The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-11-10
THE INDIAN QUESTION.
Interview With All Old Scout and In.
diam ~

diam Interpreter.
At this time. whom tho Indian troubles chuRe
40 much vevatlun LII The War and Interior DE-
parmonis and arc n source OF conaidorah"
anxiety III tbis country, particularly tho Ute
surreciion Ill insight into tho causos OF dlssai-
iafaetIon among the rod mon Ii worthy OF con
alteration. reporter Of the DEMOCRAT hap
pened ycstorday to meet gentleman who.
whln at present following more peaceful pur-
suits. yet was for nearly fifteen yours md M 10
1874 u scout. guide and interpreter for tho
United Snos government.
In spenking 10 him concerning the present
troubles with the Tribes. our reporter inquired
In whit quarter lay tho responsibility for tbs
present difficulties with tho indiane. Ito said:
Tho causes of Ill tho troubles. present md
pact must III traced 10 throe sources: L. Tho
failure On tho part Of tbs lTnitad States govern
mont md IT, agents 10 keep promises toward
he rod mon; . Tho crafineas Of traders and
specnlntors. 3. Tbs Influence of tho white rem
egades" who have chosen wives among the SOW
eral Indian tribes Az t. the ilrst t point to be
ment tulnil III promises toward the Indians2
Nine times ont Of ten those pletges arc over,
looked. Indian tribes or pntions nre removed
to governmnnt reservations undnr special
warrant that this reaervation shnll be theirs
Rntlons furnished Thorn III tho start. and
promiaes arc made according to the wording OF
tho treaty. Take
THE SIOUX INDIANA.
for instance When they removed to their now
reservation Oh tho Missouri river, 1t was not
long before tho white man coveted that portion
OF the country called the Black Hills gold re-
gion.' While the governmen. ut first tried to
prevent minors from going to the Black hllls
the Sioux to repurehase the Black II. ls and
the privileg" OF roads eading to them. the In
grafton 10 these parts. Tho Sioux were then
compelled / 4, accept whatever compensate on
our government saw fl, to give In cattle, otc.
| This evident refusal Of the government 70
| funll OK lctly It's contracts WAS the cause or all
The tronhl~ With sitting Bull. II was tho cause
| or tho slaughter of Custer and his army at the
| fatal Little Big Horn" and WIS also the origin
| OF tho recont Indian trouble
WHO MUST GUIDE TIE INDIANS?
Tho Interior Department. said the scout.
ia Think not competent to eondu Indian
affairs. Instead Of ts sending agents and com
missio nera 70 tho RESERVATIONS. lot the com,
manders and officers Of tho different posts deal
| with the red mon: this policy will not only snvo
to the government this money expended Tor
agents, but 1t will exert sal ',tary influence on
the Indians The latter look upon the soldier
| aud officer with creator respect and awe than
| IN ngent Of the Indian Bureau could inspire.
Will" the Indian. as a rnce. IS Willy md trnae !
orous. yet he Is. in his promises. rather faith
ernment Il respected by them In some measure
| for the number Of troops II commands. but to"
| Indians. realizing the Frcneh saying OF tho
Droit du fort conre 10 fable. place very little
confidence In IFS promises.
Thus It will b. seen that although the Indians
are n,t hurt physically, yet they mentally ESQ!
| aggrIeyed at the non fultlment Of promises on
the put Of the United states toward 1hem
! Now. how do the Agants Of the Indian 3 irenu
| treat Tho poor Indians. They furnish the red
mon with Inferior food, inferior articles Of rhi-
men, and soil laltheugh the, government for
known TINT when the Indian is under the In
tluence of liquor rschoda wabo. fire wata9 he
becomes crazod md viii trade his raiions hs
for d larger supply or whisky. When tho say
age has once tasted whisky and felt It's infiu-
/ for supply Of liquor. Awakening from his
debauch he l. wiser and sadder and evident
| ly II poorer man.
What Is left to him but to get back MI he cam
Then what does he do, He steals, ana perhaps
/ commits murder. Who Is to blameS The
! things, or tho untutorod Indian who strives to
regain what he has lost In an Illicit transaction?
If the distribution 81 rations II all aeatl r7
/ with the Indian were left to the care OF the war
DeIartnent then the Indian troubles would
| end sooner or later.
| Let tho officers of the United States army.
mon surely honorable and aboyo thought. OF
mercenary impntatiohs, take charge 9f indian
affairs. aud the greater portion OF all Indian
/ troubles will bB avoided.
4 Indians Is the way In which
TRADERS AND sF1GULAToHs
carry on their pecuative transactions. True.
they have permits from the government to SUD
ply the red men with necessary goods outside
of government rations. Those. traders how
over do not eontlne themselves TO the SALE, or
barter Of innocuous goods. bat coSertly sell to
the Indians such articles rs guns. rifles. am
munition powder and whisky, goods forbidden
1 to be sold. The Indians being we'll aware Of the
risk incurred BY traders IN selling those pro-
4 hlbited goods, jump eagerly at speedy bar
gain. concluded hastily and at their cost. Why
1 sir. the Indians carry Winchester and Sharp's
rifles, arms far superior to those Of our troops
| Whence are these arms procured? Traders and
agents who ought to be, ard are in fact con;
trolled by the government, furnish them, anG
what use the Indians make of them is seen TO-
day.
WHITE RENEGADgs.
| Avery obnoxious element to our government
among the Indians Is the. alas! TOO com NOR