New-York tribune., 1874-11-18
THE INDIAN PROBLEM.
SECRETARY DELANos REPORT ON INDIAN
AFFAIRS

UNlusTAKADIx EVIDENCES OF ADVANCING Ci'iAA~
ATIoN-rHF FUTURE OF THE SIOUX A sEkioOs
PRoBIKM-THE BLACK ELLIS ExPEpilloN-hO"N-
oMY OF FEEDING THE WILD TRIBEs-PEoPosAL
TO DIsARM THEM-NEEDED LEGlsLAAlON-
MAKING THE INDIAN CITIZEN
WASHINGTON, Nov. I7.-The Hon. 4. r. smith
Commissioner of Indian Affairs. has completed bis
annual report to the Secretary OF tne AntelOi' Io
lowing Is the report in full
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. WASHINGTON D. u
SIR. have the honor TO submit herewith my annual
report accompanied by the reports Of the superin-
tendents and Agents OF the Indian Bureau. The
statistical returns than usually full and accu-
rate From them will be gathered unmistaksoe evil
denees OF advancing civilization among nearly all tne
different tribes OF Indians, evinced by gain ID al ma
teria prosperity increased interest In and aches ior
education, and growing general disposition OF goou
will toward tue believe that no year IN
the history OF the Government has witnessed sueh
marked general movement towards the civilization OF
the red men, years the appliances for eivizl
tou have brought bear with increasing force
upon the Indians Of the country, and the resut pro
duced are gratifying and most hopeful for the future
Atm Agencies Indians who at the beginning OF TINS
pertod made no eff rt and showed no inclination toward
labor or sefsuppOrt or education for their children,
seem now to have settled into earnest purpose 10
adopt a civilized mode OF Hfe and learn to proyidefor
Themselves For convenience Of reference and remark
heads FlrSi Those that wild and scarcely tracta-
be TO anv extent beyond that coming enough 70
the Government agent TO receive ratons and blankets
Secondly Indians who thoroughly convinced OF
the necessity of labor and actually undertaking It,
and with more less accept the direction and assist
ance OF agents this end Thirdly Indians
who have into possession OF allotted lands ana
other stock property stock and implements belonging
10 them as landed estate.
CENSUS OF TIE TRIBES.
The first class Plumbers about s1s. and may be cata-
logued follows 364 out OF about 5000 Sioux; 42o
Mandan Gros ventres; 400 Crows $3.50 Backee,
Bloods and Piegans 6153 Utes 10 Colorado, Utah and
HewNIexico: sO57 paches in New-Mexco and Arizona
4e75 Kowas and Comanehes in Indian Territory; 1874
Cheyennes and Arrapahoes in Indian Territory, Wy
Om,ug and kOta 5352 Chippewas IN Minnesota Wis
consln and McAisan 800 Nez Perces IN Idaho; lGeO
suoshones aud BiunOcks IN Wyoming 1000 slosAones,
Bannocks. and p U,ss in Oregon.
The second class. numbering about Cl29, is summed
upas follows: 7o9 Chppewls and AmenomOnees in Mn
nesota and Wisconsin S3s slcs and Foxes in Iowa;
4s22 Sioux Poneas and 973 R-cs in Dakota 9.2S9
Pawuees Omahas Ottoes Sccs and Foxes in Nebraska;
Fatheads IL Montana, and 25OO Mixed shoshones
anu Bannocks aud sheepElers and 200 Neg Perces IN
Idaho 2g5 ekapoOs 363 Klws 2972 Osages Ia 'ae
Indian Territory loo Pah Utes reservation IN Ne
yada 55 .es IL UtaL L450 Mohaves aud Huaapaes in
Arizona; 9CGs Nav IN NewMexeo, and 1906 among
the different tribes IN Washington Territory, Oregon,
/
other Indians NsVY rk L774 CJipfewa and other
Indians in Michigan. Wisconsin and Minnesota 2730
sissetOn. s3ntee and Fandreau Agencies 226
Iowas 1.7s5 WJunebagos in Nebraska; 75o POtta-
watomes and Kekapoos Kansas 500 Osages. 1900
Choctaws. 1900 Greeks. 6.0OO Chckasaws 2433 Semi
noies. l72I7 Cnerokees and 4lH peiongIng 10 smaller
the Indian Territory; 1000 EGsern Cherokees
In NORTH Carolina IJ7 Nez Perces Idaho 5Il2 va
ko1nas and others in Washington Territory, and l9O5
Pa bios in Nev-Me xco. Within the above cassif.a "a
ton, modified ght be included $500 Pimas
and Maricopas, aud 1909 Pdpagoes il Arizona and
majority Of the 5000 Mission Indians California, who
have always been self-supportinc, and only within
short time furnished Dy the Government with
agent and few employ and IL 1t had been any
time during the last generation possible for them 10
received suitable lands in severlty. they would
have tOlerable condition Of comfort
Of their white neghDors. fourth class Of and
yaErauts might be rated. consisting OF COO Winnie
hacos in Wisconsin, % KickPoos IN Kansasknowu as
McKOnoSos oandd 5O0 gser, and others in California
5000 Indians on the Columbia River 1850 Utes ID Ne
vada, Utah. Colorado, and Arizona 1850 YOmas and
Others IN Arizona and 100 scattered Indians in North
Carolina. Tennessee. Georgia, Florida. snd Texas.
A GENERAL INDIAN WAR no LONGER POSSIBLE.
Respecting the Indians engaged 10 Glass l. gem
eral statement s true: decided advance has been
made during the year the direction Of securing
trol and influence these widest tribes In the
Try. and the way has opened quite percepdbly for
larger and hopeful work among them duTag
the coming year. They yet unreacAed By mis- |
Eonary work, aud their nauve pagInism, whose
superstition often oT0d their being counted for cnro
meut and their children from attending school. II is
from Indians 10 this class that any such hosties
70 be apprehended TO require the OF
the military and with the exception OF possibly
10000 none OF these properly designated hostile and
the hOtiles themselves scattered and divided in
eliques and bands that except under extraordinary
NJ N ar ali ha
Blended, 1t is not PROBABLE taat many Indian
warriors Will ever again be mustered for fight. Aud
conflicting different tribes aud
the occupation OF the intervening country and advanc-
Ing settlements, such event general I9dlan war
can never again occur IN this cou TRY This opinion
strong confirmation in the fact that the highly dis
turbed feeling among Sioux during past Summer
has not led % attempt at and that military posts
have been successfully established at N Cloud and Spot
TED Tail agencies IN face OF the violent declaration
Indians soldier should ever cross the Platte
The feeding process which mas been continued
years Sioux has so far taken the yht ont
OF them that II impossible for portion OF the more
warlike treaty bands prevail upon their brethren
who have been sitting down the agencies along the
Missouri River risk the loss OF coffee sugar and beef
IN exchange for the hardshp and perls OF campaign
against soldiers As result. the Custer expedition
penetrated to heart Of their Wild country ana
returned without any opposition, aud the military
camps Red Cloud and Spotted Tail agencies are in
safety, though surrounded by force of dgaling men
from ten TO twenty times larger than their number
To have tanned this down 70 THIS degree Of
submission by the issue Of rations is in itself demon
straton OF what has been often urged cheaper
10 feed than 70 hgAt wild Indians
The first requisite in treatment of all Indian. NJ
this class Is nrnness. ANY outrages OF depredntons
should be followed up promptly punished at all haz
ards and any Any enency Which comes in 10 pre
vent this Is expensive and mistaken kindness. The
necessity OF making upon the Comanches and Chev
eDnes in the IntiIn Territory resulted largely from