The New York herald., 1875-08-30
INDIAN FRAUDS.
A Letter from Mr.. Welsh on Indian
Agents and the Church.
Agents Demoralized by Washington
Influence.
Delano Sheltering Behind Mission
ary Organizations.


Professor o. G. MARSH
MY DEAR sR-In writing on the theme indicated for
the fourth letter will begin by stating that when Pres
dent Grant commenced his first term he placed one
Indian supern,endency and its annexed agencies under
the care OF the Society OF Friends termed Orthodox
These were located the socaled Indian Territory and
IN Kansas The superintcndency and agencies in
Nebraska were committed to the care of the other
Society Of Friends and in each the ofbe
society were appointed removed from Office ndi
Gated The President dismissed nearly all other Indian
agents and supplied their places with military officers
who had been in the volunteer service. These acts
and especially the latter disastciu to politicians
and drew down the administration the Indignation of
Congress, and by its laws hostility was
shown TO the army, and military Indian
agents discontinued The experiment
of placing certain Indians under the
Of religious bodies having proved eminontly
ccssfn on the reservations watched by the soce-
ties Of Friends the President and the Hon. J. d. Cox
Secretary OF the Interior determined f possible to in
duco tho various missionary societies to nominate and
supervise other Indian agents Tho policy of this,
permanent principle, Will discuss another letter,
and only refer difficulty in tho way OF its
complishment that seemed insurmountabc. Indian
agents were thon the mere tools Of the supcrnendens
through whom all correspondence and business OF every
character must pass The Office OF superintendent was
very lucrative and had paid the political party
literally to the appointment; therefore, they
appropriations In all the Territories the Governor was
er oGcio superintendent of Indian Affairs. The follow
ing letter, written Ia me by the then Secretary of the
Interior, audcs TO the difficulty just referred and
shows how was drawn into this department of govern
mental work.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
NV DEAR sybs 3 o e. c Ans To- S1
@ S hs e $ o & D"
factory solution difficulty Senator has presented
Inst d. %S o %P% Re backs & ali IL % e%s %
influence My has been that making serious
the work the Qnaker are doing in Kansas and
nr o~er he MAJ IL has ccnrred w. me- ta, n he Rad r. ~
the Episcopal Church take The yankio% the
Church American Missionary Society of which Or Anton
Catholic priest Father De smctt wants we could dispose q"
Fort BeEthod and Fort Union where the ro yentres and
not have any further question about appointments AS your
pose will you not Immediately whether agents
win be included s yon on the same terms as those which
appointed the nomination Of the societies and have the
that you Bishop Whppe fix this up for us at
on , Please his % m Dopao% e"Ts % m s @
upo promptly as desire e make definite propositions at
progress You are making in restoring the beautiful buildings
have the hopes with help of settling
among the Dakotas in such shape that may look for per
tho zeal have shown in this remain in haste
WILLIAM WELSH Esq
Although had an unconqucrable aversion to any al
ance between Church aud State, yet having failed in
securing for the Board of Indian Commissioners of
| which was not then member, joint control over
appropriations for the Indians to cfecuay check
frauds led to favor Secretary Cox's suggestion
at least as temporary cXpedien If the difficulty
heretofore referred to could be removed To that end
got the following words inserted in the Indian Appro-
priation bil:'The President is hereby authorized at
his discretion, to discontinue one or more Indian
snpcrintcndcncies and to the agents report
Washington F" went to President Grant, after had
with difficulty obtained the assent Of the
ary organizations of our Church, and assured HIM that
unless the superintendency of Dakota. which
odcio under the Governor Of the Territory, was
discontinued the Episcopal Church could be in
duced to nominate any Indian agent or to supervise
their work. as their nominees must not be under the
direction or control of any politician impressed this
strongly tho mind Of the President and told him
that must have an answer in New York by the 25th Of
October, as the Board of Missions was to assemble
that day for its annual session The following telegram
and letter were received by me in New York
WAsnIscroS Oct -, 1870
Instructions oo superintendent issued
q. L. BABcoCK
DEPARTMENT THE INFERIOR,
MY DEAR SRI have to-day got the signature Of the
President the order disseminating superintendent
With assSrsnee believe everything Else IS Progressing as
fast could be expected and shall earnestly hopc
that matters will continue to go ON well In haste.
WILLIAM WELSH Esq
Bishop whippe not being within reach the RESPONSE
by of persuadng our missionary societies to nominate
me Our missions 10 Indians had been struggling on
under fearful disadvantages arising the apathy of
the Church. the dishonesty of political agents and the
profanity and RIGHTEOUSNESS of some OF the military
agents. was obliged to study the subject pretty thor
oughy especially as to the operations Of the Society of
Friends and the personal oversight of their agents
members of that devoted body of Christians. Then
took tho agents appointed under the nomination of the
Episcopal Church to the reservations the Missouri
River We soon made frauds in cattle rather difficult
and dangerous; but these fraudulent contractors
only shifted their ground to other fields less
/
Cloud Agency, and subsequently on the Milestone
snoed Tail Agency when IL was removed TO the SAM.
neighborhoOd from the banks Of the Missouri River |
letters in the hands of agents written the Interior
Department asking them to favor certain contractors,
In direct volaonof the terms of the contract and TO
the injury of the Indians Our agreement with the gov
ernmcnt that were to have the supervision
and control Of agents that had been given to the soci
cites OF Friends This threw great responsibility on
the Church. which was compelled to assume its
behalf until its Indian missionary organization became
more complete. BY corresponding with each agent
found that they we're anpercd with and tempted to
wrong doing by the Interior Department, or with It's
SANCTION by the contractors. Rcmonstrance at Washing
ton produced no permanent effects and some OF the
agents were evidently becoming dcmoralizcd Nearly
two years since when our missionary organization be-
more complete, it sent out az my instance the fol-
lowing circular, similar many respects to that issued
| by the Society of Fricnds:-
| DKAR sIR-The Board Of Indian Commissioners, in ex-
amning vouchers for Indian supplies aud freight have be
satisfied that there systematic effort the part of
ernmcnt Indian by obtaining vouchers for greater
n.,e R s Indian s g Board % e 4 Sared with
the nomination and supervision OF certain agents feels con
strained increased diligence in preventing
frauds Unless the closest personal supervision given
poyes will be with the Church that has the
agency under It's viii be disgraced As long the
continues to have the selection Of his employees he
will be held strictly responsible for their iithncss. The
: committee has been notified that agencies
cattle been received in
required by the and also that been
averaged. We desire be notified when any
ceved from government officer allowing contractor
favorable than Indicated by the that
know where the responsibility IS zach and
employe Is 20 be satisfied with mis- salary, be
gagged business other Kind
receive allowances pcruses. the Executive Committee
will who departs from this rule This cir
cuar each agent for his solely because occasion
for H. therefore IL is hoped will be
offended that all will any Of
offence on the reservation under their The appoint
mcnt agents made entirely the instance IN
ccutiye Committee, and their removal follows Immediately
when a request made without any being assigned
therefor hence the responsibility that upon
and have resolved 20 discharge the best Of
ability H. DYER. Chairman.