, 1875-12-02
THE INDIAN QUESTION.

e.-.z---
THE INDIAN QUESTION.
i food Of light Inns been thrown upon tho
Indian question III Tho recent reports Of Sill
pcrintendents, Of the Indian Commissioner,
and Of tie Black Hills Commissioners, but
the most pertinent suggestions havo come
from the arn,y officers, especially from Gems.
SHERIDAN and rorr Geu. SHERIDAN in ilis
annual report briefly bnt very practically
criticiscs tho present lndian policy. He is Of
opinion TINT it would have been better If tho
Indians Ind always been considered part of
tho population Of the United States, and
argues that when forced upon reservations
they should hnyo been subjected to special
government until they were fitted to obcy tho
ordinary laws Of tho country; nntI TINT the
present syatcm Of Indian civilization Inns not
met with succcss commensurate with the
His system for civilization iB to transfer
the inainn bureau to tho nrmy, mud
havo its administration "govorucd mud
controlled in responsibility Of ACCOUNTS
with our present systeili." Ho adds:
"Tho Indians will thua be liun1ano1y nntl
honestly dealt with, and believe If this had
always been lie casc there would 1ave been
but few Of the troubles and bloody records
which have characterized tho civilization OF
tho Indians in tho many ycars gono by
Gen. Pore, in his report, takes substantially
the aalne viow as Gen. SHERIDAN, md cx-
presses his beliof that tho Indian reservations
should be under military rule. Fla says:
tles!re 10 Hay will iii cnphss1s, uhat every army
officer Ihe fruntcr wilt eorroboratc, that th no
ciass Of mcn in this country wo dis,ncncd 10
war with tho 1udtAns % tho army Stationed nncHg
thont. The army has nothing ,u gain by a war with
tho Inlnns. On tho contrary, 1t haa everything to
1tfo. 1a such II suffers ali tho harashlps ana
priraons, and exposed M 1t Is to tho charge Of
1atlon II Indiana arc Killed, to the charge Of fne
cency II they not, to INSTRUMENTATION by the
Agents who fsten the plunder Of tho Indians, aud
misunderstood by worthy people ut distance WIN
deceived by thesc fery Agents md thnr following thu
soldier has tto to c1Ioct from put1c feeling. Ncvnr-
thclcss ho is placed under tho present arraugo-
tnens and orders iliat llu las power rha.oyur
tic tGsl[an reservations to redress prevent wrongs
which drive Indians 10 wnr.
Gen. !scnoEIELD indolsos both Gems. PopE
and SHERIDAN, aud thus defines military
management:
Military management mrRIH simply more economic.
s 5uat, natforIG, ad cuaAten execution of tho e.:
ncutso will. It EnesnB ttf,uanence III tho 10l- Of
dealing with tho 1nuana through the agency of lfa-
teuutu officers, who have scnt In,Ht u their aeis
lives among the Indians, via knew thclr character and
wautH mud WHO hayu esery possible nlotiyo for de.nR
With tlon wisely aud justly. 1t means 10 do away
With the constant fucsnH 3us of pulley, tin continual
d1knfbanxs uf psee1tstnR arrniIgcHoute. aud {re-
1utnt dtsrtgard Of teatIca 1rornisea which hay
lea Tbs In lians 10 an kmoat total dlateljet Ia tho
inftls Of tin Government. Military management
I'll
trny for the ahors OF Cs.slian missionaries to civil
!ze and instruct tie *1sRge ltihes.
It adds forco to tho direct reconrne endattoua
Of these distinguished ar1ny officers that the
President limeelf comedies with them, and
has more than once expressed himself to that
elect, aud that the people themselves favot
[ Tho army administration Of Indian ciyiliza.
| ton. Tho present plan has bc1n tried fot
years, nnd hes not only Bgually failed, lul
IN continually growing worse mud worsc.
There is no way of reforming it OF making il
better. Tic Indians and the Agents are too
far removed from tho pablo gaze. Ihei,
transactions tue too remote. There ia ne
possibility Of discovering The frauds and cor
| ruptions Of Agents These frauds throw tht
operations Of the Whisky Rings into tht
shndo, because they can be carried on with sir
tual impunity, and tho army itself can bt
employed at any time to hunt dowt
and wipe out the Indiaus il they oppos'
them. These Agents do not go out ther,
from sense Of duty or for the sake of th
small ealasies. They 50 taera to n,aE'
money, md the only way they can max
money is by swindling the Indians. TIL
Qnakess themselves have shown their impo
tency to countcract the infamous work o
the Indian rings. Thoro is no remedy ex
cept to tako tho Indian Bureau out Of th
civil list aud place it onco more under mill
tnry control. Such o change will not onl
promote economy, honest expenditures an'
regard for treaties, but it will also gtnrante
peaco and security to tho frontier settlers
savc tho expenses Of Indian wars, help o
tho civilization Of the Indian, aud tend t
develop more rapidly the settlement Of th
| Erent Wnst