The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1878-12-28
The Indians and the Army.

The replication of Secretary Schurz
in the controversy with Gen. Sheridan
and his comrades has been sent to the
press, and it displays all the authors
customary adroitness and vigor of state
ment IL there is a slight change of
base in the defense of the Indian Bureau
against its military critics the strategm
is productive of great results Secretary
Schurz shows by long series of quota
tions from documents on file in his de-
partment that Commissioners, inspectors
and agents have repeatedly recommend
ed since 1870 the removal of the
Kiowa and Comanche agency from Fort
Sill; and thus it may be assumed that
the consolidation of the Fort Sill and
Wichita agencies has the strongest war
rant that the testimony Of the officials
of the Interior Department furnish.
Certainly the Secretary of the Interior
Department cannot doubt the wisdom
of such a course without discrediting his
own subordinates But on certain
points their evidence seemed to be di-
rectly in conflict with that of General
Sherman and Lieutent- General Sheridan,
and whatever Mr.. Schurz might think
of such discrepancy the country woud
be apt to put faith in the soldiers. The
conflict of testimony has been softened
in such way as to save the veracity of
both parties and yet embitter the whole
controversy. ssThe Kiowa and Conan
che agency was removed from Fort Sill,
said the Secretary in effect, because the
water was impure" 81 know the place
well, )" said Sheridan, "and it is the best
watered region in the West. Medicine
Bluff creek is noted for its purity. /"
| 'True, rejeins the Secretary, shut the
soldiers occupy the Medicine Bluff creek
and compel the Indians to camp On
| Cache creek or take water rendered i'm
pure by passage through the military
post" In the same way the Secretary
said the land about Fort Sill was bad.
Sheridan answered that it was remark.
able for it's fertility, and the Secretary
replies that the post is SO large that the
grass is exhausted for the use of the
!
ton of the agency buildings at Fort
Sill, the Secretary simply reiterated his
former assertions, and cites evidence in
support of it He again sets forth the
necessity for removing the kiowas and
Comanches northward, where they will
be free from the raid of Texas cattle
! thieves, and declares that it would be
folly to break up the homes of the
| Wichitas, who have already made great
progress in the arts of peace, to bring
them under the demoralizing influence
of the post at Fort Sill.
The whole controversy sprung out of
the demand made by the Indian agent
for company of cavalry to guard the
consolidated agency. Sherman, Sheri-
dan and Pope assumed that this was the
first step of an old process by which the
whole military post of Fort Sill would
| be transferred at an immense cost after
the vagrant agency, and they asserted
that agents got the soldiers away from
the vicinity that they might plunder the
| Indians unmolested and then send for
the soldiers when they had irritated the
Indians into rebellion by their exactions.
Secretary Schurz retorts that the cav
airy company is not wanted and that it
is absolutely necessary to free the lndi-
an agencies from the presence of SOL
diers in order to teach the sayages any
Of the virtues Of civilized life, since the
licentiousness of a garrison more than
counteracts the effect of churches and
schools. This is pretty hot kind of
debate, and perhaps both disputants are
somewhat unjust. If not, two of the
great departments of the government
are very badly managed. We are in
clined to think that in the past the
policy of keeping Indian agencies and
military posts united may have been the
only ope that could be pursued with
safety; bat wherever the Indisns settle
down to cultivate the soil, build houses
and acquire the arts of civilization the
presence of soldiers is not merely un-
necessary, but actually injurious. There
fore, when Sherman says that Fort Sill
must be moved to Wichita agency, he
speaks the lesson of old experience, and
when Schurz says that he would not
have Fort Sill post removed to the con-
solidated agency en- any account, he
speaks the aspiration of the hopeful
future.