Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-12-12
AY, DECEMBER 10, 1878.

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wild tribes, to have their children educated
invite attention to the reports of the Secre'
tary of the Interior and the Commissioner Of
Indian Affairs, touching the experiment re-
Gently inaugurated, in taking fifty Indian
children, boys and girls, from different tribes
to the Hampton Normal Agricultural 1nsti'
tute, in Virginia, where they are to receive
an elementary English education and train.
ing in agriculture and other useful work, to
be returned to their tribes after the completed
course, as interpreters, instructors, and exam.
Piles. 1t is reported that the officer charged
with the selection of those children might
have had thousands of young Indians sent
with him had it been possible to make pro-
vision for them. agree with the Secretary
of the Interior in saying that "the result Of
this interesting experiment, if favorable, may
be destined to become an important factor in
the advancement of civilization among the
Indians"
The question whether change in the con.
troll of the Indian service should be made,
was, at the last session of Congress, referred
to a committee for inquiry and report. With
out desiring to anticipate that report, l ven.
ture to express the hope that in the decision
of so important question, the views ex.
pressed above may not be lost sight of, and
that the decision, whatever it may be, will ar.
rest further agitation of this subject, such
agitation being apt to produce disturbing
effect upon the service as we'll as on the In.
dians themselves.
In the enrolment of the bill making appro-
priations for sundry civil expenses, at the last
session of Congress, that portion which pro-
vided for the continuation of the Hot Springs
commission was omitted. As the commission
had completed the work of taking testimony
on the many conflicting claims, the suspen-
sion of their labors, before determining the
rights of claimants, threatened, for time, to
embarrass the interests, not only of the Gov.
ernment, but also of large number of the
citizens of Hot Springs, who were waiting for
final action on their claims before beginning
contemplated improvements. In order to
prevent serious difficulties, which we're appre'
hended, and at the solicitation of many lead
ing citizens of Hot Springs, and others inter-
esLed in the welfare of the town, the Secre.
tary of the Interior was authorized to request
the late commissioners to take charge of the
records of their proceedings, and to perform
such work as could properly be done by them
under such circumstances, to facilitate the
future adjudication Of the claims at an early
day, and to preserve the status of the claim
ants until their rights should be finally deter
mined. The late commissioners complied
with that request, and report that the testi-
mony, in all the cases, has been written out,
examined, briefed, and so arranged as to ia.
cilitate an early settlement when authorized
by law. 1t is recommended that the requi-
site authority be given at as early day in
the session as possible, and that fair COM
pensation be allowed the late commissioners
for the expense incurred and the labor per.
formed by them since the 25th of June
last.
invite the attention of Congress to the re.
Communications made by the Secretary of the
Interior with regard to the preservation OF
the timber on the public lands of the United
States. The protection of the public proper.
ty is one of the first duties of the Govern
ment. The Department of the Interior
should, therefore, be enabled by sufficient ap-
preparations, to enforce the laws in that res
pect. But this matters appears still more i'm
portant as q question of public economy.
The rapid destruction of our forests is an
evil fraught with the gravest consequences,
especially in the mountainous districts, where
the rocky slopes, once denuded of their
trees, will remain 80 forever. There the in.
Jury once done, cannot be repaired. fully
concur with the Secretary of the Interior in
the opinion that for this reason, legislation
touching the public timber in the mountain
Gus States and Territories of the West, should
be especially we'll considered, and that exist
ing laws, in which the destruction of the for.
ests is not sufficiently guarded against, should
he speedily modified. A general law con-
cerning this important subject, appears to me
to be matter of urgent public necessity.
From the organization of the Government,
the Importance of encouraging, by all posi-:
BILE means, the increase of our agricultural
productions has been acknowledged and urged
upon the attention of Congress and the people
as to the surest and readiest means Of increas-
ing our substantial and enduring prosper.
ity. =,
The words of Washington are as applicable
to day as when, in his eig hth annual message,
he said "It is not to be doubted that, with
reference either to individual or national vel
fare, agriculture is of primary Importance.
In proportion as nations advance in popula-
ton and other circumstances Of maturity,
this truth becomes more apparent, and rem
ders the cultivation Of the soil more and more
an object of public patronage. Institutions
for promoting it grow up, supported by the
public purse-and to what object can it be
dedicated with greater propriety? Among
the means which have been employed to this
eud, none have been attended with greater
success than the establishment of boards, COM
posed of proper characters, charged with col.
iecting and diffusiDg information, and enabled,
by premiums and small pecuniary aids, to en-
courage and assist the spirit of discovery and
this species of establishment
contributing doubly to the increase of i'm.
provement by stimulating the enterprise and
experiment, and by drawing to common
centre the results everywhere of individual
skill and observation, and spreading them
thence over the whole nation. Experience
accordingly hath shown that they are very
cheap instruments of immense national bene-
ft."
The great preponderance of the agricultural
over any other interest in the United States,
entities it to all the consideration claimed for
it by Washington. About one-balf of the
population of the United States is engaged
in agriculture. The value of the agricultu-
raj nroducts of the United States for the year