American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-12-06

mail bet tvecf the United states and isrts -" "i
the West Indies and South America at Il fixed
| maximum price per mile, the amount TO be
| expended being regulated by annual appr,-
| priations in like manner with tho amount for
made by the Tostuastcr-1ie neral and the Seq
| rotary of the Treasury for the collection Of
uutIes ON books re ccifed IN me mail from for
eipn countries has proved so satisfactory in
It's practical operation that the rccomni{.iitIa-
| non Is now made that Congress extend the
| Professions of the act of March 3 1879, under
which this arrangement was made, So as to ap-
| ply to all other 1uti;iIJle articles received In
| the mails from foreign countries.
The reports Of the Secretary OF the Interior
and of the Commissioner of Indian AHairs
setting forth the present state of our relations
| with the Indian tribes on our territory, the
and prosperity, and the progress already
achieved by them, will be found of more than
dan nas been 80 sat
tMa h5 the which rs%,ea Of
| all the more to be lamented. The history of
the outbreak on the White RiverUte Reserya-
| press that its remarkable incidents need not
the settlement of this difficulty. will lead TO
such ARRANGEMENTS as will prevent further
| and he border settlements in Western
| Colorado The other disturbances oe-
| New Mexico, where Victoria, the head
| of a small band of marauders, after commit
|
| by military force, made his way across the
| Mexican border and is foreign soil.
While these occurrences. in which a compare
| lively small number of Indians were engaged,
| are most deplorable, vast majority of our In
dian population have, fully, Justified the e1-
| name and peaceful influences the Indian can
| be led to abandon the habits of savage life. and
| occupations. What they have already accom-
plished is shown in the pursuit of agricul-
| tural and mechanical work, The re-
|
ed the experiment Of employing as freight
among t the widest and most ' intractaie and
| the general and urgent desire expressed by
| them for he education of their children. may
| be taken sufficient proof that they viii be
| found capable of accomplishing much more
| If they continue to be wisely and fairly
| report of the Secretary of the Interior. the
| object of which is to make liberal provision
the Indians upon farm-iots in seyeralty, TO
| give them title I'm fee to their farms
| inalienable for a certain number of years,
| and when their wants are thus provided for
| to dispose by sale of the lands on their RESET
vations not occupied and used by them. af'ind
| TO be formed out of the proceeds for the bene-
| fit of the Indians which will gradually relieve
| the Government of the expenses now provided
| for by annual appropriations, must commend
| itself as just and beneficial to the Indians,
and also calculated to remove those oijss
| structions which the existence of large reseI-
| vations presents to the settlement and deycl-
| opment of the country. therefore earnestly
| recommend the enactment of u law enabling
the Government to give Indians title in fee
| inalienatle for TWENTY-FIVE years to the farm
| lands assigned to them by allotment. | also
| repeat the recommendation in my first annual
message that n law be passed admitting In
| dians who can give satisfactory proof of hay
| ing, by their own labor, supported their fami-
| lies for number of years, and who will
| ing to detach themselves from their tribal re-
| latiOns, to the benefit of the Homestead act.
| and to grant them patents containing the So me
provision of iualienablity for a certain period:
| Indian children of both sexes to the Hampton
Normal and A Agricultural institute in virginia,
practical instruction in farming and other
useful industries, has led to results so profnis-
ing that 1t was thought expedient to turn over
the cavalry barracks ut Carlisle in Pennsy-
vania, to the Interior Depart mcnt for the
establishment of an Indian school on larger
scale. This school has now l5s pupils selected
from various tribes, and is in fun operation.
Arrangements are also made for the educa-
ton Of n number of Indian boys and girls be
longing TO tribes on the Pacific slope in Il simi-
lar manner, at Forest Grove, in Oregon. These
institutions will commend themselves to the
liberality of Congress and tn the philanthropic
munficence of the American people.
Last spring information was received OF tho
organization of an extensive movement int
Western States, the object OF which was the
adia ce 4 nv
the Cherokces to the Government for the pur-
pose OF sI,tleen mil Py s S,nGr nrhcparnation
warning all persons against participation in
such an attempt, and by the cooperation OF
q military force the invasion was promptly
checked. 1t is my purpose TO protect me
rights of the Indian inhabitants Of that Terrific
would be unwise to ignore the fact that
Territory so large and SO fertile, with popu-
lation so sparse, and SO great wealth OF un,
usued resources, will be found more exposed
to the repetition of such attempS as hap
pened this year when the surrounding states
were most densely settled, and the westward
movement of our population looked still more
eagerly for fresh lands to occupy. Under
tanning the Indian Territory in its present
state will greatly increase, and the Indian
tribes inhabiting IT would do well to prepare
fpr /. therefore.
approve of the advice given to them by
the Secretary of the Interior on recent oc-
casion to divide among themselves, in sever |
atty, as large quantity OF their lands as tney
can cultivate to acquire individual title IN
fee, instead of their present tribal ownership |
in common, and consider in what manner the |
balance of their lands may be disposed of by |
the Government for their benefit. BY adopt |
ing such policy they would more certainly |
secure for themselves the value of their pos |
sessions, and at the same time promote their |
progress in civilization and prosperity than
by endeavoring to Perpetuate the preseh'
The question whether n change in the con-
troll of the Indian service should be made was,
in the Forty-fifth Congress. referred to aJoint
Committee of both Houses for inquiry and re.
port. In my last annual message 1 expressed
the hope that the decision of that question,
then in prospect, would arrest further agIta-
ton of this subject. such agitation being apt
to produce disturbing effect upon the service
as well rs the Indians themselves. Since then,
the Committee having reported, the question
has been decided in the negative by vote in the
House of Representatives. For the reason
here stated, and in view of the fact that fur
ther uncertainty on this point will be ca'eu-
lated to obStruct other much-nceded legisla-
ton, to weaken the discipline of the service
and to unsettle sautary measures now in
progress for the government and improve
ment of the Indians, l respectfully recon-
mend that the decision arrived at by Congress |
at its last session be permitted to stand.
TIMBER THEETS-
The efforts made by the Department of the |
Interior to arrest the depredations on the tim
ber-lands of the United States have been con-
tinued, and have met with considerable sue |
cess. A large number of cases of trespass |
have been prosecuted in the courts of the |
United States. Others have been settled, the |
Government for the value of the timber |
taken by them. The proceeds of |
these prosecutions and settlements turned
into the Treasury far exceed in amount the |
sums appropriated by Congress for this pur-
pose. A more important result, however,
consists in the fact that the destruction of our
cases still occur, has been greatly reduced in
extent. and it is probable that il the present
policy is vigorously pursued, and sufficient
pro, ision to that end made by Congress, such
respasses-at least those on u large scalc-can |
Dc entirely suppressed except in the Terrific |
lies, where timber for the daily requirements
tate of the law, be otherwise obtained.
h@refare earesiy in, invite the At
ion made by the Secretary of the
Interior, that law be enacted enabling the
Government to sell timber from the public
nds without conveying the fee where such |
in,is are principally valuable for the timber |
hereon. such sales to be so regulated as to |
onform to domestic WANTS and business | ,
while at the same time guarding |
g;linst a sweeping destruction of the forests |
he enactment of such law appears to be
THE AGRICULTURAL BUREAU
Ny recommendations in former messages
lies of the Department of Agriculture. Ayri-
culture is the leading interest and the per- {
n man Industry OF our people It is Z" the
with our home consumption and