New-York tribune., 1878-12-04

delivered 10 them in good quality and abso
iutely IN quantity as intended Ihe appr0pIddattfh d th
o5O 600 indians OF the country. The asst appropriation
tu Indians amounted 10 only Ionr nlllons aho . @ @
of dollars The cost of feeding 2oOOO men n the AII,
is about two mill and nal oil dSiLafs per YEA 5
SIMPLY question of arithmetic What the cost Mouu
be OF ieedUg 100000 Indians. Ii woud he about Weh
mill ons o. col ars year I DO not think that that
problem been presented 10 Cngfcss IN Or"eI
Liub ber IL would necessary to make them to great
degIce feli-sustalDng. Tie only way 10 90 t.lS
is to make them heIdcrs. l have no IhIh
in their becoming agricultural eXsept 10
very small degree. do u0t tMnk that tdiey
Indian has Learned sihce tpe Whl'e man is , ,n "a
country To be hcTdcr OF horses. II las nOt utcphC
necessary. Buffalo could he found evcrywhcre lh
suGucri quantities to supply bis wanl2 Ihc oIaio
10 cac the Indian partly by persuasion, partly D' eN
ample, and partly by cOmpulsion, To heIu callie anu
country occupied the InOans IL entirely unht tOr
agriculture; the Winters are too cold ana tne
In tne valleys ana by use Of irrigation that the
white nau, even with all ns science @b1 nbofTT t ,
step therefore, is 10 bring the inddn IRON MS savage
anu l,rDar0us state, and cnange hun from tue hunter
and the 10 ne the shepherd and The Ier1snin
600 wear 10 feed the Indians you proceed upon the
supposIon that al fed aud supported Dy the Gov
G. neral Mclgs-I say bring them into the pastoral
state aud 10 Will then be possible % make them 10 a
Iha Won hear is % L. cheaper 10 feed the Indian tan
10 light him" His arpttc good as the whlIe SOL
aiIs anu # IL costs - cents day feed the white
soldier aud transport tho food 70 hin, VIII cost n
cents To feed IhC Indian.
General Meigs explained the mode Of purchasing
supplies for the Army, and IN reply to questions
SAID that he has known of civil agents being III
default in the matter of supplies only from bearsay
and the newspapers.
General HooReI-in speaking Of the number Of ln-
didns you include ia The estimate you make ol me
aggregate numuer 100000, The scmcNlzeu as "ei' "9
General Sicigs-I take the reports Of the Indian
Bureau as my authority the number Uf the Indians
General HOOkcr-Well, tuat embraces tie WLOc num-
Der OI Indians, does It mott
General Ielgs-N Yes, sir.
GenCr HoukeT-Is IS not true, and areyou not aware
of the fact, that very considerable portion Ol te IN
dIns, both the Indian Territory and IN otner cts
arr extent civilized and nave become 70 some
extent agrlcuuIaiss aud raisers oI cattle Is IL hO'
true UHat they sustain thcmselvesi
General MeEs-IheY must have sustalhGu IheiI,,
selves they would have starved long ago -Four ana
q il'll' tui4'iua "a s'ill'AIS W.
General Hooker-ls 1t not true lLat I1C Ci-N, - ~"
tribes the Che UKCes ChOcIaws Creeks ChlcAasa"'
and SrmiuUlUS are seli-suStWulngi
General MrIgSI nave never Uttn among them person
ally. and have no personal knowledge OF them.
General HOOkcr-Are YOU aware OF the iact, Whch
Won sneak of tbr ina !cGuate appropriation. that con
siderable portion Oi these Indians aC p1d 10y inc Gov
ernment from trust funds n III for them ana Issued I'D
regular anuultes, Or IN other ways that the lnuian
General MGigs-I find that the whole appropriation
cudcs these sums. II is iOur duu hal nlhohs !eaN
for all purposes
nee ssary support the Army OF 10000 men II pre-
Gcied upon the uea that OF course IN the Army thefe
is no other of support except what the Govern
Indians.
II You would feed ths Indians mns cXpcnd SO much
IN order to do it Tut by making them pastoral fp'
You will De able TO make them more and more seIi-,up
porting Toe wandering tribes have been supported ny
The buffalo, but that OF support gone ana thcy
must substitute Tor the buffalo the OK aud the sheep