New-York tribune., 1880-06-27
THE UTgS SETTLED .1TLAST.

The Indian Commission appointed to confer
with the Ute tribe, TO ratify the agreement
made with their chiefs. and afterward to choose
lands for the Southern and UDcOmpahgre Utes,
are already on their way to Los PinOs. The
only difficult part of their task is the choice OF
land. The tribes have made up their minds
by this time to accept the terms made by Ouray
for them ; in fact, they very well knew it was
Hobsons choice with them from the beginning.
They have, It is stated, every disposition now
to settle down to farming, and to do the best
they can for themselves and their children on
the tract of land which shall be given to them
1t must be remembered that they begin their
new life heavily handicapped. They have
heretofore made their living by hunting; there
is no hunting or trapping to be done ON 1GO
acres. They know nothing more Of farming than
to dig the ground and drop the corn into it. II
has not been held expedient to teach them
more. The land which is to be given to them Is
unbroken timber land. They will remove to it
at the beginning of Winter. No support can be
bopcd for from it before July, 1881, under the
most favorable circumstances. They are lg-
norant of any trades, and will be for that
reason, as Indians all are, ready victims to any
white nun who chooses to prey upon them.
What is the Department going to 10 for them
in the meantime? In the case OF the
Cheyennes, in a precisely similar condition.
delay in tho payment Of rations and quinine
resulted in tOrtures of starvation and disease
which, when reported before the Senate Com
mittee, read like the barbarities practised by
the savage hordes of the dark ages upon each
other. The annuity to be paid to these 1000
of xuhiol, Ia hQplE
ments due to them for years. amounts to pre-
cisely $18 per annum for each. How FAR will
that 20 toward clothing and feeding them for
fourteen months We have no wish to be cap
tious on behalf of the Indians. But the plain
fact is that we have got an enormous territory OF
some of the most valuable mining md farming
land on the continent, without blow or grum-
BILE, from these Utes for nominal price. Let
us at least see that they do not starve before the
price is paid.
The Commissioners should remember, too, that
heavy responsibility rests upon them in
choosing the land for these people. 1t is not
Their duty to make the besr terms they can for
athe Government" nor yet to accept the
Western maxim that anything Is good enough
g for a red-skin." Wherever they choose the
land, let them do it as they would for their own
homes. Let them see to 1t that 1t is out Of the
malarious belt to which we have sent and keep
the Cheyennes, Nez Perces and POncas to die
by inches; that 1t is good productive land, on
which these poor defrauded creatures can make
fight for existence with some chance of sue
cess Their success, their civilization in the
future their very lives, all depend upon the JUS
tice which the Commissioners will show in
locating them. If the Commissioners are uu-
just OF careless In this matter, 1t Is not probable
that the United States Government or people
will ever call them to judgment about 1T. We
have learned to bear the robbery and slaughter
of our red brothers with great cquanimity.
But there is Judge behind people and Gov
ernment to whom "red-skin's" rights and
welfare are as much o matter Of moment as our
| own.
We believe that the Commission goes out
with every intention of being fair in its deci-
sions. and we are the more encouraged to this
belief as Mr.. Manypenny is one of the number.