Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-12-03
Il

THE MESSAGE.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
,Concluded.)
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
The annual reports Of the secretary Of the
interior aud of the commissioner Of Indian
afaire, present an elaborate account Of the
present condition of the Indian tribes and
Of that branch Of the public aervice which
ministers to their interests. While the con-
duct of the Indians generally has been or
DERBY, and their relations with their neigh
bors friendly and peaceful, two local dis
turbances have occurred which were dsplo-
rable in their character, but remained, hap.
pily, confined to a comparatively small num-
Der of Indians. The discomfort among the
Bannocks, which led first to some acts Of VIC
lence on the part of some members Of
the tribe, and finally to the outbreak,
appears to have been caused BY an Insult.
oi. ncy Of food onithe reservation, and this
insuficiency to have been owing to the mad
equacy of the appropriation made by con.
k1C . W ~ WduSo W ~ 4AuAAhc3 ~ sAAAS
when the Indians were prevented from sup.
plying this deficiency BY hunting. After an
arduous pursuit by the troops of the Uni
ted $ .ates and several Engagements, the hos.
tile Indians we're reduced to suhjection and
the larger part Of them surrendered them
selves as prisoners.
In this connection I desire to call atten.
tion to the Recommendation by the secreta-
ry of the interior, that a sufficient fund, to
be placed at the disposal of the executive,
to be used with proper accountability,
at discretion, in sudden emergencies, of
the Iudian services. The other case of dis
turbance was that Of a band of the northern
Cheyennes, who suddenly left their reser-
walton in the Indian territory and marched
rapidly through the states of Kansas aud
Nebraska in the direction Of their old hunt.
ing grounda, committing murders and 9th
er crimes on their way. From documents
accompanying 1.-THE report Of the secretary
OF the interior 1t appears that this disorder.
Nv band was as fully supplied with the nee.
cessaries al. life a s-four thousand and seven
hundred other Indisns who renamed quiet.
" on their reservation and that the distur-
Dances was caused by men of q t~restlesl
and mischievous disposition among the
NIo SuCuISClSC6s aiulUSt luS WuOiS
OF this band have surrendered to the mill
tary authorities and tits a gratifying fac'
that when some had taken refuge In the
ca,up of the Red Cloud Sioux, with whom
they had been or friendly relations, th,
Sioux held them prisoners and readily CAV,
them up to the officers Of the United Statel
thus giving new proof Of their loyal epiri
with alarming mo to the contrary, not.
withstanding that they have uuiforml,
shown a proper disposition ever since th,
wishes they expressed at council of Sep
TENDER, 1877, have been complied with
Both the secretary of The interior and III,
secretary of wal unile in q recommendation
that provision be made by congress 70,
the organization of a corps of
MOUNTED INDIAN AuxILAR1Es
to be under the control of the army, and I,
be used for the purpose of keeping the In
dams on their reservation and preventing O.
repress tng disturbances on their part.
earnestly concur in this recommendation
1t is believed that an organization of such q
body Of Indian cavalry, receiving moderate
paw from the government, wt uld considera-
bly, weaken the restless element among the
Indians by Withdrawing from it a number
of young men, and giving them c~oneenial
employment under the government. 1t be.
ing matter of experience thatthe Indians IN
our service, almost without exception, are
faithful in the performance Of the duties
assigned to them, such an organizes
ton would materially aid the army
in accomplishing a task for which its bu-
nerical strength is sometimes found INSULT
cient. But while employment of force for
the prevention or repression of Isdisn
troubles is of occasional necessity, and wise
.prererations should be made 10 that end,
greater reliance must be placed on humane
ana clviliz!ng agencies for the ultimate So
luton OF what is called the Indian prob
II may be very difficult, and require
patient effort, TO curb The unruly
spirit oisthe savage Indian to the restraints
OF civilized life. But experience shove
[oat 1t Is not impossible; that
many OF the tribes which are now
juliet aud orderly and self supporting we're
nee as savage as any that at present roam
the plains or on the mountains of the
ar west and were then considered inacces-
ible to civilizing influences. 1t may be
impossible to raise them fully up TO the
evel Of tie white population of the United
tates, but We should not forget that they
the aborieines of the country and called I
le soil their own on which our people
ave grown rich, powerful and happy. wei {
We 1t to them as a moral duty to help them {
atts lining at least, that degree of civiliza- I
which they may beable to reach. 1t is not !
lily our duty-it is also our interest-to Q
that Indians who have become =
ricult9raliatssor herdsmen, and feel an in. +
re-t ID property, will thenceforth cease to !.
a warlike and disturbing element. It's 2
20 a we'll authenticated fact that Indians c
apt to be peaceable and quiet when their y :.
lldren are at ,chool, and l am gratiied TO q.
ow from the expressions of the Indians :; !.
emselves, and from many concurripe re- u
that there is steadily increasing de. y
e, even among the Indians belonging IN -
nparatively wild tribes, to have their ~
ldren educated. II
invite attention to the reports Of the ~
rotary of the interior and the commission. .!
Of Indian affairs touching experiment =.
entity i%naugurated in taking fifty Indian ..
Idren, boys and girls, from different tribes ~
Hampton normal agricultural ins,i- X =
in Ns.,s~ H. I'll