Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-12-03

on the Comanches and Cheyennes in the In
dian Territory originated largely in a failure
to observe this rule The tary force sta
toned around and among these wild Indians
is deemed sufficient for their restraint, and it
is confidently believed that this class will di-
minish in number year by year.
The Commissioner. treats of the In
dams in class noyitiates in
civilization. They have generally aban-
doned the medicine dance, ard have
come directly under the influence and con-
troll of religious teaching. The agents are
verv hopeful for the future of these people.
The, implements and adjuncts of advanced
civilization are needed for them but all
bounty and aid from the government should,
in the opinion of the Commissioners, come to
this kind OF Indian ward in he form OF pay.
-ment for labor performed. II ere the Com
missioner puts in a short plea for additional
appropriations. ., & -tW a. .t-.~ ..
The third class embraces the majority Of
the Indians of the United States They may
be called civilized, and have been greatly as
sisted in attaining to this condition by the
long-continued religion, teachings of mis-
sionaries. They need to become American
citizens. Yet most of them hesitate. to take
any steps which would lead them out of the
tribal condition.
g Pride of nationality, dread of COMPETE
ton with the enterprise of white men, and
fear CT loss of property by taxation or suit for
debt, cause this hesitation among the mass of
the less educated, while the more forehanded
and better educated among them, being gen.
orally the government de fdcto and thus in
trusted with funds and power are in no haste
for a change. Both classes appeal most
strenuously to heletter of their treaty. which
requires the United States to treat them as
soveregnties forever and the question will
sooner or later arise at this point, as in the
case of cash annuities, whether the govern
ment will hold itself bound forever by
the liberal terms of its bargain with it's wards
to the palpable damage of both contracting
parties"
OF the 14,O00 Migrants little can be said.
They are as harmless as Migrants can be in a
civilized country. The Commissioner Justly
remarks that "they seem to serve by their
continued existence but single useful pur-
pose-that of affording living illustration of
the tendency and effect of barbarian allowed
to expend itself incurred"
The Commissioner regrets the Black Hills
excitement, but believes that the undesirable
ness of the country to white people and the
total absence of mineral wealth in that region
will preserve it for the Sioux. Scarcely greater
evil, he thinks, could come to the Sioux people
than the disturbance and decentralization incl
dent to an attempt to dispossess them of their
country.
The Commissioner deprecates the course
of the government in relation to Satanic and
Big Tree, believing that they should have
been summary punished when they were
first captured. Expeditions for plumber and
murder have grown rankly out of the belief
ON the part of the Kiowas and Comanches
that there wss little to fear from the govern
ment. These tribes have, however, been
chastised lately, and will have more respect
for authority hereafter He thinks that they
have forfeited all their treaty rights, and that
they should be removed to a reservation, cattle
given them for their ponies and arms, and
labor required in return for their rations and
clothing.
He states that the Indian Territory is with
out law, and that white thieves and buffalo
hunters have things their own way. The
United States District Court of Arkansas adj
| minister's what scarcely deserves the name of
! law, on account of the impossiblity of two or
three United States Marshals being of much
account in an area of 81, 600 square miles.
The Indian Territory has population at
present averaging little over one inhabtant
to the square mile. The unoccupied portions
of this country are sufficient in extent to fur
nish homestead to every Indian family in
the United States.
He believes the need of the following Con-
! greesional action to be immediate: = gts
| /. A suitable government of Indians-by
providing that the criminal laws of the United
| States shall be in force upon Indian reserva-
tions, and shall apply to all offenses, includ-
| ing offenses Of Indian against Indians and
extending the jurisdiction OF the United
States courts to enforce the same; by declar-
| ing Indians amenable to the police laws of the
State or Territory for any act committed out
| side a reservation by comforting upon the
| President authority, at his discretion, to ex-
tend the jurisdiction of the State courts, or
| any portion of them, to any reservation when
| ever IN his Judgment any tribe is prepared for
such control; by providing sufficient force
of Deputy Marshals to enforce law and order,
| both among and in behalf of Indians by CIV
ing authority to the Secretary Of the Interior
to prescribe for all tribes prepared, in his
| judgment, to adopt the same, an elective gov
eminent through which shall be administered
all necessary police regulations of reserva-
ton and by providing a district territorial
government or United States court, wherever
Indians are in sufficient numbers to Justify it.
2. Legislation for the encouragement of
| individual Improvement by providing way
into citizenship for such as desire it /; by pro-
| viding for holding lands in severalty by a1ot-
ment for occupation, and for patents with an
| ultimate fee, but inalienable for q term of
| years by providing that whenever per capita
distribution provided by treaty has proved in
furious, or without benefit to it's recipients, q
| distribution of the same may, in the discretion
of the President, be made only in return for
| labor of some sort. -
The Commissioner takes occasion frequently
in the report to remark upon the value of re-
| ligious influence among the tribes, concluding
| Is f0llOWs:
1.-The main difficulty, so far as the govern
| ment is concerned lies in the fact that the
Indians deepest need is that which the
government, through it's political organiza-
ton and operations cannot well bestow the
| nrst help which man in barbarian requires
is not that which can be afforded through
political party, but that which is offered by
fellow-man, wiser than himself, coming per-
sonally and extending hand of sympathy and
truth. No amount Of appropriations and no
government machinery can do much toward
lifting an ignorant and degraded people, ex-
oept as it works through the willing hands of
men made strong and constant by their love
for their fellow-men. If. therefore it should
be possible to continue the sympathy and aid
Of the religious people Of the land in this
work, and to rally for its prosecution the en-
thusiasm and zeal which belong to religion,
and also if it shall be possible to procure the
enactment of such laws as will recognize the
essential manhood and consequent capabili-
ties and necessities Of the Indian, and pro-
vide reasonably adequate appropriations, which
shall be expended both honestly and wisely
for their benefit, and bold steadily to q
well-defned and carefully prepared method
I of treatment, every year VIII witness steady
decrease of barbarian, and its consequent
danger and annoyance, and constant acces-
sion to the number Of peaceful and intelli-
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