National Republican., 1875-11-30
OUR ABORIGINAL DEPENDENTS.

1uO 4uuinu UuOouy dlICI passing tuiOdSn
a thorough investigation and constant and
vindictive warfare of certain portion of
the press, comes forward with its annual
report, which does honor alike to the De-
partment and the Administration. The
principal feature in the report is tile re-
markable progress of the Indians towards
civilization. The following statistics Of the
present year, gathered with more than
usual care, furnish important facts for con-
sideration: "By the number of Indians re-
turned they substantially verify the
"count and estimates Of last year, making
ga total as now enumerated Of 278, 963.
" This population is determined by actual
count of the tribes, with the exception of
"Nayajoes, Papagoes, Pueblos, Mission
Indians, (roamers in Oregon the Black
" feet, Piegans, non-treaty Sioux and q
portion of the Utes-in all, less than 80,-
1000; and for these $4,000, with the ex-
" ception of not exceeding IL. 0.00a. the esti-
" mates have been based on long acquaint-
"ance with! the condition and habits of
"their tribes, and cannot be far from cor
rect. Taking labor which Indians un-
" "dertake for themselves and its results
cas- a standard of progress, the reports
" show AZ, 900 able Indians, representing
"not far from the same number of
Indian families, undertaking self
Support by labor with their own hands.
" A portion of them have labored
annually with little profit to them
" selves, except that which comes from
"the effort, but the maj ority of these
"laborers have procured the larger por-
I" ton of their means of living as repre-
"sented in the crop of 2, 404, 900 bushels
"of wheat and other small grains, and
" All $50 bushels of potatoes and other
vegetables. The fields under cultivation
"by individual Indians planting for them
"selves aggregate 323, 500 acres, larger
" area by 1000 acres than ever before re-
"ported and nearly 100000 acres more
than were cultivated in 1871, gain of
145 per cent. in five years and 600 per
"cent in ten years. Additional lands
broken and ready for cultivation next
=" year aggregate %, 146 acres. Five years
"sgo 10, 329 Indian families were living in
family houses; there are now 19,962, q
" gain of 90 per cent This report would
Z" have shown still more gratifying results,
"but for the fact. that for want of later
"returns the statistics for five civilized
" tribes in the Indian Territory are taken
from the reports of 1872. There is every
reason to suppose that among these &C.,
060 people there has been o larger pro-
portion of gain for the three years than
among any other Indians"
The three hostile tribes in the Indian
Territory, comprising the Kiowas, Canaan
ches and Cheyennes, have been q constant
source Of trouble and annoyance to the
Bureau. The last session of Congress ap-
propriated fund for the express purpose
of securing a tract of country in the
northeastern portion Of the Territory
upon which to place about four thousand
of these people who had been taken cap
tive. The object was to take them away
from their present surroundings, away
from the buffalo range and other tsmpta-
tons which gave them a marauding dis
position and place them among the semi
civilized tribes where civilization could be
more readily and efectually inforced upon
them. This plan, owing 10 objections
raised by the military, has not as yet been
executed. That the plan was wise and
desirable one there can be no doubt. This
people are at present situated in the south
western part Of the Territory, in easy ac-
cess 10 Texas, into which thew maka ueri.
odical raids, often resulting in bloodshed
and ever ending in robbery and pillage.
There is bitter and long-standing enmity
existing between the northern border set
Elements of Texas and this barbaric people,
and for many years the custom has been to
shoot either upon sight whenever and
wherever opportunity afforded itself.
The great buffalo range, the most
extensive in the country, lies upon the
western portion Of these three vast reserva-
tons, and in the chase the Indian is con-
stantly tempted 10 pursue his game across
the northern boundary of Texas, and when
once within the forbidden precincts he
is sure to come into collision with the
frontier settlers, and thus continuous war
fare exists which costs the Government
millions annually to suppress, which, how
ever, has never as yet been effectually &C.
complished. The commingling of the bar
barrie with the semi-civilized tribes cannot
fail to have Q beneficial effect upon the
former, while it viii not necessarily affect