The New York herald., 1874-08-15
The Evils and Advantages of the
Reservation System.
rHp GOVERNMENT POLICY.
paternaI Management Useless
with the Tribes.
Police Discipline with Military Control
Absolutely Necessary.

war which has shaken the country to its foun.
astions, military department should be in
Is great state OF activity as II 1t were directing
the movements OF an army in the neld, and that In
the quiet city OF Chicago, will no doubt be regarded
with surprise. Nevertheless such is the case, and
It's no exagQeration OF your correspondent but
the acknowledgment of Major General Phil Sheri-
dan, he OF shenandoah fame. What excites these
headquarters, with such war-tried veterans az
sheridan, Forsy tn, Drum and Ruckers The truth
is, the war whoop has been heard and the Indian
has put on his paint to take the warpath. Your
respondent called General Sheridan yes
terday to learn all about the Indian war. He
reminded General Sheridan that he was re-.
garded on all hands as an authority on the subject
OF Indian afiairs and the approaching Indian war.
and that the country was anxious to hear him on
the diatorted subject through the columns OF the
NEW YORK HERALD. The General declined at
fsst 20 De interviewed. and fought as shy
Of 1t as o coy maiden OF nineteen would at
matrimonial proposition she had made up her
mind not TO accept. Finally General Sheridan, be-
lieving he might do something toward she nnal
adjustment of this annoying question, acceded to
your correspondents Importantly, and the follow
ing Is the result OF the interview
CoRREsPONDENT--What do you think General, OF
the present Indian status?
General SHERIDAN-l think that there is not az
much IN the Indian question as people generally
suppose there H. The present reservation system
Of the government is the only system by which we
can save the Indian, and even by that We can
probably only save the remnant OF each tribe.
The trouble the government has had so far under
that system comes from want OF proper manage
menr The government has attempted to manage
Wild race or people in a parental way, while at
the same time 1t has to manage lfs educated and
most intelligent population by the most stringent
and exacting laws and power, which seems to me
to De inconsistent when one re dects little.
CoRRIspoSpEsT-well, General, in your opinion
In order to enectually settle these repeated dis
turbances which occur so often, what do you
think 10 best TO be done, both as relates to Con.
ercssional legislation and the action OF the depart
ments
MILITARY RULE THE BEST.
General SHERIDAN-I think II viii be necessary
TO place some power over the India1-the military
power is certainly the best-5y which he can be
kept on the reservation, and be protected IN his
rights there, and by which whites could be Kept
OF; and n order to accomplish such purpose It
would be necessary for Congress to legtsata
CoRREsroNDENT-what can be done by the
military under the present existing state of Indian
troubles'
General sHERIpAx-we propose 10 punish the
Indians who have been hostile and who are absent
from their reserva ations and force them back on
10 the reservations, killing many OF them as II
y necessary for US 10 do TO accomplish that pur.
pose. Should they go back TO the reservations
before receiving such punishment, we expect to
arrest all those who have committed murder and
punish them in such way the government may
direct, and to arrest such OF the ringeaders we
may deem necessary and send them OF to Fort
Smelling, or some distant place. Keeping them for
such time as we may think necessary IN order to
make them behave themselves.
CoKREsPoNDENT-Would not the utilization OF
Indian labor under AN enforced discipline ana the
army, which was done with the Sepoys by the
BRUSH in India, be very good partial method OF
preventing them, by reason OF idleness and their
nomadc customs, from roaming abroad and COM
mitting depredations as now9
HOW TO UTILIZE THE INDIAN.
General SHERIDAN-I do not think that the Indian
question is sufficiently serious to necessitate the
management referred TO by the British government
in India So far the first part OF the question Is
concerned, think that the proper management OF
Indians on reservations Is that of enforced labor
and that can only be accomplished through the
military authority. II the military were in charge
Of each reservation the commanding onlcer could
subdlvide the land and break up the tribal clan
nishness OF Indians and could, in very short
time, enforce Il system OF labor that
would probably soon become seli-snppcrtng
% the indian. wish to state, while the reserva-
ion system is the only one that the Indian can be
controlled and governed by, that the first process
when they commence the reservation lie IS the
lying of Of the Indians. They commence dying
of very rapidly after they are put upon the reser.
vations, anG they usually die, the majority OF
them, OF consumption, superiEduced oy exposure,
homcsicsness, change OF life and hereditary
venercal diseases. That goes on Tor two or three
years. then they seem to get healthy, and what IS
then left can, in my opinion, be made good labor.
ing men and self-supportlng. The number OF
reservations necessary to govern the wild Indians
inside Of my command would not be many.
-Four reservations in the Indian Territory would
govern oil the wild Indians there now ana
nve or six reservations In the upper country north
OF the Union Pacific Railroad would probably be
sufficient TO govern all the Indians as north as
the upper Missouri. AS far as the present Indian
war Is concerned, 1t is only little greater IN its
magnitude than 1t has been for the last three or
four years; and there cannot be any general In.
dian war. or the Indians north OF the Union
Pacific Railroad, 500 could not be Kept together for
1--WE days en- account OF inability TO procure food.
OF the indians now hostile in the Indian Territory,
,he total number in my opinion. is not over IRON
little better than the ncrthern Indians. because
the buTaloes range more In that direction. SO
that any Indian war OF great magnitude Is mere
bosn. There is nothing In the Indian question, ex.
cept simply the proper management OF Indians on
reservations.
GENERAL suEnIDAS's EXPERIMENT.
CoRREspoSoESN-Well General, from your large
experience In reservations would you be pleased
10 describe the method OF Keeping a reservation
80 as to preserve order and peace among the fn-
diaps'
General SHERrDAS-I was on an indian reserva-
ton with large body OF Indians Tor a period OF
three years and half. The agent and myself
conceded so well that he perniitted me 20 exercise
police discipline over the Indians by the troops
The result was that we subdlyided the reservation
into farms, and In that period many OF the Indians
that came on the reservation perfectly wild be.
noad lahArers | isad n ne