New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-09-07
I.

between his finger into every imaginable
shape the card OF your correspondent, but
he now threw it away. 1t may as we'll De
remarked here that the Presidents cOnver-
sational powers. instead Of being scant. &C
oording to general repute, are remarkably
good. TO be sure, when topic is brOached
which he either does not particularly relish
or upon which he does not wish to express
himself, he has striking habit of falling into
a deep, gloomy silence; but when you open
a subject that is agreeable to him his Ian.
gnage pours forth free and unconstrained.
1t is very rarely that he stops for word,
and he expresses himself alway clearly and
rerseiy, with no circumlocutiOn and no Tn
necessary verbiage.
. Correspondent-Then your confidence in
the present leaders of the campaign is un-
shaker. Mr.. President.
The President-Entirely. General Crook
country. He has had vast experience in
Indian fighting. His campaign against the
Idahoes and many other tribes show his
brilliant talent as an Indian fighter.
Correspondent-But was he not badly re.
pulsed by Sitting Bulls
The President-He is as willy as Sitting
Bull in this respect, that when he finds him
self outnumbered and taken at a disadvan-
tage he prudently retreats. In Clusters
OF Custer.
CorrespOndent-Is there to be change
in the Indian policy of the government
The President-No; but the means we
shall adopt will give US peace after the war
is over. After next spring, when this In
dams will have surrendered, We shall have
no more Indian wars.
Correspondent-How is this to be accom-
plished!
The President-It is our present inten-
ton to put off the supplies from the Sioux
by removing all the Indians from the reser-
vatiOns down to the Indian Territory. or, if
they will not consent to that by treaty,
down to the Missouri river, when military
barrier is to be placed between all these
communication and all supplies will be cut
Oft. Hitherto these hostile Indians have
gone on the warpatb, but when they can't
get any food they come back, get food and
take ponies and recruits along with them
when they leave again for the warpath. All
this play is to be stopped. We are taking
up now all the hostile Indians that come to
the reservations and disarmiDg them.
Correspondenr-It is indeed . comforting
thought. Mr.. President, that we shall have
no more Indian wars after next spring.
The President-I firmly believe 80 with
q sign of ualifcstion)-that is, we may
have small troubles occasionally with some
of the minor tribes, but there will not be,
properly speaking, another Indian war.
Correspondent-W is to be done with
the Sioux aftsr they surrender for want Of
subsistence!
The President with dry humor)-That
we can determine after we have got them.
Meanwhile. have placed the Red Cloud
and Spotted Tail agencies under military
supervision. The agents remain there, but
| their functions are superseded for the pres
ent by the officers of the War Department.
| This was done on the same principle on
| which l would put district OF country in
| which military operations were carried on
| under martial law. Rest assured as soon
! 80 the Indians can not get any subsistence g
| and any more supplies from the reserva-
| tions, they will come in and surrender.
| Observation-Disclosures was the order re-
| garding the agencies alluded to given BY
! yous
The Presdent-About two months ago.
| talked the matter over with the Secretary =
of War and General Sherman, and then
I gave a verbal order to the latter. That
was all. My idea about disposing of the
Indians ia to disarm them and to set them
| all at work in the Indian Territory.
! Correspondent For what work do you
| deem them available!
| The President-O, they can raise cattle
and all that. That would be my idea.
The manner in which this was said left
| no doubt that President Grant considers
the settlement of the troublesome Indian
question as being beyond the range of his
term of Office, and is determined to leave it
| mOdestly to his successor. Whether our
| worthy friend, Sitting Bull, will therefore
| be ignomniously compelled to raise cattle
| instead of scalping white soldiers will prob
! ably depend either on Governor Hayes OF
| Governor Tilden.
| Leaving the subjec: of the Indian troubles
your correspondent asked the President
whether the effect Of the Democratic reduc
| tions had been yet felt by the government
The President-You know they do no,
really go into effect until the tenth of Oc
! tober 1t would, therefore, be premature
to say how far the departments will be
hampered.
Correepondent-You lou said in your message
to the House in regard to the river and
harbor BILL suppose it might rather be
called the river and harbOr job-that YOU
you arrived yet at determination as to
what improvements will be prosecuted Mr.
President!
The President-I can not give you the
exact list, but it is sufficient to say thai
| only works of national Importance, such O.
He'll Gate and the like, will be prosecuted
| with an expression of great contempt)
won't spend any of the peoples money or
| little creeks in West Virginia or anywhere
begun anywhere.
Correspondent-How large saving will
| you be able to effect!
The President-I think shall be able to
save from $1,000 900 to $3,500,00e.
This the President said with an expression
of as great delight, apparently, as though il
was his own and not the peoples money
that he was about to save.
Correspondent-YOu read the House some
severe lessons during the session on points
| of economy and prOpriety.
The President-They laid themselves oper
to it. only did my duty in the course
adopted.
Cerrespondent-It vas thought by some
of the Democrats that you would be afraid
of impeachment!
The President (rising and walking up and
down q few steps on the piazza, with hi
hands in his pockets)-They didn't know
anything to impeach me upon or whict
| would reflect upon my character.
Correspondent-Mr. President, would yor
like to say something about the charges
| made in the Democratic journals that Hayes
is responsible for Secretary Robson, Bah
cock, Shepherd and others so prominently
identified with your administration!
] The President was silent for few mo
ments, while an expression Of the intenses
disgust and contempt overspread his broad
rugged face. He seemed to be cogitatinf
whether to answer or not. At last hi
doubts cleared, and looking brightly, h
said:
II don't see that there is nything agains
Robson on which l could remove him, o.
on which he could be represented as q dis
honest man or delinquent officer. hav'
read all the testimony against him with th'
utmost care, as had heard of the chnrge
that had been made against him for years
and was anxious to learn the results Of th'
official inquiry. I found nothing in tn