Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-02-20
OUR INDIAN POLICY.
FROM Mr.. McCreery's Speech
Failure and InefMciency OF
the last Governmental Plan.

thRs ouA AaNA HOAhSJ
worthy of grave attention. Causes
very well understood have lately
given to this question a vastly i~ncreas-
ed importance. The discovery of
gold, and the rapid increase of popu-
lation in the territories have changed
the relative condition of the white and
red man. Thirty years ago there were
large bands of Indians in California.
Where are they now? Perhaps a
couple of agencies hold all that are
left, and charity h~esitates to decide
whether it is more merciful to feed
them than to let them die.
Christianity has had some methods
and been at some pains, but has
failed to convert them to Its faith
We had however made wanderers of
them. The question is, how can they
be recovered and settled?
With some the Indian question had
no merit. In the eyes of such, the
Indians of the plains right or wrong
met with nothing but condemnation.
Again, there were those that believed
the condition of the Indian might be
bettered, that honesty was one of the
elements of this kind of effort, that
agents might be dispensed with, and
the object obtained through the SER
vices of men already in governmental
employ.
The appointment Of ministers as
agents had failed because it was I'M
possible for them to serve two mas
ters. The devil was at work in the
territories as well as in the more civ
ilized portions of our country, and if
the eloquent DR.. Talmage, who re-
Gently made a reconnaissance a be
believed that adversary is entrenched
everywhere in formidable positions.
Gen. Grant appealed to the seven
evangelical orthodox denominations
and actually persuaded them to take
control of the whole Indian frontier.
The elders and deacons Of these Or
thodox denominations may be emf
nent in theology, but they have not
been, and perhaps never will be sue
cessful in the administration of In
dian affairs. Grant is a great man.
He has rarely failed in anything he
undertook, but now let him undo
what has been accomplished. Let
him persuade the churches to give up
the management of the Indians. If
he with all his ability can succeed in
doing so we will admit his influence,
but it was nevertheless a great mis-
take to put ministers into Indian SER
vice. Prior to that they led useful
lives, visiting the sick and aiding the
poor, but since then many have fall
len that might Other wise have been
laid in honest graves.
1t was a sublime spectacle to be-
hold IN the committee room the con-
dence and composure Of these Indian
agents while giving in their testimo-
ny. They usually made a good &C
count of their stewardship. They
aspired to be regarded as self-con-
stituted guardians of female virtue,
and it filed their tender hearts with
anguish to contemplate the licentious-
ness that would follow their with
drawal. They were not in favor OF
marching over desolate plains search
ing for enemies that might be made
friends by the gift Of bread. Now
officers of the army are usually oppos-
ed to war, except as a last resort,
and it was difficult to see why one
educated at West Point could moi
make as good an agent as if he had
been educated elsewhere. Within
the last year anil a half fifteen Of
these Indian agents have been dis
charged for fraudulent practices, ten
for inefficiency, and ten had from
some cause resigned.
This is the first time that religious
qualification for office has been de-
manded in the country. Such de-
mand is unquestionably unconstitu'
tional, and if it has not the sanction
of law it ought not to be listened to.
The fact is that the management
of our Indian affairs under the triple
head of civil. military and ecclesias'
| teal powers has created doubt if any
! plan could have been invented tina,
would have worked more damage IL
both Indians and nation. The Com.
missioner of Indian affairs was OIL
opinion that preachers made indifer.
ent Indian agents, and yet, he was
in favor of the religious policy. Wiser
men than he, before he was born de.
clared that the interests of church
a2d State were best promoted by be-
ing kept seperate. The trainers o
our constitution settled the religious
question, but now 1t seems to be re
surrected, and as q galvanized corpse
it stalks through the land, leaving
war, p~estilence and famine to mari
its pathway.
PLEURO PNEUMONIA.
1t is a very serious matter that al
alarm concerning this disease shoult
have been created in England. Their
can be no doubt that cattle affecte
hv II were landed from Portland. bu