National Republican., 1875-12-08
Report Of General schofeld.

Gen. Schofeld, commanding the military divi-
sion Of the Pacific, in his annual report, speaks
follows in regard to the control Of Indian affairs:
Viewing the question in reference to army inter-
ess, have always been averse to the oft-proposed
transfer of the Indian Bureau to the War Depart
ment, and believe this feeling Is general in the
army. Some ofthe duties which devolye upon In
dian agents would be distasteful to military off,
GERS, and they would gladly avoid the public criti-
cism that is likely to follow to some extent, any
great additional burden to the younger officers
without any corresponding benefit to them. 1t
would to some extent distract their attention from
their purely military duties, and might, therefore,
impair tho discipline and efficiency Of the army.
1t is, therefore, with much reluctance that
have been forced to the belief that the transfer Of
necessity Of the public service. The events ofthe
past two years have demonstrated the utter ina
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Indians. The effort to control them through civil
agents while at peace on their reservations, and
then turn them over TO the army when they leave
their reservations commit acts of hostility, has
proved, as might have been expected, most efti-
cient method Of producing war. The officers of
the army are compelled to stand idly by, power
less for good while their promises to the Indians
made ut the termination of previous hostilities,
are being violated, and the dictates Of wisdom,
the daily treatment of the helpless savage, who
has no possible means Of redress but escape from
a reservation where his life is-made intolerable.
Then the army is called upon to pursue the In
dians, force them back upon their reservation and
punish them for their disobedience. Thus war
Is inaugurated which could not have happened If
the Indians had been under military control.
No class of citizens is more desirous Of peace
with the Indians than are officers of the army.
There Is no glory to be won in savage warfare,
and when TO this feeling is added the conviction
that the Indians have been driven 10 war by in
justice and outrage the Indignation felt by honor
able soldiers can easily be imagined. The present
system places the question Of war or peace in our
remote Territories absolutely under the control of
irresponsible civil agents, while the army officers,
who must fight the battles, are powerless to avert
the unnecessary evil. However distasteful the
duties Of Indian agents may be, the officers of the
amy would gladly perform them as the only
practicable remedy for the existing evil.
The proposed change could not but result in
great saving Of expense to the country. In either
case the troops must be kept near the Indian res
eTvations and the present machinery of the sup
ply departments of the army is abundantly sutfi-
cient TO transact the additional business. The
performance Of the duty by these well-ordered de-
partments would insure the delivery Of supplies
with the same regularity, fidelity and certainty
as to quality for the Indians as for the troops.
The economy and efficiency Of such n system is
manifest. However honest and efficient the pres
ent system might be, the proposed one could not
be less efficient, and must be far more economical.
Whatever may be true concerning the alleged
frauds in the present system OF Indian supply, Of
which 1t is not my province to speak, every one
who knows the army know that such frauds could
not exist under military management. The op-
portunities and temptations for fraud would be the
same as now exist in the army and no more, with
1t is not necessary even to refer to the generally
recognized high standard Of honor among mill
tary men to explain the well-known general hon.
esty Of military administration as compared with
that of the civil departments on the frontiers.
The army officer holds his commission for life, or
during good behavior. 1t embodies all he has or
hopes for. All his official acts are under constant
supervision; and wherever he may be, q court
martial is always ready to infct disgrace and i'm
prisonment for any breach of honor. On the
other hand q civil agent holds his appointment
for O few years at most. Tho whole Of his small
salary does not amount TO as much as he can make
out OF one little job,n and he is absolutely free
from any danger OF punishment beyond removal
from his almost worthless office. The wonder is,
not that some Indian agents prove unfaithful, but
that the number is not much greater than 1t ap-
pears to be. 1t would be dificult to conceive q
system better calculated than the present to en-
1t is an entire mistake to suppose that the pro-
posed transfer Of the Indian Bureau necessarily
means departure from the "peace policy" That
policy, which is the dictate alike Of wisdom JUS
tice and humanity, which has been adopted by
the present Executive, is not likely to be aban-
doned by any Of his successors unless under the
influence Of new surroundings. Military manage
ment means simply more economical, just, uni
form and consistent execution Of the Executive
viii. 1t means permanence in the mode of deal
ing with the Indians through the agency Of life
tenure officers, who have spent most Of their ac-
tive lives among the Indians, who know their
character and wants, and who have every possible
motive for dealing with them wisely and justly.
1t means to do away with the constant fluctuaton
of .pollcy," the continual disturbance of prcex-
isting Arrangements and the frequent disregard
Of treaties or promises which have led the In
dians to an almost total disbelief in the faith Of
the Government. Military management means
peace and security, giving even greater oppor-
tunity for the abors Of Christian missionaries to
cylize and instruct the savage tribes. Let these
worthy philanthropists be relieved from the re-
sponsibility and contamination of more worldly
matters, and their influence for good cannot
thereby be diminished.