Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-27
THE CHARGES RE1rERArED.
Whdt Gen. Sherman Thinks of tho Trans
fer of the Indian Bureau.

Whdt Gen. Sherman Thinks of tho Trans.
fer Of the Indian Bureau.
Washington Post, Nov. 22.1
General" said Post reporter to Gen..
Sherman yesterday, "have you read Secre-
tary Schurz's letter to Gen. Sheridan?''
'sIt was published in the press before saw
the letter."
"Do You think Sheridan will answer its''
so yes! Sheridan is man of action, it be-
ing word and a blow with him. He is
amply able to answer it, although I don't
think he ought to notice it. I question the
good taste of publishing letter before
gentleman to whom ii was written has had
chance to see it, and, were / in Gen. Sheri-
dams place, would not notics it. Whatever
people in the East may think about the mat
ter, 999 out of every 1000 persons in the
West indorse Gen. Sherldan's opinion about
the Indian bureau
''Does the army want the Indian bureau
transferred to the war DEPARTMENT.
"Such transfer would entail great deal of
responsibility and care on the army, and con-
sequently it is not desired. The whole mat
ter, however, rests on this proposition: Eth
or the Indian bureau must come to the war
department., or the army must be turned
over to the interior department to protect
the Indian bureau. The protection of the
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 costly
one. Here we had built Fort Sill, at an ex-
pense of about 100000, to keep the Kiowas
quiet and permit the Indian agents to un-
rJo cd u n fbair
dians were removed and now it is desired
to move the fort also. It is not SO easy
to take up fort and plant here and there
at the whims of any set of men. It is, be-
sides, costly experiment, and may be said
to be plan to cost the war department
S10O, 200 worth Of property, that an Indian
Office agent may peacefully and safely draw a
salary of $1,000 or 800 a year. This
Fort Sill business is only one instance of the
policy which is likely to involve loss to the
government 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 than that
OF political expedience. I say police. Indian
warfare is peculiar. You cannot head off
these Indians on the plains with any more
certainty than you find and catch particu-
lar vessel on the high seas. The Iadian of
ncc practices Id peculiar policy on the In
dian, and, where he INDUCES in an outbreak,
then 1t begs the army to protect it. After
the army, at a sacrifice of life and money.
restores peace and puts the Indian back on
his reservation, the question is naturally put
to the Indian agent, ''What are you going to
do now?" And his answer is, 81 want Won
to stay around here for awhile and protect
me- This the army does, till after season
the Indian seems quiet, the troops
leave, and the red men break out again, when
the play must be reenacted. The Indian
office cannot control the Indians; the army
can. One has not the power, the other has,
"You think the treatment of the Indians
by the Indian Office led to the recent out
breaks?"
"Take the case of the Cheyennes. The
fact is, they were starving. The Indian
office says the lateness of the season when
Congress made its appropriations prevented
1t from having its supplies on the ground.
IL had plenty of provisions hundreds of
miles away. But barrel of beef in New
York caunot be eaten by starved Indian in
Kansas. The Cheyennes were starving, and
1t is useless to deny it, and conse-
quentiy they left their reservation. don't
think Mr. Schurz is a dishonest mani
think ne is honest,-and Mr. Hayt, too, for
that matter; and they are probably trying to
make their agents honest also. But that
fact does not solve the problem of controll-
ing the Indians. The Indian Office cannot
the war department can. 1t resolves itself
into this: either the Indian Office must come
to the war department, or the army must &c
to the interior department to protect the
Indian office. One or the other must be
done, and the country must elect which il
shall be-