Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-12-11

A provision for regu1a: end more frequen!
mail communication in our ships between the
America seems to mo to deserve the attention
of Congress as an essential precursor of al en-
largement OF our commerce with them and an
e1teneicn Of crr earring trade.
A recent revolution in Venezuela hao been
followed by the establishment of . Provisional
Government. This Government has not yet
been formally recognized, and it is deemed
desirable to await the proposed action Of the
people, which is expected to give 1t the sanction
Of constitutional ferns.
4 naval iesssl his teeu esnt 10 the Samoan
islands to make surveys aud take possession Of
tho privileges cedcd to the United States By
Samoa in: the harbor OF pago-Pago A coalins
convenient and useful to United States vessels.
The subject Of opening diplomatic relations
with Rottmania Gnd Seevis, now become indie
pendent sovereignties, is at present under con
sideration, and is tho subject Of diplomatic cor
respondence.
There is & gratifying increase Of trade with
nearly all European and American countriee
and it is believed that with jnticious action i.
regard to its dCTeiorment it can aDd will !:c still
and manufactures will fiud now and ex{Jii,s;.ii g
markets The repo. ts of diplomatic and con
sular officers upon this subject, under tie sya-
tern now adopted, have resulted in obtaining
much Vaiuabis information, which has beo,:.
and will continue to be, 1aia before Congress
aIlu tho public from tinao to tinaa
The Indians.
The reports Of the Secretary OF the Interior
and of the Commissioner Of Indian Affairs,
setting forth tho present state Of our rotations
with the Indian tribes on our territory, the
measures taken to advance the civilization anc
prosperity, and the progress already achieved
ny them, will be found of more than ordinary
interest The general conduct Of our lndinn
population has been 50 satisfactory that the oc-
eurrence of two disturbances ~hic', resulted
IN bloodshod and destruction Of property is
all the more to be lanentcd. The history of
the outbreak on the White River Ute Reserva-
ton In Western Colorado has become 30
familiar by elaborate reports in the public
press that its remarkable incidents need not be
stated here in detail. 1t is expected that the
settlement Of this difficulty will lead to such
arrangements as will prevent further hostile
contests between the Indians and the border
aettlements in Western Colorado. The other
disturbances occurred al the Mescalero Agency
New Mexico, where Victoria, the head of
small band Of marauders, after committing
many atrocities, being vigorously chased by q
iiexican border, and is now on
foreign soil. While these occurrences,
in which a comparatively small number OF
lndlans were engaged, are most deplorahle, q
vast majority Of our Indian population have
fully justified the expectations of those tho
believe that by hurlane and peaceful infu-
ences the Indian can be led te abandon the
habits Of savage life, and to develop capacity
for useful and civilized occupations. VIA
they have already accomplished is shown in the
nursuit Of agricultural snd mechanical woriS.
The remarkable success which has attended
the experiment Of employing as freighters
class of Indians hitherto counted among the
widest and most intractable, and the
general and urgent desire expressed by
them for the education of their children, may
be taken as sufficient proof that they will Lv
found capabl9 OF accomplishing much more
Il they continue to be wisely and fairly guided
The Indian policy sketched in the report OF the
Secretary of tbs lptcrior, the object of which il
to make liberal provision for the education OF
Indian youth. to settle the Indians upon farm
lots in severalty. to give them title i'll fee t.
their farms inalienable for certain number OF
years, and when their wants arc thus provided
for to dispose by sale Of the lands on their
! fund to be formed OH! of the proceeds tol
the benefit of the Indians, whi:h will grad
Tally relieve tho Government of tho cxpcn"cs
!ow provided fer by annual appropliatio.,*
aust commend itself as just and he,icti it
70 the Indians and as also calculated to
rmove those distractions which the exi tcncc
Of largo reservations presents to the settlement
md development of the country. !, therefore,
earnestly recommend the enactment Of law
}eg ha Yor t. yeafs te t t
farm lands assigned to them by allotment l
tlso repeat the recommendation in my i;,s:
annual mo ,sage thata law bs passed admitting
Indians who can give satisfactory proof uf hay
ng. by their own la aj0r, supported their fam
las for q number OF years, and who arc WILL
ng to detach them selves from their tribal It
>llions, to the Loaeit Of the Homestead act.
and to grant them patents containing tho Same
r:rovsion of jna!elab bility for Ger! an perio /.
The experiment Of sending a number of In
ian children of both sexes to tho HamDtolt
Normal and Agricultural Institute in Vrg gnlis,
70 receive elementary English education and
PRACTICAL instruction in farming aud other
fui industries, has led to results so promisl
that it was thought e1pedient to turn over Il g
cavalry barracks at Carlisle, in Pennsylvania
0 the Interior department for the establish
mont Of an Indian school on q Larger ecac
This school has now 1853 pupils, sclo ted from
various tribes, and is in full operation. Ar
rangemen!s are also made for the education o;
nu nber Of Indian boys and girls belong ing
:.er at Forest Grove, in Oregon. These ineh,
5utions will commend themselves to the liberal
tty OF C,ngress and to the philAnthropio munif-
:. nce of the American people.
Last spring information was received Of the
of an extensive movement in the
Western states, the object Of which was the Oc.
oupation by unauthorized persons OF certain
lands in the Indian Territory ceded by the
Cherokees to the Government for the purpose
goth Of April issued q proclamation warning
all persons against participation in such an at
tempt. and by the cooperation OF q military
force theinvasion was promptly checked. It is
my purpose to protect the rights of the Indian
inhabitants Of that Territory to the full extent
of the Executive; but it would bo un-
80 large and 60 fertile, with population so
sparse, aud 80 great a wealth Of unused re-
sources, will be found more exposed to the rep
eh;iOn Of such attempts rs happened this year
when the surrounding States were most densely
settled, and the westward movement Of our
population looks still more eagerly for fresh
the difficulty of maintaining the Indian Terri
tory in its present state will greatly increase and
the Indian tribes inhabiting it would do we'll to
prepare for such contingency. ! therefore
fully approve Of the advice given to them by
the secretary of the Interior on q recent
occasion to divide among Themselves, In sew
hey e. soaare add ts
In fee, instead Of their present tribal owner
ship In common, and consider in what manner
the balance Of their lands may be disposed Of
by tho Government for their benefit. BY
adopting such ,olicy they would more Ger
ssSSso 2 q fss 81 e
their progress in civilization and prosperity,
than by endeavoring to perpetuate the present
state of things in the Territory.
The question whether change in the control
Of the Indian service should be made was, in
tho Forty fifth Congress-, referred to 4 joint
committee of both houses for inquiry and
report In my last annual message expressed
the hope that the decision Of tho question, then
in prospect, would arrest further agitation OF
this subject, such agitation being apt to pro.
duce disturbing effect upon the service as well
a. the indians themselves. Since then, the COM
mittee having reported, the question has been
decided in the negative by q vote in the
House Of Representatives For the reason
here stated, and in view Of the fact that fur.
ther uncertainty on this POINT will be calculated
to obstruct other much-needed legislation, te
weaken the discipline Of the service and to un.
settle salutary measures now in progress fo1
the government and improvement of the In.
dams, I respectfully recommend that tho de-
csion arrived at by Congress at Its last session
be permitted to stand
Army and Navy.
The Secretary Of War reports that the We
Department estimates for the fiscal year endln
June 80, 1881, are $40. $50. 42S. 90. the same be
Ing for q less sum OF money than any annua
estimate rendered to Congress from that de