River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-12-05

auxiliaries,e to be under the control of the
army and to be used for the purpose Of Keep
| ing the Indians on their reservations, and pre-
venting and REFRESHING disturbance on their
part. earnestly concur in this recommended
ton. 1t is believed that the organization of
such body OF Indian cavalry, receiving
moderate pay from the government, would
considerably weaken the restless element
among the Indians by with Irawing from it a
number of young men and giving them con-
genial employment under the government
4 it being matter of experience that Indians in
| our service, almost without exception, are
| faithful in the performance of duties assigned
/ to them. Snch an organization would materi-
ally aid TIE army in the accomplishment of
| task for which its numerical strength is some
| times found Insufficient. But while the EN-
ployment of force for the prevention or repree-
sion of Indian troubles is of occasional neces-
/ sity wise preparation should be made to that
| end, greater reliance must be placed on humane
and civilizing agencies for the ultimate solution
of what is called the Indian problem.
1t may be very difficult and require much pa
tient effort to curb the unrnly spirit Of the saw
age Indian to the restraints of civilized life but
experience shows that il is not impossible
Many of the tribes which are now quiet and or
/ derly and self-suppOrting, were savage
as any that at present roam over the plains or
| in the mountains of the far West, and were then
/ tuiHtuttS-tl uHdGCCSSiDlt 10 clFliAIiuR
/ 1t may be impossible to raise them fully up to
| the level of the white population of the United
States, but We should not forget that they are
the aborigines of the country, and called the
soil their own on which our people have
grown rich, powerful and happy. We owe
| it TO them as a moral duty to help them in at
tanning at least that degree of civilization which
/ they may be able to reach. 1t IS not only our
duty, it is also our interest to do SO. Indians
who have become agriculturists OF herdsmen,
and feel an interest in property, will thence
forth cease to be warlike and disturbing
element
INDIAN EDUCATION.
il is also a well authenticated fact that In
dams are apt to be peaceable and quiet when
| their children are at school, and j am gratifed
to know from the expressions of Indians them
selves, and from many eoncurring reports, that
there is steadily increasing desire among In
dams belonging TO comparatively wild tribes
to have their children educated. | invite at
| tenti0n to the reports of the secretary of the
interior and the commissioner of Indian affairs
| touching the experiment recently inaugurated
| in taking nifty Indian children, boys and girls
| from different tribes, to the Hampton Normal
| Agricultural institute in Virginia, where they
| are to receive an elementary English education
| and training in agricultural and other useful
| work, to be returned to their tribes after the
| completed course, Interpreters, instructors,
| and examples. 1t is reported that the officer,
! charged with the selection of those children.
| might have had thousands of young Indians
sent with him, had it been possible to make
| provision for them. | agree with the secretary
of the interior in saying that 'the result of this
interesting experiment, if favorable may be
destined to become an important factor in the
| advancement of civilization among the In
| dams"
INDIAN TRANSFER.
The question whether a change in the control
t,.F Ind; - "a
the last session of Congress, referred to a COM
mittee for inquiry and report. Without desr-
ing to anticipate that report. / venture to ex-
press the hope that in the decision of so inn
portant question the views expressed above
may not be lost sight of, and that the decision,
| whatever it may ne, will arrest further agita-
ton of the subject, such agitation being apt to
produce disturbing effect upon the service as
well as on the lnGians themselves.
HOT SPRINGS COMMISSION.
In the enrolment of the bill making appro-
priations for srudry civil expenses at the last
session of Coz gress that portion which provided
for the continuation of the Hot Springs com
mission was omitted. As the commission had
many conflicting claims, the suspension of their
labors before determining the rights of claim
ants threatened for time to embarrass the
interests, not only of the government, but also
OF a large NUMBER OIL the cltlZenS OF hot
Springs, who were waiting for final action on
their claims BIZ fore making contemplated i'm
provements. In order to prevent serious diff
| culties, which were apprebended, and at the
| solicitation of many leading citizens of Hot
Springs, and Others interested in the welfare of
the town, the secretary of the interior was
authorized tn request the late commissioners to
take charge of the records of their proceedings,
and to perform such work as could properly
be done by them under such circumstances to
| facilitate the further adjudication of the claims
| at an early day and to procure the status ot
the claimants, until their right should be final
| ly determined. The late commissioners COM
| piled with that request, and report that the
| testimony in all the cases has been written out.
/ examined briefed and arranged as to facili-
tate an early settlement authorized by law.
/ 1t is recommended that the requisite authority
| be given at as early a date in the session as
| possible, and that a fair compensation be
| allowed the late commissioners for the expense
incurred and labor performed by them since
/ the 18th of June last.
TIMBER THIEVES.
invite the attention of Congress to the rec
ommendation made by the secretary of the
interior with regard to tile preservation of TIM
Der on the public lands of the United States.
The protection of the public property is one
Of the first duties of the government The
de partment of the interior should, therefore
be enabled by sufficient appropriations to en-
/ force the laws in that respect. But the matter
appears still more important as question of
public economy. The rapid destruction of our
forests is evil fraught with the gravest con
| sequences, especially in the mountainous dis
tricts where the rocky steppes once denuded of
/ their trees will remain forever. There the
injury once done cannot be repaired. l fully
/ concur with the secretary of the interior in the
opinion that for this reason legislation touch
/ ing public timber in the mountainous States
and Territories of the West should be e-pe-
eially we'll considered, and that existing laws
in which the destruction of forests is not suffi-
GENTLY Guarded against should be speedily
modified A general law concerning this i'm
/ portant subject appears to me to be matter of
urgent necessity
| AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIONS.
! From the organization of the government
| the Importance of encouraging, by all possible
means, the increase of our agricultural pro-
auctions has been acknowledged and urged
| upon the attention of Congress and the people
as the surest and rediest means of increasing
our substantial and enduring prosperity. The
words of Washington are as applicable
to-day when, in his eighth annual mes
sage, he said: 1T is not to be doubted, that
with reference, either to individual or
national welfare, agriculture is of primary i'm
| portance." In proportion nations advance
in population and other circumstances of ma
turity, this truth becomes more apparent and
renders the cultivation of the soil more and
more object of public patronage. Institu-
tions Cor promoting 1t grow up, supported by
the public purse, and TO what object can it be-
dedicated with greater propriety? Among the
means which have been employed to this
end none have been attended with greater sue
cess than the establishment of boards COM
posed of proper characters, charged with col
Letting and difusing information, and enabled
by premiums and small pecuniary aids to en-
courage and assist the spirit of discovery and
improvement, this species of establishment,
contributing doubly to the increase and inn
provement by stimulating to enterprise and ex-
pertinent, and by drawing to common centre
the results everywhere of" individual skill and
observation, and spreading them thence over
the whole NATHAN. Experience accordingly
hath shown that they are very cheap instru-
n1ents of immense national benefit.
The great preponderance of the agricultural
over any other interest in the United States en-
titles it to all the consideration claimed for it
by Washington. About one-half of the popu-
lation of the United States is engaged in agri-
culture. The value of the agricultural products
of the United States for the year 1873 is esti-
mated at So 000, 600 600. The exports of agri-
cultural products for the year 1SS1, as appears
from the report Of the bureau of statistics, was
1924 900 600. The great extent of our country,
with its diversity of soil and climate, enables
us to produce within our own borders, and
by our own labor. not only the necessares, but
most of the Injuries that are consumed in civil
Iized countries. Yet, notwithstanding our adj
vantages of soil. climate and inter-communica-
ton, il appears, from the statistical statements
in the report OF the commissioner of agricul-