The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1879-12-06

| and South America, at q liked maximum price
per mile, the amount to be expended being
| regulated by annual appropriations, III like
manner with the amount paid for the domes.
The arrangement made by the postmaster
general and the secretary of the treasury for
the collection Of duty upon books received In
satisfactory In its practical operation that the
recommendation Is now made, that Congress
| g. 1879 under which this arrangement was
| made, so as to apply to all other dutiable artl
| cles received In the mails from foreign coun-
| tries.
| The reports of the secretary of the interior
| and of the commissioner OF Indian affairs, set
| ting forth the present state on our relations
| with the Indian tribes of our territory, the
| measures taken to advance their civilization
| and prosperity, aud the progress already
| ordinary interest. The general conduct of our
Indian population has been SO satisfactory
which resulted In bloodshed and destruction
of property, is all the more to be lamented.
| The history of the outbreak on the White
River Ute reservation in Western Colorado
| has become so familiar by elaborate reports in
| the public press that its remarkable incidents
| need not be stated here in detail. II is ex.
viii lead to SUCH arrangements as win prevent
| further hostile contact between the Indians
and the border settlements In Western Colo
RADIO.
The other disturbance occurred at the
| Mescalero agency, in New Mexico, where Vic
| tOria, the head OF small band Of marauders,
| orOusly chased by a military force, made his
| way across the Mexican border, and is now on
| foreign soil.
While these occurrences. in which a COM
paratively small number OF Indians were en-
gagged, are most deplorable, vast majority of
our Indian population have fully Justified the
expectations of those who believe that by
humane and peaceful Influences the Indian
can be led to abandon the habits of savage life
and to develop a capacity for useful ano civil
liked occupations. What they have already
accomplished in the pursuit of agricultural
M
which has attended the experiment of en-
ploying as freighters class OF Indians hither.
to counted among the widest and most in
tractable, and the general and urgent desire
expressed by them for the education of their
children may be taken a;1 =, as ,a sufficient
Fable Of accom plishing much more
Il they continue to be wisely and fairly guided;
The "Indlan policy" sketched In the report of
the secretary of the interior, the object of
which is to make liberal provision for the edu-
dams upon farm lots in severalty, to give them
title in fee to their farms, inalienable for a
certain number of years, and when their
wants are thus provided for, to dispose by sale
of the lands on their reservations not occupied
and used by them, fund to be iormed out Of
which viii gradually relieve the Govern ment
OF the expenses now provided for by annual
appropriations. must commend itself as just
culstsd to remove those distractions which
the existence of large reservations presents TO
the 8, cement and development Of the coun-
enactment OF law enabling the Government
to give Indians title In fee, inalienable for %
years, to the farm lands assigned TO them by
allotment. / also repeat the Recommendation
made In my first annual message, that law
be passed admitting Indians who can give
satisfactory proof OF having, by their own
labor, supported their families for a mum Der OF
years, and who are willing to detach them
selves from their tribal relations, to the benefit
of the homestead act, and to grant them pat
ents containing the same provision of ina
lienability for a certain period.
The experiment OF sending number of In
dian children, of both sexes, to the Hampton
Normal and Agricultural Institute, In Vir-
ginia, to receive an elementary English edu-
cation and practical instruction In farming
and other useful industries has led to re-
suits promising, that IL was thought expe-
dent to turn over the cavalry barracks at
Carlisle, in Pennsylvania, to the interior de-
partment for the establishment OF an Indian
school on q larger scale. This school has now
In full operation. Arrangements are also
made for the education OF q number of Indian
boys and girls belonging to Tribes on the Pa
cific slope, in similar manner at Forest
Grove, in Oregon. These institutions will
commend themselve to the liberality of Con-
gress and to the philanthropic munifcence of
Last spring Information was received of the
organization of an extensive movement In the
Western states, the object OF which was the
occupation by unauthorized persons OF ce<
tain lands I'm the Indian Territory ceded by
the Cherokees to the Government for the pur
pose of settlement by other Indian tribes
On the 18th of April issued a proclamation
warning all persons against participation In
such an attempt, and, by the cooperation OF a
military force, the Invasion was promptly
checked. 1t is my purpose to ptOtect the
rights of the Indian inhabitants OF that Terri
tory to the full extent Of the executive power.
But 1t would be unwise to ignore the fact that
a territory SO large and so fertile, with popu-
latiOn so sparse and with so great wealth OF
unused resources, will be found more exposed
TO the repetition of such attempts as happened
more densely settled, and the westward move
ment Of our population looks still more eager
ly for fresh lands 70 occupy. Under such cir
Indian Territory In It's present state will
greatly increase, and the Indian tribes inhab
70 y Of
the advice given to them by the secretary of
the interior on q recent occasion, to divide
Quautity of their lands as they can cultivate,
to acquire individual title in fee, instead OF
their present tribal ownership in common,
and to consider In what manner the balance
of their lands may be disposed OF by the Gov
eminent for their benefit. By adopting such
themselves the value of their possessions, and
at the same time promote their progress In
civilization and prosperity, than by endeavor-
The question whether change in the con.
IN tns m o
joint committee OF both Houses for inquiry
and report In my last annual message ex.
pressed the hope that the decision of that
question, then in prospect, would arrest
further agitation of this subject, such agitation
being apt to produce disturbing effect upon
the service as well as the Indians themselves"
Since then, the committee having reported,
the question has been decided in the negative
by vote in the House OF Representatives
For the reasons here stated, and in view of
the fact that further uncertainty on this
point will be calculated to obstruct other
much needed legislation, to weaken the dis
cipline of the service ana to unsettle salutary
measures now in progress for the government
and improvement of the Indians, respect
fully recommend that the decision arrived at
by Congress at Its last session be permitted to
stand.
The efforts made by the department OF the
interior to arrest the depredations the
timber lands of the United States have been
continued, and have met with considerable
success. large number of cases of trespass
have been prosecuted in the courts of the
United states; others have been settled, the
trespassers offering TO make payment 10 the
Government for the value of the timber taken
by them. The proceeds of these prosecutions
and settlements turned into the treasury, far
exceed In amount the sums appropriated by
Congress for this purpose. A more important
result, however, consists in the fact that the
destruction of our public forests by depreda
ton, although such cases still occur, has been
greatly reduced In extent, and IL Is probable
that II the present policy is vigorously pur-
sued and sufficient provision to that end Is
made by Congress. such trespasses, at least
those q large scale, can be entirely sup
pressed, except In the territories where tim
Der for the daily requirements OF the popula-
ton can not, under the present state OF the
estly invite the attention of Congress to the
recommendation made by the secretary of the
interior, that a law be enacted enabling the
lands without conveying the fee where such
lands are principally valuable tor the timber
thereon, such sales to be so regulated as to
quirements, while at the same time guarding
against a sweeping destruction OF the forests.
The enactment OF such law appears to be-