The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-11-28
THE INDIAN BUREAU.
The Controversy Between schurZ and
Sherman Relative to Its Transfer
to the ARMY Department..

Sherman Relative to Its Transfer
to the ARMY Department.
Washington Post
General" said @ Post reporter to Gen.
Sherman yesterday, ''have you read Secretary
Schurz's letter to Gen. Sherdan?"
"It was published in the press before saw
the letter.
"Do you think Sheridan will answer t?"
20 yes Sheridan is a man Of action, it be-
ing q word and blow with him. He is amply
ought to notice it. question the good taste
of publishing letter before gentleman to
whom it was written has had chance to see
It, and, were / in Gen. Sheridan's place, /
East may think about the matter, 900 out of
every 1000 persons in the West indOrse Gen:
Sheridans opinion about the Indian Bureau
'DOes the army want the Indian Bureau
transferred to the War Department"
"Such transfer would entail Il great deal
of responsibility and care on the army, and, ,,
consequently, it is not desired. The whole
matter, however, rests on this proposition:
Either the Indian Bureau must come to the
War Department, or the army must be turned
over t to The Interior Department to protect
the Indian Bureau. The protection OF this
bureau is not the sole duty Of the army, as Is
claimed by the Interior. Such protection is
simply an incidental duty OF the army The
present plan of operations is a costly one
Here we had built Fort Sill, at an expense
OF about 100000, to keep the Ktowas
quiet and permit the, Indian agents TO
slnmolestedly draw their salaries, when
he Indians were removed, and now it Is de-
sired to move the fort also. It is not SO easy
to take up % fort and plant it here and there
at the whms Of any set OF men. 1t ls be-
Sides q costly experiment. and may be said
to be plan TO- cost the War Department
500, ,00O worth Of property, that an Indian
! Office agent may peacefully and safely draw
| Il salary of $1,000 or $1,000 year This Fort
Sill business is only one instance OF the policy
which is likely to involved loss to the govern
| ment of millions, not to speak Of its effect in
making army officers the peripatetic police OF
| civil Indian agents, who are, in many cases,
selected for no other reason that that
of political expedlence. l say police. Indian
warfare is peculiar. You cannot head of these
Indians on the plains with any moro Ger
tainty than you can find and catch @ pa tcu'
lar vessel on the high seas. The Indian Office
practices it's peculiar policy on the Indian
and, where he indulges IL an outbreak, tneI tl
it begs the army to protect it. Alter the
army, at q sacrifice OF life and money re-
stores peat and puts the Indian hack on his
reservation, the question is natural y put tt
the Indian agent, What are you going to dc
stay around here for awhile and protect me-
This the army does, till after q season thu
Indian seems quiet, the troops leave, ana TIL
red men break out again, when the play mus
be re-enacted. The Indian Office cannot con
troll the Indians; the army can. One has no
, the power; the other has
"You think the treatment Of the Indian
by the Indian Office led to the recent out
breaks?
: 'Take the case of the Cheyennes, The fac
Is, they were starving. The Indian Ol1ic
says the lateness Of the season when Con
, grees made Its appropriations prevented !
from having it's supplies on the ground
: had plenty of provisions hundreds OF mile
away Buta barrel of beef in New York Cal
= not be eaten by q starved Indian in Kansas
: The Chpyennes were starving, and it is use
y less to deny it, and consequently they lei
u u their reservation. | don't think Mr.. SchuI
"a Is dishonest mani think he is hone5t-an
= Mr.. Hoyt too, for that matter; and they ar
u u probably trying to make their agents homes
. also But that fact does not solve the prof
: lem of controlling the Indians. The India
), office caunnt, the War Department eau.
I resolves itself into this: Either the India
T. office must come to the War Department, {
u y the army must go the Interior Departmeut
!, protect the Indian Office. One or the othe
u u must be done, and the country must ele
:, which it shall be-"