The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-12-03
greater seiia1ce must be placed on bum.--
and ciylliz;ng agencies for the uliirna, a,a ~

and ciYilizif1g sgencies for the nl,;rna,l he
tladon OF Hhastis called the I'm dfan. nrot,i -
It may be YER, difficult, and ren,Ira o W.
patient effort, TO curb the unruiyi sn;- NC :,
The savage Indian TO the restraints ~ ci w. ~
lied life, but experience shows that Il IA -
impossible. Many OF the tribes which n ~.
now quiet and orderly and seIi-suDDor,,n,.
were once as savage as ally that at presen.
roam over the plains or IN the mountains y,
the far west, and were then considered ~ "
accessible to civilizing Influences. It NAV -,
Impossible to raise them fully IN 10 ,bc
level OF the white population OF the unitnd
States, but we should not forget that fhn,.
are the aborisines OF the country. ana
called the soil their own on which o',.
people have grown rich, powerful. ana
happy. We owe 1t to them as 4 moral dI,..
to help them in attaining at least that doa ~,
OF civilization which they may be al,ir 70 70
reach. 1t is not only our duty-is l. 49,
our interest to do so. Indians Ybo ba~.
become agriculturists or herdsmen. and Soa1
an interest in property, will ,tencctnrttt,
cease,to be a warlike and d!,turbinr ~.
ment. It is also we!l-authenticatrd ioo,
that Indians are apt TO be peaceab,e . ,r.i
quiet when their children are at school "ri
l am gratitied to know, from the cyn~ na''
sions OF Indians themselves, and from r,,','.
concurring reports, that there is 4 ,,nodii;!,
increasing desire, even amouS Indians L::.
longing to comparatively wild trihcs
to have their children educated. 7 ioyr,'
attention to the reports OF the Sccrct,r,
OF the Interior and the Commissioner ~
Indian Affairs touching the cyperimrn,
| recently inauguratcd in taking ttty w.
dian children, boys and girls, from iinar.
ent tribes to the Hampton Normal AcrirrI.
tura Institute in Virginia, where they ,re
to receive an elementary English education
and training in agriculture and other uss.
full work, to be returned to their tri!,c.
after the completed course, As interprcter>
Instructors, and examples. II is reported
that the officer charged with the sclect;o,
OF those children might have had thousands
OF young Indians sent with him had il hr,n
possible to make provision for them.
agree with the Secretary OF the Interior in
saying that "the result OF this intcrcSt,nr
experiment, il favorable, may be destined
to become an important factor in the All.
vancement of civilization anon. the In.
dians."
The question whether 4 change in Tie
control OF the Indian service should be
made was at the last session OF Consrc,.
referred to I committee for inquiry and r..
port. Without desiring TO anticipate rha,
report, venture TO express the hope that in
the decision OF so important 4 question The
views expressed above may not be lost sigh,
OF, and that the decision. whatever It may lr,
will arrest further agitation OF this subject,
such agitation being apt 10 produce a dis.
turbing effect upon the service rs well &, on
the Indians themselves.
In the enrolment OF the bill making ar.
preparations for sundry civil cxpcn>,>, 4.
the last session OF Congress, that portion
which provided for the continuation II the
Hot Springs commission was omitted. \,
the commission had completed The work IL
taking testimony on the many c1G,ictin.
claims, the suspension OF their lab0g> before
determining the rights OF claimants threat.
encd for a time TO cmbarrass the Interests
not only OF the Government, but ai>o Of 4
large number OF the citizens OF lot SPRINGS
who were waiting for final action Oh their
claims before beginnin" contemplated i'm.
proyemcnts. In order 10 prevent >eroU>
difficulties which were aprrchcndcd. and
ut the solicitation OF many leading citizens
OF Hot Springs and others interested in
the welfare OF the town, the Secretary Il
the Interior was authorized to request Tie
late commissioners 10 take charge ~ The
records Of their proceedings, and 10 Per.
form such work as could property Dc done
by them under such circumstances, 10 iIril-
itatc the future adjudication OF the claims
Mt an early day, and to preserve the status
OF the claimants until their rights should
be finally determined. The late commits
sioners complied with that request, and r.
port that the testimony in all the cases has
been written out, examined, brlelcd, and
so arranged as TO facilitate m early settle
ment when authorized by law. Il is r.
commended that the requisite authority hr
given at as early Il day in the session 4, pos.
sblc, and that 4 fair. compensation nc al-
lowed the late commissioners for tn tx
pcnsc incurred and the labor performed by
them since the 18th Of June last.
I invite the attention OF Congress 10 ia'
recommendations made by the SccrclIE! u
the Interior with regard TO the preservation
OF the timber on the public lands df tie
United States. The protection OF Tie pub
lie property is one OF the first duties OF tie
Government. The Department 81 the III
terror should therefore be enabled, hoy sun
cicnt appropriations, TO enforce the law> II
that respect. But this matter appears >tI.I
more inportant as Il question OF public
forests is an evil fraught with tie gravr>t
especially in tie mountaiAon:
districts, whore the rocky slopes, once de-.
nIldcd OF their trees, will remain so forever.
There the injury once done cannot b" re-
paired. fully concur with the Secretary
OF the Interior in the opinion that for lAs
reason legislation touching the public TIM
Der in the mountainous States and Terrific
rcs OF the West should be especially we!
considered, and that existing laws IN "hiri!
the destruction OF the forests Is not r''i!!-
GENTLY guarded against should be speedily
\ general law concerning thi'
important subject appears to ne 10 Dc
matter OF urgent public necessity.
From the organization OF the Govern
ment, the importance OF encouraging, "
all possible means, the increase OF oUF
agricultural productions has been ochnow.
lodged and urged upon the attention II
Congress and the people as the surc>t aud
readiest means OF increasing our suO't@-
tial and enduring prosperity.
The words OF Washington are as appI'e'
BILE to-day as when, in his eighth anA@.
he said: "It is not TO be d1uhtCl
that with reference either TO lndif!IU@ OK
national welfare, agriculture is Of primary
Importance. In proportion Is nations ~
vance in population aud other crcuIn'!A"e
OF maturity this truth becomes more Att.I,
rent, and renders the cultivation OF the SOIL
more and more an object OF public patron
age. Institutions for promoting II gro" w,
supported by the public pursuant 10 "'''
object can it be dedicated with greater PA"
priety Among the means whicb nave "'..'
employed to this end none have Dec! H.
tended with greater success Than !!e c>'""
lishment OF boards composed OF p'i,,,;'
characters, charged with coilert'nS III" ",F
iusing information, and enabled .; -"
muns and small pccuniary ads, 10 tito"'
age and assist the spirit OF discover ".,H
Improvement, this species Of estaD'i'i'!''1 ,",