American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1877-12-08

n remedy should lie sought for this condition
of tsfairs. Whether it will he found in the
plan briefly >ketched in the report, of in
creasing the number of Judges of Circuit
Courts, and by means of this addition to the
judicial force, or by creating an intermedi-
ate Court of Errors and Appeals, or whether
some other mode can be devised for obviat-
ing the difficulty which now exists, ] leave
to your mature deliberation.
THE INDIANS.
The present condition of the Indian tribes
on the territory of the United States, and
our relations with them, are fully set forth
in the reports of the Secretary of the lnte-
riOr and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
After Il series of most deplorablc CONNECTS, |
the successful termination of which, while |
rejecting honor upon the brave soldiers !
who accomplished it, can not lessen our re- |
greet at their occurrence, we are now at |
peace with all the Indian tribes on our Dor
ders. To preserve that peace by just and
humane policy, will be the object OF my
earnest endeavors. Whatever may be said OF
their character and savage prOpensities, of
the difficulties of introducing among them
the habits of civilized life, and the obstacles
they have offered to the pro-
gress of settling in certain parts of the
country, the Indians are certainly entitled
to our sympathy and to a conscientious
respect on ourpart for their claims upon our
sense of justice. They were the aboriginal
occupants of the land we now possess. They
have been driven from place to place; the
purchase money paid to them in some cases
for what they call their own, has still left
had settled down upon land assigned them
by compact, and began to support themselves
by their own labor, they were rudely jostled
off and thrust into the wilderness again.
The most of our Indian wars have had their
origin in broken promises and acts Of injus-
tice upon our part, and the advance of
the Indians in civilization has been
slow because the treatment they re-
ceived did not permit them to
gain faster. We can not expect them to i'm
prove and follow our guidance unless we
keep faith with them respecting the rights
they possess, and unless, instead of depriY-
ing them of opportunities, we lend them
helping hand. / cordially approve this poll
cy regarding the management of Indian af-
fairs outlined in the report of the Secretary
of the Interior, and of the Commissioner of
Indian Affairs. The faithful performance of
our promises is the first condition of Il good
understanding with the Indians. can not
! too urgently recommend to Congress that
| prompt and liberal provision be made
! for the conscientious fulfllment of
| all engagements entered into by the
| Government with Indian tribes. To with
| hold the means necessary for the per-
| formance of a promise is always false econo-
| my, and is apt to prove disastrous in Its
consequences. Especial care is recommend
| ed to provide for Indians settled on their
! reservations cattle and agricultural imple-
ments, to aid them in whatever efforts they
| make to support themselves, and by the re-
| establishment and maintenance of schools to
bring them under the control of civilized in
fluences. ] see no reason why Indians who
can give satisfactory proof of having by their
own labor supported their families for
| number of Years, and are willing to detach
| themselves from their tribal relations,
should not be admitted to the benefit of the
homestead act and the privileges of citizen
ship, and l recommend the passage of Il law
to that effect. 1t will be an act of justice, as
well as a measure of encouragement.
Earnest efforts are being made to purify
the Indian Service, so that every dollar APP
propriatcd by Congress shall rebound to the
benefit of the Indians to be benehted.
These efforts will have my firm support.
With an improved service and every possible
encouragement held out to the Indians to
better their condition and to elevate them
selves in the scale of civilization, we may
hope to do at the same time a great work for
them and for ourselves.
PRESERVATION OF FORESTS.
invite the attention of Congress to the
importance of statements and suggestions
made by the Secretary of the Interior con-
corning depredations committed upon TIM
ber- lands of the United States, and the ne
cessity for the preservation of forests. 1t Is
believed that the measures taken, in pursu-
ance of existing law, to arrest these depre-
dations will be entirely successful If Con-
gress, by an appropriation for that purpose,
renders their continued enforcement posi-
BILE. The experience of other nations
teaches us that a country can not be stripped
, of its forests with impunity, and we shall
expose ourselves to the gravest con-
sequences unless the wasteful and i'm
provident manner in which the forests in
the United States are destroyed be effect
ually checked. L earnestly recommend
that the measures suggested by the Sec
rotary of the Interior for the suppression
of depreciation on the public timber lands
of the United States, for the selling timber
from the public lands, and for the preserva-
ton of forests, be embodied in law, and
that considering the urgent necessity of en-
abling people of certain States and Terri
tories to purchase timber from the public
lands in a legal manner, which at present
! paI1 nO q naGSp6
unavoidable delay. / would also call the at
tention of Congress to statements made by
, the Secretary of the Interior concerning the
disposition that might be made OF the desert
lands not irrigat ted, west of the one hum
dredth meridian. These lands are particu-
! laIly unsaleable under existing laws, and the
suggestion is worthy of consideration, that q
+ system of leasehOld tenure would make
+ them source of profit to the United States
. while at the same time legalizing the bust
, ness of attle-raising, which is at present
carried on upon them.
OUR AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.
The report of the Commissioner of Agri-
I culture contains the gratifying announce
ment of the extraordinary success which has
rewarded the agricultural industry of the
r country for the past year. With the fair
prices which obtain for products of the soil
especially for the surplus which our people
have to export, we may confidently turn tc
this most important of all our resources Tor
the reViVakOf the depressed Industries OF the
country. The report shows our agriculture
progress during the year and contains q
[ statement of the work done by this Depart
ment for the advancement of agricultural ln-
dustry, upon which the prosperity of our
people so largely depends. Matters of infor-
) nation are included of great interest TO al
who seek by the experience of others to i'm
prove their own methods of cultivation
: The efforts of the Department to increase
the production of important articles of con-
7 sumption will, it is hoped, improve the de-
mand for labor and advance the business o.
+ the country, and eventually result i'll saving
the many millions that are annually paid t.
foreign nations for sugar and-Other sugar
products which habitual use has made ne
cessary in our domestic everyday life.
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
TThe President treats at some length of the
affairs of the District. He recommends
appropriations, by Congress for various loca
i'm provements in aid of the Public School:
of the District, and also for the completion
of the Washington Monument.
A NATIONAL SCHOOL FUND.
The wisdom of Legislation upon the par
of Congress in aid of the States for educat'
) ing the whole people in those branches OF
study which are taught in the common
schools of the country is no longer ques-
ton. The intelligent Judgment of the coun-
try goes still further, regarding it as Con-
stitutional and eXpedient for the General
Government to extend to technical and
higher education such aid as is deemed
essential to the general welfare and to our
and cultivated nations of the world.
The ultimate settlement of all questions
of the future, whether of admins
tration or finance, depends upon the
virtue and intelligence of the people, and il
is vain to hope to perpetuate a free Govern