Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1878-05-24
SPEECH OF 9. 8. FEM.
Transfer Of Indian Bureau to War
Department.

an Anairs nave reporte1 OIL II. II.
No. 354l) to transfer the Office of In.
dian Affairs to the War Department.
Representing as I do constituency vi
tally interested in proper settlement
of that question I should be derelics in
duty If l failed to give my reasons for
advocating the bill, aud l take this
opportunity to do so and what have
to say will not be the expression Of
sentiments drawn from Cooper's works
Of fiction, read in my boyhood, nor from
Longfellow's metrical imaginings, but
from the lessons taught by thirty seven
years' experience 10 the frontier settle
-ments Of our country aud among the
Indian tribes.
In judging Of the question before the
committee we must consider it by the
light Of experience. We must analyze
the Indian character and 6nd if posi-
bic remedy for the evils that exist in
the administration Of Indian Affairs
ascertain if we can>why the hundreds
OF millions of dollars that have been ap-
propriated by the nation in the endea--
or to elevate aud Christianize the In.
dams has produced no beneficial result,
except in few isolated cases, during
nearly thirty years experience since
the coutrol Of the indians was trans.
ferred from the War to the Interior
Department why We find today that
the whole frontier settlements Of the
country are in state Of feverish excite
meu', growing out of the known fact
that nearly all the tribes and bands Of
Indians 10 the new States and Terri
tories are counseliing among themselves
aud with the neighboring tribes and
laying their plans for hostiities accom-
panied with all the horrors Of their
savage warfare.
/ No sickly seutimentality will solve
this question. The cry that it is better
to feed than to fight the Indians has
orodu ,ed its legitimate fruits Of murder
and devastation.
/ Your system Of farming out the In.
dian agencies to different religious dc.
nominations in order to bring the In
. dams under Christiauizing influences
as a means Of civilization has only re-
suited in depopulatng reservations and
producing Indian hostilities, while your
; religious agents and religious teachers
have plundcred the Indians, pluudercd
the Government, aud produced naught
but discord and disorganization by at
tempting to force their peculiar religious
faith upon savagcs aud barbarous or
partly civilized people. The fact should
, not be forgotten that the whole Indian
! race, by all their traditions, taught
them from their childhood. are i'm.
} pressed with the belief that the heigh,
of human virtue is to deprive their
enemies of their property and take
their lives, whether these enemies be
! the white race or the surrounding In
: dian tribes; that they all look upon
, and feel the white race to be their ma
: tural enemy; that before you can have
the respect Of an Indian he must fee
, that in some respect you are his supe'
rior. This fact is known and felt BY
/, every man who has had personal exper
!. lcuC0 Will viz AuuldO race.
;, A single Indian, or body Of them
Il when treating with an individual of tn
white race, if they are impressed will
!. his superiority. if they ind he neve
J. makes promise in express terms or b.
Implication that he does not fulfil, aut
especially never makes threat he doe
'e not enforce, not only obtaius at one
their respect and confidence; but he re
u tains it as long as his conduct justifie
1t their appreciation Of his character
Your peace policy, that has been pre-
,e fuse in promises never fulfilled, tina
70 has been administered bv men VIII
pray long and loud, and Will, the
prate Of the love and kind wishes {
;, s'she Great Father" at Washington
ID steal the appropriations made for thei
IN benefit, and attempt to docrce them i,
I'd to the religious faith Of the agent {
Y teacher, who, when they threaten ia
- - to enforce their threats; who, whe
~ the Indians are importuue and threate
reprisal and destruction if their demant
i, arc not complied with, yield to the
oy demands as the price Of peace an
lis quietude, only to see the same deman'
!ie repeated as their greed 10 pampere'
!, not only have the supreme contempt
y the Indians. but subject the Cover
ment, whose agents they are, to iii
contempt.
~ The indians on our western frontie
80 who have endesvored to improve theI
rls m selves, who are strivingto be Sc
i. h; sustaining. who have pro9ted by 4
:" examples Of the early missionaries, W
ter practioed what they preached, and I,
Ter early pioneers who with tl,osc missio