The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-05-17
From the n. Y. Times, May Ill
INDIAN AFFAIRS.

To the Editor Of The ". y. Times:
Your issue of the 9TH inst. contains
IA communication from O. {. Marsh,
calling in question some of the state
ments male by me before the Board
of Indian Commissioners, which. as
it places me in the presumed attitude
of Justification, seems to demand eN-
PLANTATION mt my hands.
The reporter inadvertently ascribed
20 me statements made by other per-
SONS, growing, no duabt, out of the
fact that nay statement was made in
the course of a general conversational
participated in by members of the
board.
]. / did not say that Prof. Marsh
had shown me his samples" The
statement in reference to the showing
of the samples hy Prof. Marsh, and of
conversation in reference thereto, was
made by Hon. L. +. Smith, Commits
siUner of Indian affairs.
>. | did not say that tho -four for
the Red Cloud Agency was inspected
by Capt. Long at the agency" but did
say that it was inspected by that officer
at Cheyenne.
3. | did not say that | did not no.
tice any recognition of rank among
the chiefs by the aeents.n What |
did say was, in answer to a question,
that | did not notice that any distinc-
tion was mads in favor Of Red Cloud
or superior chiefs as to the amount Of
supplies issued that the issue WAS
made to the head of each band or
family for the same, and that the
amount in each ease seemed to he
based, o upon rank. but upon the
humber of persons drawn for.
The reporter makes me explain the
" RiSupttc aHidHvit.n informed the
hnurd that | had never read the alida-
Wit, and kAew nntAing of it's state
mcnts. The explanation in reference
to that affidavit WAS made by Hon. j..
i. Smith, Commissioner Of Indian
Anirs.
My appearance aud Sta:rmcnts he
fore the haurtl are assumed To have
been made in an effort to vindicate
the indian Department. Allow me to
stale why they were made. The
statements of Prof. Marsh had created
the Impression upon the minds OF
some members OF the board that the
Indian supplies must he changed for
articles of am inferior grade after reach
ing CHEYENNE, or between that place
and the agency. This Impression was
likely to reflect upon the business in
tegrity of many of my constituents,
and to injure the business prosperity
OF cheyenne, one of the communities
represented by me. 1t WAS in their
defense that | appeared before the
board and assured Them that l believed
it tn be, for all practicable purposes, an
i~InpOsihflity 70 make such change, and
that ! had nc doubt that the identical
supplies taken TO Cheyenne and from
Cheyenne for the Indian service were
delivered at the agencies.
In my statement | did not refer to
Prof. Marsh or call his statements in
question. My idea of his character
and integrity would preclude me from
questioning his entire good faith,
whatever l might think of his judg-'
ment. Neither was there ~incOnsiSt-
ency between u statements necessa-
lilly. | told what | saw; that the
supplies issued in my presence were of
fair quality, sweet and sound so far as
my Judgment went. Prof. Marsh has
not said, and will not say, that the
samples given him by Red Cloud are
fair samples of the supplies issued at
the agency andoftheir condition when
issued. In fact, Prof. Marsh himself
told me while crossing the Jersey City
Ferry, en- route from Washington to
New York, on the morning of. the Goth
of April, 1873, that &" he did not know
DuI INeN CIOhu udu put up Il JOO on
him. and he did not know that the
supplies when issued were bad or
damaged, which conversation 1 did
not repeat to the board.
am not in political sympathy with
the present administration, nor do |
in all things imdorse the present In
dian policy" but believe that it has
serious defects, not the least of which
is that the government feeds and pro-
tects the Indian and fails to punish
his Outrages and depredations upon
the frontier settlers, but 1 am willing
to be just enough to give the present
administration of Indian affairs credit
for the great strides it has made in
bringing on an improved state of af-
fairs, and in giving a greater security
to life and property than has yer
existed heretofore on the frontier.
There are doubtless abuses in the In
dian Department, but it would seem
to be just to thoroughly examine and
establish any allegations of wrong