Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-12-04
Annual Report of the Secretary OF
the Interior.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.-Tne secretary Of the
Interior in his annual report to the President
iis3oses of the Indian question. He says:
Whatever trouble and perplexitiss the pres.
ence of Indians among us may cause, every
man who loves justice and who values tho
honor of the American name will admit it is q
| solemn duty to leave nothing un!ried TO pre-
pare a better fate than determination and
better rule than that of brute force for tho
origina, occupants of the soil on which SO many
millions of our people have grown pros
porous and happy. That all Indians on this
northern continent have been savages, and
! that many of them are savages now, is true
but it ia also true that many tribes have risen
to promising degree of civilization, and there
is no reason to doubt chat the rest, if wisely
guided, will be found capable of following
their example. Of the hundred and tifty-two
Thousand Indians i'll the United States, thee
foCe, since the pacihcation of the Sioux: the:e
has been q. no time more than fifty thousand
In hostile conflict with the whites.
Neither does it appear that such partial dir
turbances have been provoked by the absence
or prevented by the presence of a military
forces. OF four disturbances that have
Cured within the last two years, three broke
force, AID only one without it, At this mo.
ment a band IF ltss thai 500 united and
another of about $50 Indian marauders in New
Mexico in all less than ], 1000 of an Indian pop
ulatlon OF quarter of million,
are causing causing. serious trouble. In fact.
who were within the past twelve months band
ed together in New Mexico for murder and ra-
pine, was larger than that of the Indians re-
Gently on the war path near the southern part
Of the territory.
While am by all means disposed to settle
the deplorable matter of Indian disturbanceS,
aud to acknowledge the great value of the mill
tary force in suppressing them, it is but just
to the Indians to point out the important fact
th.t distul bance and hostility is the exception
aud peaceable conduct the rule,
that a. very large majority of the Indian
uninterrupted quiet without presence of CO.
erclng force, and the equally significant ex-
pericnce that the more civilized an Indian be-
comes the more certainly can his peaceable aud
| orderly conduct be depended upon.
The secretary claims to have an Indian pc i:
cy, and says: The ends steadily pursued by
the department are the following:
First-To set the Indians to work as uericul.
turalists, or herders and thus to break up
their habits of savage life and to make them
sclfsupporting.
Second..To educate their youth Of both
sexes. SO as to introduce to the growing genera.
ton civilized ideas, wants and aspirations.
Thrd-To allot parcels of lands to the In
dams in severalty and to give them individual
title to their farms in fee inalienabe for cor
tain period, thus to foster the pride of indv-
ldual ownership of property, instead of their
former dependence upon the tribe with its ter.
ritory had in common.
Fourth-When settlement in seyeralty with
individual title is accomplished, to dispuse
with their consent of those lands of their retef-
vations which are not settled and used to their
proceeds to farm fund for their benefit, which
will grad ually relieve the government of tho
expenses at present provided for by annual ap
preparations.
Fif,h-When this is accomplished to treat
Indians like other inhabitants of the United
st ties under the laws of the land.
THIS policy, if adopted and supported by
OIngress and carried out with wisdom and
6rmness, will, in my opinion, gradually bring
about the solution of the Indian problem
without inj justice to Indians and also without
ob,tructing the development of the country
It will raise them to q level of civilization,
a. least equal equal TO- that of the
Territory, and probably higher. considering
the stimulus of Individual ownership in the
land. 1t will not take away from them by
force what in justice and equity belongs to
them, but induce them to part with what they
cannot cultivate and use themselves for faif
compensation. 1t will open to progress and
improvement large districts now held by The
Indians which will then be of no real adyan-
tage TO them and are now to nobody else.
Referring to the assertions frequently made
that tribal relations must be broken up, and
the reservation system must be abandoned,
Secretary Schurz observes that an attempt to
establish these objects at once all over the
country without intermediate stages by mill
tary force, would undoubtedly result in many
cases in Indian wars of unprecedented mseni.
tude and bitterness, which would REQUIRE
much larger army than we at present possess,
and prove in the end not only most inhuman,
but in blood and treasure most expensive Of
all wars. -
The secretary says the cause Of the Ute
trouble cannot be found in any just com plant
on the part Of the Utes. 1t is expected the oc.
currence of their trouble snd transac tions fc:
lowing thereupon will result in such arrange
ments as will be calculated to prevent for the
future hostile com pact between the white in,
habitants and Indians in that part Of the ooun.
try