The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-26
Tho modoe co~~is.lon Huge Hum.

Tho Modoc CommissIon . Hugo Hum
The letter from our special correspondent
at Van Bremer's ranch, which we print to-
day. fully reveals the secret cause Of
failure of the first Modoc Peace Commission.
Our correspondent has been with the Indians,
with the Commissioners and the military; he
has conversed with the settlers, who are per-
fecty conversant with the history of the trouble,
and with the would-be peacemakers, and
his conclusion is that the appointment of such
men as Meacham, Case and Apologize, in a
matter requiring the utmost delicaoy, diplo-
macy and disnterestedness, is generally con-
demned. Coming from the scene of action.
where every item connected with this affair has
been freely discussed, the remarks will have
greater weight. Captain Jack and his rival,
Schonchin, evinced q desire to garnish their
belts with the soalps of two of the gentlemen
named on the occasion when the HERALD cor
respondent first entered their stronghold
proof that they were obnoxious to the Indians
Deceived and betrayed on previous occasions
when confding in the servants of the Indian
Bureau, the reds looked with special disfavor
on Commission formed in part of the same
men whom experience had taught them to re-
gard as their worst enemies. Hence the in
tentions of the government have been foiled,
and the hopes of the people that the trouble
might be brought to o speedy conclusion
dashed to the ground. The people of Cali
fornia and Oregon make it a subject for
banter and derision, and no wonder. Already
the cost to the country by this feeble dallying
in the attempt to remove q handful of savages
has been enormous, and unless the policy
adopted by Lincoln in vesting greater dis
cretionary power in the military commander
is resorted to we may yet have bill sent in for
several millions of dollars on account of
at the head Of the new Commission, SO that
it can scarcely be more successful than the
one preceding it. The continuation of war
means wealth to the settlers, and SO long as
those directly or indirectly interested in land
or other property near the lava beds are
allowed to negotiate for the government peace
will not be restored. The feeling of insecu-
rity on the part of the Indians could not be
more strikingly illustrated than when on
Friday last, after an interview had been ar
ranged for Generals Candy and Gillem, the
HERALD correspondent and an army officer
Offering to remain as hostages with the In
dams, Captain Jack hesitated to place himself
at the mercy of the white men.
Applegate, one of the associates Of Meacham,
has sent in report to the Commissioner on
Indian Affairs, and in six short, unpublished
sentences shows why and wherein they had
in Washington. His seventh paragraph is q
model of terseness and decision :-''Some of
the personnel of the Commission being obnox-
ious to the Ind ians, it was hinderance to nego
tiation. Having no power to administer oaths
nor send for persons and papers, and the
official acts Of the chairman having to be re-
vised, its finding must have been imperfect
and unsatisfactory in regard to the cause of
the war, and we therefore consider the Com
mission an expensive blunder." This is for
warded as kind of minority statement, and
shows only too clearly the antagonistic views
Of the parties and the discussions and useless
debates that have occurred in council. A
quick, bloodless and inexpensive termina-
ton of the trouble is now ardently de-
sired; but if the peace men are
to be allowed their own time if their views re-
quire SO much money and so many soldiers to
back them, it is evident the cheapest and best
plan would be to let the experienced COM
mander of the United States troops try his
methods for the solution of the difficulty.
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