The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-12-08
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

SCENTS an accurate account OF the business oil
the Department A summary of it would
be too extensive for this place. ask your
careful attention to the report itself. Prom
inent among matters which challenge the
attention of Congress at its present session
is the management of our Indian affairs.
While this question has been
cause Of trouble and cmbarrass-
ment from the infancy Of the
government it is but recently that any eff
fort has been made for its solution, at once
serious, determined, consistent. aud prom
Using Of success. 1t has been easier to re-
sort to convenient makc-shifts for tidlng
over temporary difficulties than to grapple
with the great permanent problem,
and accordingly the easier course
has almost Invariably been
pursued. 1t was natural at a time when
the National territory seemed almost IL,
Irritable and contained many millions OF
acres far outside the bounds of civilized set
Element, that policy should have been ini-
tiated which more than aught else, has been
the fruitful source of our Indian compli-
cations. refer of course to the
policy of dealing with the various
Indian tribes as separate natlonalities,
ofregulating them by treaty and stipula-
tons to the occupancy of immense reserya-
live a savage life undisturbed by any earn
est and well-directed efforts to bring them
under the influences of civilization, and the
unsatisfactory results which have sprung
from this policy are becoming apparent
to all. AS the white settlements have
crowded the borders of the reservations the
Indians have sometimes contended and
sometimes against their will, have been
transferred to other hunting grounds,
Il, ,l
whenever their ncw-found homes have been
desired by Adventures and settlers. These
removals, and the frontier collisions OF
which they have often been preceded,
have led to frequent and dsas-
trous conflicts between the races.
1t is proitless to discuss here which of them
has been chiefly responsible for the distur-
Dances whose recital occupies 50 large u
space upon the pages of our history. We
have to deal with the appalling fact that
though thousands of lives have been saCri-
feed and hundreds of millions OF
dollars expended in the attempt
to solve the Indian problem, it
has until within the past few
years seemed scarcely nearer solution
than II was half q century ago. But the
government has been cautiously but
steadily feeling its way to the adoption of "a
policy which has already produced crafty
ing results, and which, in my judgment, is
likely, if Congress and the Executive accord
in It's support, to relieve us from tho diff.
culties which have hitherto beset us. For
The success of the efforts now be-
ing made to introduce among the
Indians the customs and pursuits
of civilized life, ana gradually to absorb
them into mass of our citizens, sharing
their rights and holding them to their re-
sponsibilities, there is imperative need for
legislative action. My suggestion in that
regard will be chiefly such as have been al
ready called to the attention of Congress
and have received to some extent its con-
sidcration.
First recommend the passage of al act
making the laws of the various States and
Territories applicable to the Indian reserva-
tions within their borders, and extending
the portion of the Indian Territory not oc-
cupied by The five civilized tribes The
indian should receive the protection ofthe
law, he should be allowed to maintain in
court his right of person and property. He
has repeatedly begged for this privilege. Its
exercise would be very valuable to him
IN his progress toward civilization
Second-Ol euen greater Importance is a
measure, which has been frequently recon-
mended by my predecessors in office and in
furtherance of which several bills have
been from time to time introduced in both
hVuvs Va AoubIesS' Inc enactment oil gen
erai law permitting allotment in seyeralty,
10 such Indians at least as deserve
~, OF reasonable quantity of
Ianu secured to them by
patent ana Tor ther own protection, made
ihailehaoie I0r twenty or twenty-five years,
~ demanded Tor thelr present welfare and
thelr permanent advancement. In return
i9r s9ch considerate action on The part of
the government there Is reason to believe
.nat the indians, IN large numbers, would
DC persuaded to sever their tribal relations
ana TO engage at once in agricultural pur-
SUITS. May OF them realize the fact that
iheir hunting. days are over and that
" Is now Tor their best interests to conform
their manner OF life to the new order of
thlngs, and by no greater inducement than
the assurance oil u permanent title to the
SOL can theX be led To- engage in the occu-
patton oil thilng 1t. The well-attcstcd re-
ports OF their increasing interest in
husoandry justify the hope aud
pelei that the enactment of
such a statue as | recommend would be
~ once attended with gratifying results.
a resort TO the allotment system would
nave direct and powerful influence in dis
sowing the tribal bond which is so promi-
hent aleature OF savage life and which tends
so strongly TO perpetuats it.
Ihird-i ADVISE liberal appropriation
corsc ne SUPPORT o, dnutah schools be
sncb on,y,rso 'o',''uoio uellei tlat
the eH wisest e Sosu Is S oorsas.eht with
sncnItnred im4;aSS V ,r "niT M the most
nnrted 20 bo i,'n no,, irioo 5 mere y re-
The mari Of Inc ch;ots amy amy uL iG uesre On