The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-02-03


healthy, comfortable and contented, anG
!, that they are freely and firmly decided L
adhere to their choice announced in theil
letter OF October 25th, 1880, and the dec
| laration Of December 18th, 1880, to re-
main in the Indian Territory and not tC
return to Dakota. The evidence re-
ported also shows that the fragments
Of the Ponca tribe, perhaps l50, which are
still in Dakota and Nebraska prefer to re-
main on their reservation, In view oil
these facts am confident that the recon-
mendatlons OF the commission, together
4 with the declaration OF the chiefs Of De.
cember last, substantially followed will
afford the solution Of the Ponca question,
which Is consistent with the wishes and
interest Of both branches Of the tribe, with
the settled Indian policy Of the Cavern,
ment, and nearly as practicable with the
demands Of justice.
Our general Indian policy for the future
should embrace the following ideas:
First-Indians should be prepared for
citizenship by giving to their young Of
both sexes that industrial and general
education which Is requisite TO enable
them to be self supporting and capable OF
self protection In civilized communities.
second-Lands should be allotted TO In-
dians in seyeralty, iDAlleDable for certain
period.
Third-Indians should have fair com.
pensatlon for their land not required for
individual allotments, the amount to be
invested, with suitable safeguards, for
their benefit.
Fourth-With these eperquisItes secured,
the Indians should be made citizens and
vested with the rights and responsibilities
Of citizenship,
It Is therefore recommended that legis.
lation be adopted In regard to the Ponce
Indians, authorizing the Secretary OF the
Interior to secure to individual members
Of the PonCa tribe in ssveralty sufficient
land for their support, inaienable for o
term Of years or the until restriction as to
alienation may be removed by the Presi.
dent. Ample time and opportunity shall be
given the members OF the tribe 10 freely
choose their allotmentS, either on their
new or old reservation,
A full compensation should be made for
lands to be relinquished, and for the losses
to them by Sioux deptedations aud by
reason OF their removal to Indian Terri.
tory; the amount not TO be less than the
sum named In the declaration ofthe chiefs
made December II, 1850. In short, moth.
Ing should be left undone, to show the In.
dians that the Government Of the United
States regards their rights as equally ga.
cred with those Of Its citizens. The time
has come when the policy should be 10
place the Indians as rapidly as practicable
upon the same footing with other perma.
nent inhabitants OF this country. do not
undertake to apportion the blame for
Injustice done the PonCas. Whether tho
Executive, or Congress or The pub.
lie Is chiefly In fault, Is not now
the question Of practical importance.
As the Chief Executive at the time these
wrongs wasConsummated | am deeply sen.
sible that enough OF the responsibility for
that wrong Justly attaches TO me 10 make
1t my personal duty and earnest desire to
do all can to give to these Indian people
that measure OF redress which Is required
alike by justiCe and humanity.
[Signed] RUTHERFoRD B. HAYES,
Erecutre Mansion, FEB, l, 1881.
The House then went into committee OF
the whole, Mr.. Converse In the chair on
the District OF Columbia Appropriation bill
Speaking TO the apportionment bill, Mr..
Cox said:
ELoouENT SPEECH or SUNSET COX.
The orb Of power might be departing
from the East, but with It's radiance full It
was the star Of empire holding its
Western way for new conquests. Along
with It arose above the horizon the South.
ern Gross to add its symbolic cluster to the
constellation. The Federal representation
Of this country was In every sense Repub.
liCan In fact, form and spirit. It might
be said that with all that popular basis
and its results the people Of the
United States had the same greed
rule, desire for intrigue, and the play Of
the unruly prejudice, jealousy and passion
that had made the history Of other ma.
tions tragical even 10 their decline and
fall. Still In spite oil that decentralization
In its worst aspect, the answer might be
made, Who shall compete with Us In our
abundant harvest, our rich balances OF
trade, our increase Ia commerce and the
expansion OF labor, our influx OF precious
metals and our inexhaustible mines OF
coal, copper, gold and silver our unexam.
pied expectations and importations, our
attractive forces, our etupendou6 inter.
communications, and their incomes and
outgoes by rail, canal, lake, river and sea,
our inventive: faculty, with its miracles
Of manufacture, and above all, and be.
yond all, what can rival the star, which as
II moves westward from ever renewing
centres Of restless population, has In q
century added 47,000,000 to It's active
energiesY These extraordinary advances
In greatness and glory were due to q rep.
resentative system which struck no name,
however humble or, dependent, from
lie roster OF nationality. France and
Spain might indulge In their revolutions.
Russia and Germsnymight tremble before
communistiC and nihiIistic terrofs, and
England might boast Of her rue In Asia,
Africa and Ireland, and proudly echo the
praises, perChance, which her poet lavish.
ed on her 90
"a land Of settled Government,
A land Of Just aud old renoWn,
Where ire SION brOadena slowly down
From precedent 10 breCsdenl."
Dub hue uAu uU pUPulAI representation III
her parliament founded on the
rights Of the people. II was left
iof the people Of America, OF her
colonies q century ago, 10 erect monu.
ment high and splendid around the temple
ot liberty, and to guard u with unity and
force, which division and variety made by
mountain aud river and strong passion Of
hostile armies, could not sever. BY
1t society was. assured, proteC.
tion, stability and progtess, III rear.
ing this monument every one
had built over against bis house as
In the days Of dismanLled Jerusalem, go
that by the whole macs ol living people
Of the United States freedom bFoadened
decennlally, not "ifotn precedent 10 pTeCe.
dent" but expanding and strengthening
like the boughB Of the oak by Tia inner
a. a.. o.. A. :. I'D