National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-15
The MISSION INDIANS OF SOUTHERN
TEnDUTA

The report of c. A. Wetmore, Special Com
missioner to the Mission Indians of Southern
California, which was filed in the office of In
dian Affairs early in January, has been pub
lished in pamphlet form by the Department.
The recommendations contained therein in ref
ercnce to the remedies for existing evils sought
to be overcome were foreshadowed in the pub
lished reports Of the conferences which Mr..
Wetmore held with the people of the sections
most affected by the difficulties growing out Of
the present condition of Indian vagabondage.
The general outline Of plan to settle these
difficulties was publicly submit ted, and called
forth free expression of opinions, both from
the local and State press, and from public
officers, county, State and Federal, whose Off
cial experience had qualified them for the ex-
preston of sound opinions on the subject.
Without exception the plan proposed was in
dorsed in a most emphatic manner, and strong
appeals TO the Government and to Congress
have been signed urging the adoption of the
recommendations, and prompt action by Con-
gresS in carrying them into effect. The Off
GERS of the southern counties Of California,
where the remnants of the once prosperous
Franciscan Missions are now to be found, are
about equally divided as to Democrats and Re-
| publicans. This circumstance, together with the
fact that they have nearly all volunteered let
tiers indorsing the acts and plans OfMr. Wetmore,
indicates that the report now published con-
tains material Of practical value. We COM
mented on the subject quite fully when it was
first brought to the attention of the public, and
commended the policy proposed. Mr.. Wet
more was called upon TO investigate a most
complicated condition of Indian life, and he
has not only reported upon the condition and
necessities of the present time, but has traced
the history of the Mission Indians back to the
time when the Franciscan fathers first came
among them in 1863. His report contains a
valuable outline sketch of the origin of the
| Missions, their object and wonderful success
| during period of sixty-fou years; the subse-
quent devastation caused by the destruction
of the Missions by the act of the Mexican Con-
gress; the consequent scattering and partial
degradation of the semi-civilized Indians, and
| finally the vagabondage and Generalization
which has been incident upon the recent occU.
patton Of the country by white settlers, who
have, under the operation of laws under
| which the Indians found no shelter, seized
! upon the lands and forced the Indians into
| yagrancy. No provision has yet been made
to secure rights of settlement for these out
casts, notwithstanding they constitute val
liable working force in the country, and are
now considered indispensable to its develop
ment. They are now in conflict with pre-
emptors on the public domain and tresspassers
on private land grants, where their presence
stimulates strife on account of the conflict of
title; and worse, many of them are living lives
Of the worst kind of vagrancy-not only be-
coming nuisance, but a great public evil.
How to settle these difficulties with justice
both TO the whites and Indians, who are mutu-
ally interested, is the problem which Mr.. Wet
more, in the opinion of the whites and the
champions of the Indians, has successfully
solved. Congress will be called upon to decide
what shall be done to complete the work par
TALLY accomplished, besides suggesting a
practical method of settling the Indians in
homes without forcing them upon reservations,
but leaving them secure in their own deter
mined rights to labor with the rest of man.
kind. Mr.. Wetmore discusses, in connection
with the lessons taught by the history of these
Indians, several important questions involved
in the Indian question, and has expressed some
of his deductions in q novel and forcible man.
ner He thinks that, to insure continued prog
ross or even iusIiU2 for domesticated Indians,
their rights must be determined and fixed, and
their titles IL, homes vested beyond the power
of changing polh, 'cs or advancing civilization
to make them vap, bonds; but these titles
should be vested in a Z, ~ustee. His report is
worth careful considerations