Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-01-06

This is believed TO be largely in excess OF
the numbers actually present at any time.
The zane condition with reference to is.
sue at Spotted Tail 10 believed to Lave ex
i.ted. Agent Howard reported issuing to
10000 Indians Fron. p. rsonal ob~srvati, n
it is not believed more thai half that nuln-
rer drew supplies from that agency. There
was no enumeration Of indians It the aRen-
cy up to July, 1874.
Indian agents are, perhaps, as5 a class as
h0uest rs other meD, but If half the repOr,
ne true, the opportunities afforded by thci,
pnsiti0ns and lax system Of accommodating,
10 improve their v conditions fuaucially
have been TO tempting to- be resisted.
The deplOrdble mismanagement, to say
the least of it, of the Red Cloud and Spotted
Tail agencies (and presumably others) is
rnp'dly leading 10 results easily foreseeD by
.hnse who understand Indian character
Numerous war parties are out. and reports
Interpretations aud murders are frequent.
Excited by failure of agent and commission
IS to make good the promises made; igno'
rant Of the p0wer of the government, he
cause they have never been made To feel Il {;
confirmed IN their belirfibat the v bite man
fears them because of the continued con-
c-ssions made to their demands emboId-n.
cd because their Outrapes, insults and nlur-
'iers have been endured, and promoted b.,
he savage predatory instinct which ami
mates them, they are fast assuming an at =
Jude. which must result 10 Q general wnr.
damaging tn the prosperity Of all the moth
western territory. When The torch again
flames throughout the 8. Elements adj 4cent
t. The SiOcx nation accompanied by all the
horrible atrocities Of savage warfare, by It's
light the penple may read and understand
shat a savage nation, strong in numbers,
in war. and armed equal to the white man,
is not t, be allured from his natural instincts
by being fed on subsistence unfit To eat and
by promises only made to remain unfulflled
on hostle have become even the good H.
disDs" about these agencies. that the agents,
90 several occasions. were compelled To call
upon the military TO protect life and PROV
er,y vi their agencies. Their calls were ali
cheerfullv aod promptly responded IL in
every instance, ys,.a 1901 as they felt safe
unusr the protection Of the military, tn
agents as well as the commissioners would
discover that the Indians under their
charge were powerful and making rapid
progress in civilization, the only drawback
being the concentrating influences OF the
military in their viclu ity, the soldiers being
s,igmatized az being worse than Indians.
How they OFFENDED is not known, - they
are we'll disciplined aud not permitted t.
have any intercourse with Indians whatever
hut they evidently feared the supervision Of
the military, and nothing bu, tn. jeopardy
Of their lives made the military tolerable.
The army is accused Of tie desire to pro.
woke war with the Indians. Generals Sher.
man and Sheridan, whose experience and
record entitle their opinions to considera,
ton will be found ready, as will the estir.
army, to aid in restoring peace when tn,
present policy sh al have been persisted il
until the war, sure to follow, is fully inau
gurated.
Referring to the Fort Hall Agency, whsr.
was sent Dec. 1s. 1877, with instructions {.
induce the Bannock Indians to give up th,
murderer of ons Rhodan, = white man With
out causing any disturbance. After sewers
weeka effort, it was evident they did not il
tend doing 70. It was known that The mul