The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-12-12


aries-of not more than 1000 year.
The annual reports of the secretary
of the Interior and of the Commission
er of Indian Affairs present an elabor-
ate account of the present condition of
the Indian tribes, and of that branch
of the public service which ministers
to their interests. While the conduct
of the Indians, generally, has been Or
derly, and their relations with their
neighbors friendly and peaceful, two
local disturbances have occurred, which
were deplorable in their character, but
remained, happily, confined to COM
paratively small number of Indians.
The discomfort among the BannOcks,
which led first to some acts OF violence
on the part of some members of the
tribe and finally to the outbreak, APP
pears to have been caused by an insult
ficiency to have been owing to the in
by congress, to the wants of the Indie
ans, at time when the indians were
prevented from supplying the defcien-
cy by hunting. After an arduOus pur-
suit by the troops of the United States,
and several engagements, the hostile
Indians were reduced to subjection,
and the larger part of them surrender
ed themselves as prisoners. In this
connection, desire to call attention to
| the recommendation made by the Sec
| retary of the Interior, that a sufficient
fund be placed at the dispOsalOf the
Executive, to be used, with proper ac-
countability, at discretion. in sudden
emergencies of the Indian service.
| The other case of disturbance was
that of a band of Northern Cheyennes
who suddenly left their reservation in
| the Indian territory and marched rap
idly through the states of Kansas and
Nebraska in the direction of their old
hunting grounds, committing murders
and other crimes on their way. From
documents accompanying the report
of the Secretary of the Interior, it APP
pears that this disorderly band was as
fully supplied with the necessaries of
| life AS the four thousand seven hund-
red other Indians who remained quiet
| ly on the reservation, and that the dis
| turbance was caused by men of rest
lessand mischievous disposition among
the Indians themselves. Almost the
whole of this baud have surrendered
to the military authorities. and it is
Il gratifying fact that, when some of
them had taken refuge in the camp of
the Red Cloud Sioux, with whom they
had been in friendly relations, the
| Sioux held them as prisoners aud read
ilS gave them up to the officers of the
| United States, thus giving new proof
OF the loyal spirit which alat minS ru-
MRS to the contrary Notwithstanding,
they have UNI ;ormiy shown ever since
the wishes they expressed at the couu-
Gil of september, 1877, had been COM
| Piled with.
Both the Secretary of the Interior
and the Secretary of War unite in the
recommendation that provision be
made by congress for the organization
of corps of mounted Indian auxili-
aries," to be under the control of the
army, and to be used for the purpose
of keeping the Indians on their reser-
vations and preventing or repressing
disturbance on their part. l earnestly
concur in this recommendation. 1t is
believed that the organization of such
a body of Indian cavalry, receiving a
moderate pay from the government,
would considerably weaken the rest
less element among the Indians by
withdrawing from it number OF
young men and giving them cOngenial
employment under the government, it
being a matter of experience that In
dians in our service almost without eX-
ception are faithful i'll the performance
of the duties assigned to them. Such
an organization would materially aid
the army in the accomplishment of a
task for which its numerical strength
| Is SOlucGlUlGS
But, while the employment of force
for the prevention of Indian troubles
is of occasional necessity, and 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 diff
ficult and require much patient effort
to curb the unruly spirit of the savage
Indian to the restraints of civilized
life, but experience shows that it is
which are now quiet and orderly and
self supporting were once as savage as
any that at present roam over the
plains or in the mountains of the fal
west, and were then considered inac
cessible to civiiiZing influences. Ii
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
own on which our people have grown
rich, powerful and happy. We owe il
to them as a moral duty to help them
in attaining at least that degree of civ
iliZatiOn which they may be able tG
reach. 1t is not only our duty-it is
our interest to do SO. Indians who have
become agriculturists or herdsmen, and
feel an interest in property will thence
forth cease to be a warlike and disturb
ing element. It. is also we'll authen
ticated fact that Indians are apt to be
peaceable and quiet when their chill
dren are at school, and I am gratifieC
to know, from the expressions of In
dians themselves and from many con-
curing reports, that there is Il steadi-
ly increasing desire, even among
Indians belonging to comparatively
wild tribes, to have their children ed
ucated. / invite attention to the re-
ports of the Secretary of the interior
and the Commissioners of Indian AT
fairs touching the experiment recently
inaugurated, in taking fifty Indian
children, boys and girls, from different
tribes, to the Hampton Normal Agri
cultural Institute, III Virginia, where
they are to receive au elementary
English eduaation and training in ag'
ricuiture and other useful work, to bt
returned TO their tribes after the com
pleted course, AS Interpreters, instruct
ors and examples. 1t is reported thai
the officer charged with the selection
of those children might have haG
thousands of young Indians sent with
him bad it been possible to make pro
Secretary of the Interior in saying tha
the result of this interesting expert
ment, if favorable, may be destined
to become an important factor i'll thu
advancement of civilization among the
Indians.
The question whether a change il
the control in the Indian service shOult
be made, was, at the last session O
congress, referred to a committee fol
inquiry and report Without desiring
to anticipate the report. l venture t.
express the hope that in the decision o
SO important Il question the views ex
pressed above may not be lost sight OF
and that the decision, whatever it may
be, will arrest further agitation of thi
subject, such agitation being apt t.
, produce a disturbing effect upon th'
service as we'll as on the Indians them
selves.
In the enrolment of the bill maxim,
appropriations for sundry civil ex
, penses, at the last session of congress
that portion which provided for tn
continuation of the Hot Springs Com