Arizona citizen., 1874-02-07
Gen. Vandever on Indian Affairs.

Most of our readers will remember Gen. Vandever, U. s. Indian Inspector, and something of his official visit to and through Arizona last year. THE CITIZEN expressed the belief at the time of his presence here that he would report aright upon the Apaches and those in charge of them. The San Diego Unions special Washington correspondent seems to have been looking into the Arizona Indian busi- ness and on January 13, wrote as follows:
 While General Vandever, one of the in- dien inspectors who was appointed last Spring, was making his tour of Arizona, the State Department received further complaints from the City of Mexico through correspondence with the United States Minister. Secretary Fish sent to the Interior department requesting infOrma- tion on the subject. This correspondence was referred to General Vandever with instructions to investigate the whole mat ter and report on it as soon as possible. This General Vandever did at once. He visited the Chiricahua reservation, eX- amined witnesses and received testimony from Mexican quarters. He found that the report of depredations were true; but that most or all of it was OccaSiOned by Indians from TularoSa and other distant places, who made headquarters at Chirica- hua when they were not annoyed by the military forces. General Vandever planes Jeffords for harboring the TularOsa h. dians. He had talk with Cachise. The crafty chief said that he would not raid in- to Mexico, had not done so, and had cOun- Seled all his warriors not to cross the from tier; yet, said he, "when I made peace with the United States I did not make peace with Mexico" General Vandever came to the conclusion that the Cachise band ought to be removed to New Mexico; but the department does not think that this is possible or practical. The danger apprehended is not so much that the h. dianS will continue raiding into Mexico, as that whenever Cachise becomes dissatisfied with our government he may cross over with his whole band into Mexico and make a compact with one or more of the ;Hexican frontier towns, as has formerly ,1f>e1 done, so that he may change his base 'pf operatiOn and begin to raid across the .ffontier into Arizona and New Mexico.
 This question is not an easy one to han dle, and the department finds it an ele- phant. News has now been received that Jeffords has resigned his office as agent. Commissioner smith, undoubtedly in- fUenced by the report of General Howard, thinks that JeffOrdS is the only man for the place; but General Nandever reports that several more com petcnt for the posi- tion can be named. One Of them in par ticular has more influence over Cachise than J6HO1uS.
 TIE CITIZEN reiterates it's frequently expressed opinion that the Cachise Apa ches will never be Obedient and trustwor- thy until after punishment by the military. They must be convinced that the mili- tary is a part of this government and an important agency in etfectng peace with them as well a7 with other Apaches. It is fallacious to suppose any band of saw ages, like that of Cachise, will ever con- sistently respect government or obey its wishes or regard the rights of the peo- pie, so long as it is exempted from rules and power necessarily apple4 to others near by. A late dispatch to The Alta says:
 General Vandever has been examined by the Military Committee Of the House on the subject of the condition of the Indians on the reservations in ArizOna, with a view to the introduction of civil and military discipline. He thinks the Apaches are rapidly losing their warlike characteristics through the peace policy which provides for their wants, and takes away the peceS- Sity of hunting and the use of savage in- stinctS. He thinks il would be unwise at present to make any radical changes.