, 1880-04-08
ALASKA.


| der the nCaN Ot "A LlIJIe udthe III
Alaska" which take to be semi.
editorial, or at least a virtual indorse'
ment by you Of the statements and
conclusions contained in it. | re-
gret to see that you, too, have fallen
into the STYLE common throughout
the country, of treating with sneers
and Ievty the claims of the "sparse
population" of Alaska to protection
in their lives and property, the want
of which, probably kept mp by this
very style of treatment, is mockery
of the privileges of citizenship and
blct upon the Nations honor. |
am sure this would not be but for
the absolute ignorance of the true
condition Of Alaska everywhere pre-
vailing. Win you allow me the op-
portunity to correct some Of this
misapprehension, as also the mis-
takes made by the writer of the ar
tice referred to in his very hasty
] Judgment of the bill now before the
Senate ?
First in order is the error in say
ing that fish and oil furnish almost
the only diet" on the 1000 miles Of
Alaska's coast. On the Aeutian isl
ands cattle are raised easily and
grain and many vegetables are
grown, while down all the Southeast.
ern coast the islands are by no means
"sterile," but in addition to the cat
tie and vegetables-raised there as
easily and OF as fine quality as any
where in the world--the deer,
grouse, ducks and other game fur
nish such "diet" as would delight an
epcure, and furnish it in prolusion
all the year round. And while |
cannot see that people should be de-
MED the righ,s Of humanity because
they feed on "fsh," let me say that,
if fishes were the only diet OF those
people, they exist in their waters i'll
such quantities and Of such quail
ties, that, were that industry protect
ed and fostered, they might make as
fine living out of it as the New.
foundlanders do out Of theirs. Nor
is this the only industry of Alaska
that might prove Of vast profit.
The writer truly states that at
| present Alaska is under the control
of the Treasury Department, ''its
rulers forming its only laws" and
kadds that this is and will be 'sutfi-
ficient in the northern and western
portions of the territory which is in
habited by semi-barbarIan Aleuts."
Now, reflect that those Treasury
'laws" extend only to the customs,
| and are in no respect more full than
the authority OF the collectors OF
customs In other districts. They
furnish no means for the collection
of debts or the administration OF es
state; none for the preservation OF
the peace, or the restraining of VIC
lence, or the punishment Of offences
against person or property-abso'
lutely none-and yet those people
are largely composed of persons who
remained in the country under faith
in the promise OF our Government,
due by every consideration Of JUS
tice, and solemnly recorded in the
treaty Of cession. Are Treasury
claws" indeed sufficient" to carry
out this promise :? Wore all the rest
true, | hold that as long as a single
Russian born subject who had ac.
cepted the promise of that treaty re
manned in Alaska, he would be enti
tied to the fullest execution of the
terms of the compact. But it is not
true that the Aleuts are semi. .barba.
rous. They and the other Alaskan
residents, except Indians, are a per-
fectly civilized people, and while
they are not highly improved, owing
10 the want of educational facilities,
from this same neglect Of govern.
ment, yet they are a sprightly race
and abundantly capable. in at least
five or six othor villages besides Sit
ka aud Wrangel, of furnishing "per'
sons competent to act as jurymeh
and election officers"
Now, as to the bill before the SEN
ate for the establishment OF civil
government. 1t seems to the writer
OF the article that something should
bo attempted" which would prove
beneficial to all the people, and yet
that this bill "s not adapted to that
end, and contains absurd and extrav.
agant propositions that cannot be
reconciled to any sensible ideas of a
republican government" He bases
this opinion upon the fact that the