Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-07-14
The Professor Has No Confidence What.
ever in the Interior Department,
and Questions their Sim
certify.
Is In Possession OF Evidence that Re
fleets UnfsyOrabIy on Secretary
DelsnO 97d Commissioner
Smith-His Statement.


justice to the Indians, and with your
broad and philaUthropic views on the
! whole Indian question. This must be
my excuse as a private citizen for COM
ing again to you TO lay before you a
statement of the wrongs committed on
the Sioux Indians mainly under my
own observation during q recent visit
to their country. My visit to this region
was wholly in the interest of science,
with no intention or wish to investigate
Indian affairs. The frauds l observed
were brOughtlto my knowledge by Red
| Cloud, who refused to allow my party to
enter the Bad lands until 1 had prom
ised to submit his complaint to
you in person. Since my interview
! with you upon this subject l
! have been informed by the COM
missioner Of Indian affairs of the
appointment Of q committee to inves-
| tigate affairs at the Red-Cloud agency,
and invited to lay a statement of facts
| be fore them. This l am quite ready to
| do whenever the committee request
! it. [ must decline, however, to give
any statement to the interior depart
| ment alone, for the following reasons:
! FiTst-I have no confidence whatever
| in the sincerity OF the secretary of the
affairs when they publicly announce
| their wish and Diet rmination to correct
| the present abuses in Indian manage
ment, because ] have reason to know
that they have long b 3n aware Of these
abuses, and have made no sincere effort
to reform them.
SecOnd-In all my intercourse with
these two officials their object has mani
testify been to find out not so much
what the frauds actually were as the ex-
tent of my information concerning
them, so as to prevent, by every means
in their power, all publicity or expo
sure of them.
Third-The evidence now in my pos
| session reflects uHfavorably on both Sec
rotary DelsnO and Commissioner Smith.
! For these reasons have thought it best
to lay before yOu--tO whom, in accord
ance with my promise to Red-ClOUd, l
made my first COmmunicat1OL-th &C
campaigning statement in detail, in the
full confidence that the evidence pre-
scented will meet with the consideration
it, Importance demands. IL the state
menG which accompanies this letter I
have given the results Of my investiga-
ton into the affairs Of the Red Cloud
agency, the largest and most important
il The " 81. These results clearly indi-
cate both mismanagemeHt and fraud,
| especially in the following particulars:
!. The agent, J. J. SsVi!ie, is wholly
untitled for his position and is guilty OF
gross frauds upon the Indians in his
charge.
2 The number of Indians at this
agency mas been systematically over
stated, for purposes which can only re-
suit in fraud.
8. The lest issue of annuity goods,
which | witnessed, was q suspicious
transaction, and In part, at least, fraud
ulent.
4. The beef cattle given to the Indi-
ans have been very inferior, and owing
to systematic frauds practiced by the
agent or beef contractors.
5. The pork issued to the Indians du-
ling my visit, was not suitable for hui
man fare.
6. The flour was very inferior, and the
evidence of fraud in this article is con-
elusive.
7. The sugar and coffee issued were
not good, although better than other
| supplies.
S. The tobacco observed was rotten,
| and of little or no use TO the Indians.
8. In consequence of fraud and mis-
| management, the Indians suffered great
| ly during the past winter for want Of
| food and clothing.
! 10. The contract for freight from
| Cheyenne to Red Cloud agency was
| fraudulent, as the true distance is one
hundred and forty.five miles, while the
contractors were paid for two hundred
and twelve miles.
! l would especially call your attention
| to the evidence Of fraud in the beef cat
| tie, as presented in the accompanying
statement. This subject l Investigated
| with great care, as beef is the principal
article of food of the Sioux Indians, and
the frauds 1 observed have caused
| great suffering among them, as
well as great pecuniary loss to
| the government. The statement
1 have prepared is supported in all its
| essential parts by the testimony of Off
! GERS OF the army who were with me IN
| myIexpeditions, or at Ret-ClOud agency.
Among these officers are several person
ally known to you, and all are gentle
men Of high character. Should any
| part of my statement be seriously ques-
| toned, trust you will allow these gen.
| uemen to be heard. If the command
ing officers Of all the posts near the In
| dian agencies, or other equally trust
worthy and disinterested observers
| there, could likewise testify, l think
| it would be found that l have
| but family indicated the cor
ruption pervading Indian affairs.
L have purpOsely confined myself in this
statement to a single agency and main
/ ly the time of my visit, without refer
| ence to much other testimony which
| has come to me incidentally in prose-
! cutting my inquiries, showing frauds Of
! equal magnitude at other points. This
| corruption, which is q constant source Of
| discomfort and hostility among the In
! dams themselves, is, in my Judgment,
natural result of the loose and ire
! sponsible system Of furnishing the In
dams with goods and supplies-a system
| that tends directly to invite fraud. i do
not believe that anything but 8 radical
| change in this respect will prevent the
| continued decentralization of the Indian
service. You alone have the will and
| the power to destroy that combination
| of bad men known as the "Indian
ring" who are debasing this service
and thWartiDg the efforts of all who en-
deavOr to bring to full contamination
your noble policy of peace. Very re-
/ specially, your Obedient servant,
o. Q. MARSH.
YALE COLLEGE, July TO- 1873.
The letter is accompanied with long
and interesting statement cOrrObOrating
the points specified in the communica-
ton to the President.
| Accidentally acknowledgement Con-
Wet shot.
LITTLE ROCK, July I3.-Wiilie Dren-
nen and Charles Haley, two prominent
young men OF VanBuren, went out
boat riding, Sunday evening, on the
river. The boat capsized, drowning
AS he reached the shore, close enough to
lay his head above the wster-mark, his
strength failed him, and there he lay
until found sD hour afterward, complete
~ exhausted. Ali the parties belonged
to the leading families OF VanBuren.
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