The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-27
Report Of One-Half of the
Joint Committee.
TRANSFER RECOMMENDED.
Review of Our Indian Policy Since
the Revolution.
A RECORD OF FRAUD AND CORRUPTION
The Only Hope OF Reform in the
War Department.

WAsHISGToN, Jan. &c. 1879.
The report Of the four members of the joint COM
mittee appointed by the two houses of Congress at
its last session 10 take into consideration the expedi
ency OF transferring the management of Indian al
fairs from the Interior to the War Department. who
favor the transfer has just been completed by Repre-
sentative Andrew II. Boone of kentucky, and will be
submitted to the House at the first opportunity The
principal features of the document MS follows:
The importance of the question ut issue is one which
addresses itself to the thoughtful consideration of all
who feel any pride or just concern as to how a
great government like ours ought to conduct itself
| toward once proud and powerful but now wasted.
| enfeebled defcnceless and dependent people with
whom we have such relations as we cannot ignore.
How shall do justice to our Indian tribes, fulfill
our duties and discharge all our obligations to
them? What policy shall we adopt that will
be lasting and permanent, just and humane, and
which will assure the great object desired.
! are the questions to be solved. The truth is the
past history of dealings with this race is ono
| not creditabe to us, which is calculated TO
! impress them with the belief that their welfare
| either temporal or spiritual has entered into our
! minds while dealing withihem, whatever may have
beer our professions of good Will toward them but
rather to impress them with the idea that object
is and has been to get from them all could and to
keep all we get. and the undersigned feel they
| not putting the matter too strongly when they
say that the history of our management of Indian
affairs and treatment OF the Indians is one of
shame and modification to all right thinking and all
liberal minded men. Hence it IS not at all strange
that grave complaints have arisen in the public mind
I upon this question and that loud demand is made
everywhere that these grievous wounds shall at least
be closed If they be redrcsscd and that
policy shall be adopted which will at least secure
substantial justice to the Indians and be alike cred
| liable and just to ourselves.
| IIPoRrANCE OF THE QUESTION
| A proper solution of what is called the Indian
problem is pressing itself more strongly upon the
public attention every year. and to-day it is one of
the important practical questions which the intel
upon to grapple with. and from which there is no
escape. Moreover, it demands the carly and i'm
| mediate attention OF Congress. and cannot. with
| either safety to the Indians The honor of the
| government be longer deferred The time when
| almost the entire country west ot the Mississippi
! River ever since the organization of our
/ government wild and unsettled by white men,
| and the Indian with the bow and arrow could there
secure for himself the food necessary for his OK
istence. But this state Of things no longer exists
| With impatient energy and lnfatcrng courage our
people have pressed their way far beyond the
Mississippi and step by step the red man has been
driven back and still further westward, until the
reflex tide is pressing him from the West, and between
| be crushed to death unless our government shall
throw its arms OF protection around him. Whatever
may have been our derelictios in the past the
| ton is, shall we do right now!
TREATMENT OF TIE INDIANS.
The failure on the part OF our government to dis
charge duty to the Indians is not confined to the
last few years. Our wrongful treatment of them is
! coequal with existence, though not to the same
extent in the earlier and purer days at present.
During all the years past complaints have
been made of violated pledges, broken promises and
lack of efficient and responsible management. In
|
which we have pursued III have had ystem at
alD has been unequal to the demands of our duty
nor has the expectations of its nstigators and
advocates. And to such an extent have these wrongs
been multiplied, and to such an extent have frauds
and population crept into the management of Indian
| affairs. and so glaring and shameful have
| these frauds become. that indignant public
| opinion will not longer look with Indifference and
unconcern but demands that these matters be looked
| into and wrongs far possible, be rghted. and
| that policy be adopted which will conform with
| the dignity and character of our government and
NJ full n,1a 10 mat
suffering and outraged people. That these wrongs
and abuses do now exist, and to fearful extent. We
think ut all acquainted with the facts will deny.
II proof upon this point were wanting or demanded
have but to refer to the statements of all who have
investigated the question and to those most familiar
| with present management and to those who are
to-day the strenuous advocates of the present
and who ask for its continuance and to believe
DEFECT or THE PRESENT SYSTEM.
very important question arises here as to the
causes of these wrongs and mismanasement: Is it
wicked purpose the part of the United
States government to wantonly and cruelty
inhict injury upon these helpless and defenceless
Indians? We do not so believe. If not, then
it follows that the defect lies in the system adopted
the management of our Indian affairs connected with
charged with the carrying out of the details of
this system 1t becomes proper therefore, to inquire
what this system is and what its high preensons
What has it and what are It's prospects
| of attaining the desired end? 1t is well known
that in ls4s the Department. of the Interior
was created by law, and the whole and
sole management of Indian affairs was at once turned
| over to that departments and that the Indian bu-
in that department. and under the supervision
OF the Secretary OF that department, was par
ticulary charged with the conduct of our Indian
tenn. But to go back little further into the history
of this question it will be found, on invesiga-
tion that system of Indian management has
always been virtually and in effect the sys-
e em now pder ts War pr @S 70 s
the system very much the now.
We that the general impression is that be-
fore that time (lS49 different system prevailed and
ment radical change in the system. But such
il not the case and while it is true that superin-
teiitients and agents being few i'll number) made
their reports to the War Office it is also true that
neither the Secretary of War any officer in the
War Department had anything to do with the APP
pointment Of these officers: the War Office
charged with the duty % supervising them con-
trolling them In any number up to 1854
THE CONTROL OF INDIAN MATTERS.
Our relations with the Indians commenced at an
early period of the Revolutionary war. what was
necessary TO be done either for defence concila
ton done and being necessary no inquiry seems
to have been made to the authority under which
IL done. This underlined state Of things con-
tinued for nearly twenty years. Though some gen
eral regulations enacted the of the
department was chiefly left to executive discre
ton. While it IL true that by the net
of 1884 the Secretary of War was given sort of gen
cral superintendent over the conduct of agents and
bagents appointed by the Presdent and while IL
IL also true that by that act the President
thorzcd to select military men to discharge the
duties OF Indian agents. IL II further true that large
majority OF the agents selected were taken from civil
life and much the same machinery employed in the
conduct OF Indian affairs as now, and hence
we claim that the Indian management has
been, substantially NJ least, 1t IL az the present
time. Therefore whatever failures wrongs have
characterized our management in the past are Justly
chargcablc to present system. and whatever of
success has attended that management should be
credited to that system. Year after year large
amounts OF money have been expended with a view
10 cvizing these people. and yet the face of the
facts. We compelled to admit that failure Is writ
every page OF the past history of our Efforts In
this direction
ErrEcrs or THE SYSTEM
The inauguration of the peace policy IN 1868 by
President Grant, in the opinion OF the undersigned
was virtual admission that tho Indian Bureau was
incapable of the proper conduct OF Indian affairs.
and was compelled, therefore to delegate much of
its authority other hands fro, the slow progress
which has been made i'll civzing, educating and
Chrstanizng the Indians Of our country, to which
your committee had their attention called while
among them last fall In discharge of the duty
posed upon them, IL would seem that there
is no room to doubt that we should try
somc method of dealing with this question different
from that now yognc We rcgret heng cNmpelled