The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-23


The Indians, the Army and the Agents.
The arguments in the Senate against the
transfer of the Indian Bureau to the War
Department were decidedly amusing We
find, to our surprise, that the country never
had better set Of Indian agents than now,
but regret that the only authority for this
statement is the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs, who has, doubtless good reasons for
his opinion. Mr.. Morton thinks the Indians
could be civilized, but admits that they are
not, because the government has broken faith
with them for a hundred years, and that the
country is now on the verge of another
Indian war It seems to us that this adj
mission is really an argument for
change. Then we are astonished to find
that gallant soldier Senator Logan, predict
ing that if the transfer were made the army
officers would provoke fights in order to OBJ
tain promotion. As promotion in Indian
wars only comes by death Mr.. Logan must
mean that the army officers wish each other
killed, that the survivors may step into the
vacant places. There is no instance of real
promotion for services in Indian wars, and
even the brevet title, which gives no
increase Of pay, is rarely conferred.
We think it is an insult to the
gallant officers of tho United States Army
who protect our frontiers to say that they
would provoke war to have each others
Threats cut, in order that lieutenant might
become captain by the death OF his
superior and colonel rise to the rank Of a
brigadier by the death Of his commanding
general. Mr.. Ingalls,, who represents the
opinions Of the West, very justly said that
the War Department was not a slaughter
house. The meanest and weakest objection
yet raised against the proposed transfer is
that it would commit the army to policy of
murder, and engage the officers in lottery
of suicide, where death would represent the
blanks and promotion the prizes. Who
ever knows the esprit de corps of the Ameri-
can soldier will look with disgust upon such
an accusation.
AS for the merits Of the Indian agents, we
have heard of them for the last ten years.
They have always been excellent men in the
the present system. Mr.. Belknap found
them very useful in connection with his
post leadership sales, and Mr. Orville Grant
gave them the honor of his distinguished in
dorsement. But the Indians whom the
agents annually plumber do not agree with
these enthusiastic praises of the agents.
Starvation rations, diseased cattle, shoddy
clothing, bad tobacco and worse whiskey
drive the savage tribes (who are not SO ut
terly barbarous but that they know when
they are cheated) to rebellion every summer.
The present system is proved failure by it's
results. We shall never have peace with the
Sioux, the Crows and the Comanches
till we stop the speculation by which
unscrupulous agents get rich from Indian
contracts by the sacrifice of American lives.
The agent who provokes q savage war OBJ
jects always to its vigorous prosecution, for
the plain reason that every Indian who is
killed is hundred dollars or SO out Of his
pocket. We hope that the House will insist
upon the transfer of the Indian Bureau and
the close vote in the Senate is good cause
for believing that the wise and humane
measure will triumph in the end. If war
every summer is wished let the agency sys-
tenn be continued. If permanent peace is
desired let the Indians be put in charge of
the army, which is the only power they
really respect and trust.