New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-07
TRANSFER OF THE INDIAN BUREAU.

mouth Onio CoaIes Cleveland onio Pcttengill Mar
netta, OHIO, Palmer
TRANSFER OF THE INDIAN BUREAU.
THE OFFICERS OF THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT TEs-
TIFY IN Defence or THE BUREAU-UNFRIENr-
LY COMMENTS ON THE ARMY.
GENERAL PRESS DsPATCn.l
WASHINGTON, Dec. G-The JOINT Commits
son under consideration tue transfer Of the In
dian Bureau to the War Department met to-
day, and heard the testimony of several
witnesses. The Grst witness Mr.. SchurE
The Secretary dscaed any desire to keep the superv
sion Of Indian ars in his own hands, for the manage
ment OF Indian affairs is very troublesome and thank
office. He then gave bis views on the subject OF III
dian management, in substance as follows:
There are two methods Of Indian management posi-
Bile either TO nerd and coral the Indians under the
walls guns Of minary fnrcc so TO speak, SO as 70
work upon their lands educate them and To clVEe
them. Now IN the nature of things, the FIRST method
branch of the Government, Tor the SIMPLE reason thht
u thee Gron Getting INTO mischief The second Is
that the uohcy which have followed aud carried out
WAS AT least a partial success; policy certainly
the most humane and enlightened, and more in
the interest Of peace, III me long run,
roaming tribes, without any settled in erests or
property, we may always look Tor CONNEXIONS. IL is
H nan no are o cv2Gd the sooner they viii be able to
provide themselves. think also that "a the morals
and industrial habits OF CIVILIZED NE the military bnhch
OF the not the best calculated 10 instruct
them. This question OF transfer mas Deen discussed
before; aud, IN report when mas httalhed sVine
cecbry 1t is stated that "undcr the plan which T.
suggested the chef duties OF tne bureau vii, VII
be educate and instruct In the peaceful aIts-n
other words, 10 Civlll2e the Indians The military
admrabiy adapted 10 discharge duties Of this character
We are atiSted that not one Army officer IN thousand
Cr Indian men To- SOW and reap These are emphatcaY
civil and not military occupations I4is "a iound IN
report daed 1865, which Is signed by Lieutenant Zen
craI Sheridan General Augur, and others. Now, have
rad IN the spapers that General Marcy has sugmat
he thinks So he had better address 10 the
! General Of tuc Army. Al the present ilne, DO not
many gentlemen VINO have good IDEAS about the Indian
service but Il thing to have ideas and another 10
carry them out and think that patent labor aud care
OF detail necessary 10 raise the dlAu Tribes To stale
~ civilization would not Ot found among the officers OF
General scales-Dd these gentlemen short
time afterwards make different report IN IaNOf OF the
Secretary schurz-G do not know that they recon-
mend the transfer exactly thc second report was moro
for the organization OF different department Tor tho
General scales-I think you will find that they did
recommend transfer In that report it you read
sccrSTary Scnurz-It may be so. You know their
opinions don't keep over night At any rate, they once
thought the Army Dyplrlment unIu3Dle lot 'nl'
/ cLar-e, aud think they were einineLtly IIEH''
The Secretary then said that the real cause Of Indian
wars has been the breaking Of treaties. lie rocod an
exhaustive history Of Indian wars To show nat this las
! been the case AMI That very few Of the
wars have arisen from the maladmInslration Of
!
when the Indian Bureau was managed by the
War Dcpatment He charged that when the Chcr0kccs
were removed S2O3 27G PAID In excess OF the con
tract winch was at 80 a head, the real cost being
SOB 25pcr head. lie said also that under Army man
accmcnt, CXOrbitaut prices were demanded ron the
Indians for articles sold TO them. lie credited TIE Army
with honest intent hut said il would be absurd 10 say
That 81 IN q class OF men were Inaccessible 10 the bad i'm
pulses OF human nature. The army hc said has caya
Her way Of looking at things.
| The seer, tary concluded by making the following
ST.. cuicnt, rs to what Is best in his opinion:
Firs-It would b. wei to authorize the President 10
pllc such reservations n Indian iTDor as IEht pg ll
Vowed IN trouble threatened 70 become 80 involved
Iulrr the control at th" War Department ana under
| martial In ", II the Constitution admitted ot II.
Sccgnd-Thr Proslccut might be empowered 10 en-
! pIoy officers In the Iudnn service. The Inspection
i,ce should be increascd 40 that all the agencies
ignt visited twice year, instead 81 once, ~ dt
whole army the United states should be constituted
committee Of one, for The perpetual visitation OF III
Ihirti-A measure of great importance Is the increase
| OF the Indian police force.
should NOT only be ample, but should he made promptly
IUth-hn approximation 81 ABOUT FlOonoo Should D, D,
Inc Indians who assisted the troops against uouDlous
! times.
Senators Saunders auI McCrccry sid they had
questions to ask Nj Hooker asked a few, however, de-
| signed to obtain admissions that army
/ apcmcUt would be good civil man
accment. The Secretary often cvadcd the ques-
/ lions and made frequent illusions 10 the
cherokee affair lie said however, that the admnistr
lion OF indian affairs by Army oGceIs wherever lately
appointed. has been satisfactory He also sand, II all
ne Indian agencies could be followed 10y General Crook
should have a great deal or confidence N them. but
General Crooks are not pcncous III tins or any other
| Auny."
| b. T. G. Watkins, one Of the Inain Inspectors, was
next called and IN reply 10 the chair gave his opn-
ion That { transfer 81 the Bureau tO TIE War Depart
| mcnt N Ould IA uu way benefit the ludlIns.
, Friend JuO ID. Miles. having charge OF the Cheyenne
/ ana Arapahoc Tribes ~ Indian IcTtCry,
! stated That MS ten years experience as an
| AGENT had led him TO relieve that Indian
Affairs would be better managed by q Clyll officer.
Under CIOss-cXamiuatun by Mr. HuOkcT, the witness
sai that Intelligent military officer placed IN charge
Of his agency might transact the requirements of The
Office satisfactorily provided hc allowed to his
own Judgment minor matters, and not be restricted
! by the rigid army regulations
The committee aGjOurncd until tomorrow at IL
| o'clock.