The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-11-29


of agents on account of improper practices
or lack Of business efficiency, and great
care has been taken In filling their places
with women. Where mistakes were found
to have been made in selections. they have
been promptly rectifed. Important
changes have been made in the contract
system and in the methods of accounta-
bility. Active supervision has been exer-
cised by inspectors and special agents.
The detection of fraud has been followed
by vigorous sprosecution, and on
the whole feel enabled to say that
the character of the service has been
raised in point of integrity and efficiency.
L am, however, far from pretending that
the present condition of Indian affairs is
what it ought to be. The experience
gained in an earnest effort to overcome
difficulties and to correct abuses has ena-
bled me to appreciate more clearly the
task still to be accomplished. In my last
annual report l stated frankly. and / have
to repeat now, that in pursuing a policy,
an eyer gradual improvement can be eff
tected only by patient, energetic and well
directed work in detail. An entirely
satisfactory state of things can be brought
about only under circumstances which are
not and cannot be under the control of the
Indian service alone. IF the recurrence of
trouble aud disturbance is to be avoided,
the ap preparation made by Congress for
the support of Indians who are not self
supporting must be liberal enough to be
sufficient tor that purpose, and they must
be made early enough in the year to rem
der the purchase and delivery of new sup
plies possible before the old SUPPLIES are
exhausted, 2 The Indian service should
have at its disposal sufficient fund, to
be used with proper accountability at dis
cretion in unforeseen emergencies. 8.
The citizens of the Western States and
territories must be made to understand
that if the Indians are to cease to be
troublesome paupers and vagabonds, or
are to become orderly and self supporting
they must have lands fit for agriculture
and pasture; that on such lands they must
be permitted to reign and establish per-
maneut homes, and that such result can
not be obtained if the white people insist
on taking from them Oy force or trickery
every acre Of ground that is good for
anything. The first two things can be &C.
tcomplished by appropriate action on the
part of Congress. The difficulties grow
ing outof continually repeated encroach-
ments by the white people on the rights of
the Indians may be lessened by the con-
centration of Indians on smaller number
of reservations; but they can be avoided
even then, only by the most energetic en-
forcem ent of the law on the part of the
general and local governments. To this
end it seems desirable that the Southwes-
tern tribes, whose present reservations
appear Insecure, or otherwise uusuited
for their permanent settlement, should be
gradually removed to the Indian territory.
The Northwestern tribes WILL in course of
time, have to be concentrated 10 similar
manner on few reservations, east of the
Rocky Mountains and upon the Pacific
Slope. 10 keep the Indians on their re-
servation and prevent disturbance aud
c0nfiicts, the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs recommends the organiza.
ton of mounted body of Indian
auxilIeries, to be drawn from the
young men ofsvarious tribes and to be
under command of military authorities, I
heartily concur in this recommendation.
1t is matter Of general experience that
the Indian so emp!oved can be depended
upon as to loyal fidelity to the duties
assigned to him. The principal end Of
our Indian policy consists in generally in
? Producing among the Indians habits anC
occupations of civilized life, by inducins
them to work for their own support. BY
encouraging the pride of individuaI owner
ship of property, and by educating th,
young generation, and DO efforts shoulC
be spared to bring to hear upon then
proper moral influences In that direction
z Such efforts should not be sneered at Al
8 mere sentimental fancies, nor should the
: be discouraged by the assertion that sue
cess is impossible The advance made b
some Indian tribes is sufficient proof tha
a similar advance may be made by others
Whatever may be accomplished By tn
employment of force, it is certain that onl
q as the Indians progress in the way c
J. civilization they will cease TO be trouble
a some and distur bing element. The Siou
so tar have given evidence of loyal spiri
and the rumors current of disposition
on their part to become hostile proved uu
e founded. Great difficulty was encountere
IT in sending supplies from the Missoul
# river to the new agencies, in consequence
/. of combination of transportation cor
tractors to torce the government to pa
exorbitant prices. Their bids were rt
d ljected and an organization of wagon train
Is to be manned by Indians with their ponie
proceeded with The task was dificu
owing to the character Of the country an
the circumstance that the grass has bee
= burned off the plains between the Mis-
souri, river and the new agencies, as rune
g has it, by evil disposed persons to briu
about failure of this experiment. but
q has so far been successful.
HI IN raOard RI fha nIffhrpaE 0f fhn RaY
/. nocks last spring, it must be admitte
n that they were insuficiently supplied wit
food, which, however, was owing to th
e appropriation OF money by congress, bein
utterly inadequate to their wants. Tt
II money available for feeding them amour
ed only to less than four and one-half cen
y head per day. This created disconter
among them. When the murder of
y white man was committed by an India
the Indian was arrested, tried and hun
The discontent grew into excitement.
military detachment attempted to disarl
them, but with only partial success, ar
: fiually the outbreak took place.
As regards the outbreak of 300 Nortl
lern Cheyenues the secretary corroboratt
the statement heretofore made by the cor
missioner Of Indian affairs in his speci
~ report on this subject, showing that it w
e not caused Dy hunger nor by any ne
in lect on the part of the government officia
o. to furnish them supplies and more th;
as they were entitled to- Secretary Sehu
er adds: While 10 many instances Indi;
he outbreaks are traceable to the treatme
Do they receive at the hands of the white
lie it appears from the information quote
es that in this case the outbreak was owing
be the mischlevous spirit of bad men amor
Id the Indians themselves and their dete
o. mination to return to their old huntiI