Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1879-01-03
HOW PHIL SHERIDAN HAS USED II
CARL SCHURZ

That mischief making Professional For
dfer Carl Schurz, has run against a snag al
last The name of the snag is Phil Sheri
dan. Phil has an awkward way of hurting
out the truth, soldier-like, and in letter III
which he replies to the mean and untruthful
innuendoes of Schurz, he tells some whole
some truths Out Of the body Of the tele-
graphic report of his letter we copy as fol
lows:
In this connection General Sheridan calls
attention to the correspondence from Lieu
tenant Douherth acting agent at Brule, rel
alive to All attempt to force upon that officer
employees of bad character and to the loose
ana criminal manner in which Indian goods
are shipped without bills of ladins or in
voices He then expressly invites the atten-
ton Of General Sherman to the reports from
Standing Rock Agency while under the man
asement of Agents Burke and Hughes, and
then asks him to look at the reports from the
Madans, Arickarees, eros Nentres, Asslna-
ooines, Piegans and Grows in Montana. At
the latter agency fraud has been rampant.
He then asks him to look at the reports from
the Shosh0nes, Bannocks, Northern and
and Comanches, ties and Southern .traches
and asks why they have gone TO war or been
hostile and turbulent for the last six or seven
years, and says it is because of insutficency
of food, irregularity in its supply and broken
promises, and inclOSes mass Of briefs OF
ports froN ufficers of the army and others
that substantlate this view. General Sher-
idall SAYS the present Commissioner is doubt
less as honest as the others we're before him,
bur. with all precautions or honesty. that the
system and manner OF accountability are too
loose IOr the government Of people OF such
primitive habits as the Indians, and III this
view lie IS sustained by extracts which he gives
from reports to the Board Of Indian Commits
sioners as we'll as to the Commissioner of In
dian Affairs. Then, with all these facts in
the possession Of the Indian Bureau, what
could have been the object of Secretary
SChUrZ in challenging conclusions in his all
nual report and giving MS letter to the pub
lie before it had been sent to the Secretary of
War, 80 whom it was addressed. Surely, Of
icera who guard the agencies and who are
held RESPONSIBLE for lives and property on the
frontier should have the right to report causes
Of trouble without danger Of being ectured
into silence by the Secretary of the Interior.
General Sheridan then proceeds to give the
history of the removal of the Red Cloud and
Spotted Tail Agencies from The Missouri
River, and says the Secretary again puts
words in his mouth. The treaty of the
Black Hills, which was ratified by Congress,
required these Indians to go, and the Com
missioner made it say they were willing TO 90,
to the Missouri River, where lands were bet
ter and supplies cheaper, and quotes from In
dian Inspector Hammond to show that !
the lands are good, and gives telegram
from General Crook, who was SO freely re-
ferred to by the Secretary, to show that he |
vas the officer who originally proposed to |
send them to the Missouri river, and that |
afterwards, III conversation with Crook, it was |
arranged with him how they were to be moved !
hat subsequently a change of front occurred |
IN the part of the Indians and then Crook |
hanged his mind. Now, how did this occur |
If say 10 900 Indians We're to 90 to the Mis-
ouri river, their supplies would take a new
Inc of direction, the Union Pacific railroad
would cease to be the base, and all contractors
er hauling from Sidney to Cheyenne would
ose their business, the Indian traders would
Ose heavily III expenses III moving and build
ng new quarters, and the profitable trade
rislng from the nomadlc life of the Indians
would cease: that loss would he dIsagreeable,
md the removal, If permanent, would do away
With Camps Sheridan, and Robinson and Forts
laramie and tetterman, and consequently even
he military post-traders would be disturbed.
But tbs law required this removal and no
ecourse was left but to work up dissatsfac
ion. General Sherman says his annual re
'ort expressed regret at what had happened
IA reference to these Indians and he utterly
isclaims having criticized the action Of the
PRESIDENT, saying that the latter could not
ave helped himself, and that when the in
dequacy of our military force is considered it
not strange he and other officers should
all attention to circumstances like these that
re liable to involve trouble and disaster.
This is the sort of statement long needed to
1t the country kno" something Of the rotten
es. of the present regime. The fact is, the