safe in saying that half the horses
aud mules nov owned by the Klowa-
Comsnches, Cheyenues, Arapaboes,
Sioux, &c-all treaty Indians, all at
peace, with agencies and annuItles-
have been stolen from the United States
or from cit zens have myself seen,
at the Kiowa and Comsnche agency,
and at several OF the Sioux agencies,
horses and mules branded U. ) led up
to be packed with annuity goods, and
! L
the restitution Of one tor that reason
and though murders are OF frequent
occurrence, i do rot hear OF the muir
derers being surrendered, a. 10 re-
ouirrd nv the treaties. Again, though
tue Sioux aud Cheyennes are at peace,
the army mas to send scouts with all
trains and parties Of surveyors who 60
rightrully to work within the borders Of
sucb States g. Kansas and Nebraska,
a. though actual war existed. All l
will venture to assert is. that the army
bss a much more difficult task now
than il we were actually at war, and
could antic pate depredations and follow
the perpetrators to their verv camps as
| did in the case OF the Kowas two
years ago. Then the Texas people
were constantly complaining that the
treaty Indians were depredsting on
their property, killing their people aud
taking refuge on their reservations.
vosld not believe until | went In per
son. and Uss actually near by when
Santata killed seven tesmsters In
Texas, one OF whom was found burned,
tied a, the wagon wheel, and lev days
after he came to the agency at Fort
Sill bosstiug OF the deed With the
approval of the agent, Mr.. Tatum,
arrested him aud TWO Others and cent
them to Texas tor trial. Now ! AM
rol that Santata is to be turned loose
AGAIN. although I believe he has com-
mitted fifty murders, and has notorious
| ~ violated every promise hitherto
made. ,
No general rule will answer for the
Government OF every tribe, but eacn
must be treated according TO their con-
duct. and think the army officers are
better qualified TO judge than the aver
age OF citizens, though l am by no
means anx Gus that this dlsagreeable
duty should be imposed on US. II the
Christian agents can better control the
wild aavages, l wish them all success
but surely the white people who ven
,ure into the wilderness TO laoor and
toll are entitled to the proiecton o.
their lives and properly, and 1t Is ma
,ursl that they should teei the greatest
interest, although 1t is the exclusive
privilege o. Congress to devise the oes'
means to secure TINS end.
MANY good people residing east o.
the AlIeghenes mistake the charactel
OF the emigrant population who have
o, late years brought millions OF acres
under cultivation and produced fifty OIL
sixty millions OF dollars OF gold ane
silver where, twenty wears ago, q white
man dared not venture These people
orc the same kind as settled ONO, In
drsos and lows; they are as good a.
we are, and were we 10 soeiT S'ea" w. :,
voplJ az, mat a. they do. l know II