The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-12-03

OF Salaries OF not more than $50, 900 a year.
Interior Department and Indians.
The annual reports of the Secretary of the
Interior and of the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs present an elaborate account of the
present condition of the Indian tribes and of
that branch of the public service which minis
tiers to their interests. While the conduct of
the Indians generally has been orderly and
their relations with their neighbors friendly
and peaceful, two local disturbances have &C.
CURED which were deplorable in their charac-
ter, but remained happily confined to COM
paratively small number of Indians. The dis
turbances among the Bannocks, which led to
some acts of violence on the part of come
members OF the tribe, and finally to the out
break. appears to hav been caused by an in
sufhclency OF food on the reservation, and this
insufficiency to have been owing to the inad
quacy of the appropriations made by Congress
to the wants OF the Indians at time when the
Indians we've prevented from supplying the
suit by the troops of the UDited States aud sew
erel engagements the hostile Indians were re-
duced to subsection and the larger part of tn am
surrendered themselves as prisoners.
In this connection L desire to call attention
70 the recommendation made by the Secretary
OF the Interior that sufficient fund be placed
at the disposal OF the Executive to bs used with
proper accountability at discretion in sudden
emergencies of the Indian service
The other case of disturbance was that of a
their reservation in the Indian Territory and
marched rapidly through the states Of Kansas
and Nebraska in the direction of their ola huut-
Ing grounds, committing murders and other
crimes on their way. From documents accom-
panying the report of the Secretary of the Inte-
rior it appears that this desperate band was as
i9ily supplied with the necessaries of life as
81 ,O00 other Indians who remained quietly on
tne reservation, and that the distur bance was
caused by men of a restless and mlschieyous
disposition among the Indians themselves
Almost the whole of this band have surrender.
ed to the military authorities, aud it is grati-
Tying fact that when some of them had taken
refuge in the camp of the Red Cloud .,ioux.
with whom they had been in friendly relation.
the Sioux held them as prisoners and readily
gave them up to the officers Of the United
States, thus giving new proof of the loyal spirit
winch, alarming rumors to the contrary not
MInstanding, they have uniformly shown ever
OF September, 1877, had been complied with
=, both the Secretary of the Interior and the
secretary or War unite in the recommendation
that provision be made by Congress for the |
organization OF corps of mounted Indian |
auxilliaries 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 or REFRESHING disturbance on their |
part. earnestly concur in this recommenda- |
tlon. 1t ts believed that the organization of |
sucn body of Indian cavalry receiving a |
moderate pay from the government would con-
s,ioefapiy weaken the restless element among |
The Indians by Withdrawing from it a number
y young men, and giving them cOngenial en-
ployment under the government, it being
matter OF experience that Indians in our ser
vice, almost without exception, are faithful in
me performance of the duties assigned to
mem such an organization would materially
ala the army In the accomplishment of task