The New York herald., 1879-02-11
INDIAN AFFAIRS.

SENATOR M'CREERY's SPEECH ON THE INDIAN
QUEsTIoN-INDIAN AGENTS PowERLEss FOR
GooD-THE CHURCH SHOULD BE sEpA RATED
FROM THE STATE.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 10, 1879.
The Senate resumed consideration Of the unfn-
ished business being the bill to provide additional
accommodations for the library Of Congress. and It
was lnid inside informally in order that Mr.
McCreery, (dem.) OF KY, might address the Senate
in accordance with previous notice the bill re-
Gently introduced by him to transfer the Office of
Indian Affairs from the Interior to the War Depart
mcnt.
SENATOR McREERy's SPEECH.
Mr.. McCnRERY said it was not worth while TO tell
the Senate that this question entitled to grave
consideration. 1t was not worth while to urge
the fact that the time had como when
action should be taken. Causes which were
well understood by every rejecting man have given
to tho Indian question vastly increased Importance
Ho alluded to the favorite pursuits of the Indians
hunting and fishing-and said IL the world could
have been made about twice large IL was, and
so much of its surface could have been spared for
uch purposes, 1t would have been pity to disturb
them In the sports of fishing and hunting, with an
occasional intcrnccine war to purity their moral
atmosphere. just thunder cloud cleared the air
OF its mpm he ne Ws, 70 the cd discovery OF
and the rapid increase of population of those States.
and said thirty years ago there were large
now? Perhaps couple Of agencies held
nearly all. with q few. vsgrants wandering.
while charity hcsitated whether il was
more merciful to feed them or let them die He next
referred to attempts TO Christanizc the Indians and
said men seemed to be convinced tstthc cause
of Christianity could bc advanced by driving out q
heathen and substituting Christian In his place.
We had failed to convert the Indian to faith but
had converted him into wanderer. Merit or do
merit would have little weight IN the determination
of this Indian question. Right wrong, the Indian
would lose the case. There were men who believed
that honesty and strength were necessary clements
the successful administration OF Indian affairs
and they believed that hosts OF Indian agents could
be dispensed with and their duties performed per-
fcctly by already In the service of the govern
mcnt. He then referred to Secretary Schurz and
said for scmc years hc had known the gentleman
and II he and such men lad charge Of the agents
there would be no cause of complaint. He then
spoke OF the love in mankind for patronage and
power, and said tho proposition ~ add another
amendment TO our constitution showed that woman
had fixed upon her rights and showed that she was
anxious to WELD her share OF power aud enjoy tho
patronage OF government He had heard ladies de-
clare that they would not vote the privilege
would. except In Of emergency. and he thought
the emergency would arise at every election.
c1.RreyMEN INDIAN AGENTS.
lie next referred to the appointment of ministers
as Indian agents, and said there was an old au-
thentic eccIesiastic dictum which declared one
could not serve two masters ut tho same tno.
The devil had been ut work. and II tho eloquent Dr.
Talmage who had recently made . reconnaissance,
could be believed, the adversary was deeply en-
trcnchcd In very formidable position. General
Grant, unadcd ard alone. appealed TO the seven evan
gcical orthodox denominations and actually per
suaded them to take control Of our whole Indian
frontier The elders and descons OF theue orthodox
denominations may be eminent In theology. but
there doubt whether they have been or ever will
be very successful In the administration of In
dian affairs For the last ten years General
Grant had rarely met with an obstacle hc
could not surmouut. Let him persuade the churches
10 give up the government and management of the
Indians and II he succeeded In having thcn do 40
then scepticsm would have 10 admit that he wns q
man OF wonderful influence. II was great mistake
and q great misfortune that ever o preacher was
called into the Indian service. Prior to their being
called into that service many OF them led useful lives
visiting the sick and aiding the poor Sincc entering
gone TO honorcd graves had they remained in charge
OF their little instead Of going into the
Indian service lie ncxt referred to the Testimony bo-
fore the select COMMITTEES, OF which he IVES member