The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-12-02

ny uuuiduC anu PcdcCiui ihhochOoo ehe
Indian can be led to abandon the hab-
j its of savage life, and to develop a ca
pacity for useful and civilized occupa-
,tions. What they have already accom-
plished in the pursuit of agricultural
rand mechanical work the remarkable
success which has attended the expert
menti 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 tile education of their chill
dren, may be taken as sufficient proof
that they will be found capable of ac-
complishing much more if they con-
tinue to be wisely and fairly guided.
The Indian policy sketched in the report
of the secretary of the interior, the OBJ
ject Of which is to make liberal pro-
vision for the education of Indian youth,
to settle the Indians upon farm lots in
severalty, to give them title in fee to
their farms, inalienable for 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, a fund to
be formed out of the proceeds for the
benefit of the Indians, which will grad
ually relieve the government Of the ex-
penses now provided for by annual APP
preparations, must commend itself as
just and beneficial to the Indians, and
as also calculated to remove those OBJ
structions which the existence of large
reservations presents to the settlement
and development of the country. 1
therefore earnestly recommend the en-
actment of a law enabling the govern
ment to give the Indians title in fee.
inalienable for 25 years, to the farm
lands assigned to them by allotment,
and ] also repeat the recommendation
made in my first annual message, that
a law be passed admitting Indians who
can give satisfactory proof of having,
by their own labor, supported their
families for a number of years, and
who are willing to detach themselves
from their tribal relations, to the
benefit of the homestead act, and
to grant them patents containing
the same provision of inalienability for
certain period. The experiment of
sending number of Indian children of
both sexes to the Hampton normal
and agricultural institute in Virginia
to receive an elementary English edu-
cation and practical instruction in
farming and other useful industries has
led to results so promising that it was
thought expedient to turn over the cav
airy barracks at Carlisle, in Pennsylva-
mia, to the interior department. for the
establishment of an Indian school on
large scale. This school has now 153
pupils, selected from various tribes, and
is in full operation. Arrangements are
also made for,the eduaction of a number
of Indian boys and girls belonging to
tribes on. the Pacific slope in II similar
manner at Forest Grove, in Oregon.
These institutions will commend them
selves to the liberality of congress and
to the philanthropic munificence of the
American people. Last spring informa-
tion was received Of, the Organization of
an extensive movement in the western
states, the object'of which was the occu-
patton by unauthorized persons of cer-
tain lands in the Indian territory, ceded
by the Cherokees to the government
for the purpose OF settlement by other
tribes, on the Doth of April, and is
sued proclamation warning all per-
sons against participation in such an
attempt, and by the cooperation of a
military force the invasion was prompt
ly checked. 1t is my purpose to pro-
tect the rights of the Indians in that
territory to the full extent of the ex-
ecutive power, but it would be unwise
to ignore the fact that territory SC
large and soifertile, with a population
so sparse and so great wealth of un.
used resources, will be found exposed
to the repetition of such attempts as
happened this year when the surround
ing states are more densely settled and
the western movement of our popula
| tion looks still more eagerly for fresl
lands to occupy. Under such circum'
stances the difficulty of maintaining
the Indian territory in IFS present STATE
will greatly increase, and the lndiar
tribes inhabiting it would do well tt
prepare for such contingency.
therefore fully approve of the advice
| given to them by the secretary of tn
interior on recent occasion, to divide
4 among themselves in severalty as large
a quantity of their lands as they cal
cultivate, to acquire individual titles il
fee, instead of their present tribal own
+! ership in common, and to consider il
| what manner the balance of their land
may be disposed of by the government
for their benefit. BY adopting such
policy they would more certainly secur
for themselves the value of their po:
sessions and at the same time promot
their progress in civilization and pros
perity, than by endeavoring TO perpetl
ate the present state of things in .h
territory.
The question whether change in TIL
control of the Indian service should b
made was, in the forty-fifth congress
referred to a joint committee of bot
Il ho,sas for in ouiry and report In m