Morning journal and courier., 1881-12-07

violence this government would be powerless to render assistance. The Act of 1795. chap i ter 36, passed at time when Territorial gov ernments received little attention from Con- gress, enforced this duty of the United States only as to State government, but the Act of 1907, chapter 39, applied also to territories. This law seemed to have remained in force until the revision of the statute, when the provisions for the territories was dropped. am not advised whether this alteration was intentional or accidental, but, as it seems to me that the territories should be offered the protection which is accorded to States by the Constit ltion, I suggest legislation to that end. It seems to me, too, that whatever. views may prevail as to the policy of recent legisla- tion, by which the army has ceased to be 8 part of the posse comitatus, an exception might well be made for permitting the mili- tary to assist the civil authorities in enforcing the laws of the United States. This use of the army would not seem to be within the al- legged evil against which that legislation was aimed From the sparseness of the popula- tion and other circumstances it is often quite inpracticabIe to summon 8 civil posse in places where the officers of justice require as- sistance and where a military force is within easy reach
 THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
 The report of the Secretary of the Interior, with accompanying documents, presents an elaborate account of the business of that de- pertinent. A summary of it would be too extended for this place. ask your careful attention to the report itself. Prominent among the matters which challengethe atten- tion of Congress at it's present session is the management of our Indian affairs. While this question has been cause of trouble and embarrassment from the formation of the government, 1t is but recently that any effort has been made for it's solution at once serious ly determined, consistent and promising suc- cess, It has been easier to resort to con- | a11,s c.. 1G porary difficulties than to grapple with the great permanent problem, and accordingly the easier course has almost invariably been pursued. It was natural at a tindc when the national territory seemed almost Alimitable, and containedImany millions of acres far out side the bounds of civilized settlements, that policy should have been initiated which, more than auqht else has been the source of our Indian complications. refer of course to the policy of dealing with the various h. dian tribes separate nationalities, of rele- gating them by treaty stipulations to the oc- cupancy of immense reservations in the West, and of encouraging them to live a savage life undisturbed by any earn. /. est and well directed efforts to bring | them under the influences of civilization. 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,
  1 their wills, have been transferred to other hunting grounds from which they have again been dislodged, whenever their new found homes have been deserted by the ad- venturous settlers. These removals, and the frontier collisions by which they have often been preceded, have led to frequent and dis astrous conflicts between the races. It is | profitless to discuss here which of them has been chiefly responsible for the disturbances \ whose recital occupies so large space upon | the pages of our history. We have to deal | with the appalling fact that though thousands \ of lives have been sacrificed and hundreds of millions of dollars expended in the attempt \ to solve the Indian problem, 1t has, until \ within the past ten years, seemed scarcely | nearer solution than it was half century | ago but the government has been, eau | tiously but steadily, feeling it's way to the \ adoption of 8 policy which has already pro- 1 duced gratifying results, and which in my ! judgment is likely, if Congress and the Ex- Il ecutiye accord in it's support, to relieve us 4 ere long from the difficulties which have \ hitherto beset us.
 For the success of the efforts now making to introduce among the Indians the customs and pursuits of civilized life, and gradually \ to absorb them into the mass of our citizens, \ sharing their rights and holden to their re- \ responsibilities, there is imperative need fol l legislative action. My suggestions in that re | gard will be chiefly such as have been already \ called to the attention of Congress and have 1 received, to some extent, it's consideration. ! First, recommend the passage of an act Il making the laws of the various States and ] Territories applicable to the Indian reserva 1 tions within their borders, and extending the | laws of the State of Arkansas to the portion Il of Indian Territory not occupied by the five ! civilized tribes. The Indian should receive the protection of the law he should be al ! lowed to maintain in court his rights of per son and property; he has repeatedly begged for this privilege; it's exercise would be very valuable to him in his progress toward civih
 zation. Second, and of even greater impor tance, is measure which has been frequently recommended by my predecessors in office l in furtherance of which several bills have 1 been, from time to time, introduced in botl 1 houses of Congress-the enactment of l general law permitting the allotment in seve l ralty to such Indians at least as desire it, o1 reasonable quantity of land, secured te
 them by patent, and for their own protection
 made inalienable for twenty or twenty-five | years This is demanded for their presen | welfare and their permanent advancement l In return for such considerate action on tht
 part of the government, there is reason tt
 believe that the Indians in large number
 would be persuaded to engage at once in in
 dustrial pursuits, knowing that their triba days are over and that 1t is now for their bes
 interests to conform their manner of life tt
 the new order of things By no greater in
 ducement than the assurance of permanen
 title to the soil can they be led to engage il
 the occupation of tillipg 1t. The well attest
 ed reports of their increasing interest in bus
 bandry justify the hope and belief that tht
 enactment of such statute as I recomment
 would be at once attended with gratifying re
 suits. A resort to the allotment system
 would have a direct and powerful inf1uenc
 in dissolving the tribal band which is s l prominent feature of savage life, and tend
 so strongly to perpetuate 1t.
 Third advise a liberal appropriation fol ! the support of Indian schools, because o my confidence and belief that that course i
 consistent with useful economy. Amon
 the most uncultivated Indian tribes there k reported to be general and urgent desir
 on the part of the chiefs and older member 1 for the education of their children. It is al | unfortunate instance of this fact that during
 the past year the means which have been a the command of the Interior department fo | the purpose of Indian instruction have prove, l to be utterly inadequate. The success of tn ! schools which are in operation at Hampton Carlisle and Forest Grove should not onl | encourage more generous provision for tn | support of those institutions, but shoul,
 prompt the establishment of others of
 similar character. They are doubtless mucl l more potent for good than the day school
 on the reservation, as the pupils are separat ed from the surroundings of savage life anc
 brought into constant contact with civiliza
 tion.
 There are many other phases of this sub
 ject which are of great interest, but whicl
 cannot be included within the becomin,
 limits of this communication. They are dis
 cussed ably in the reports of the Secretar,
 of the interior and the Commissioner of In
 dian Affairs.
 THE MoRMoNs.-
 For many years the Executive in his annu
 al message to Congress has urged the neces
 sity of stringent legislation for the suppres
 sion of polygamy in the territories, ant
 especially in the Territory of Utah. The
 existing statute for the punishment O
 this odious crime, so revolting to the mora
 and religious sense of Christendom, has bee1
 consistently and contemptuously violated
 ever since it's enactment. Indeed, in spite O
 the commendable efforts on the part of tn,
 authorities who represent the United State
 in that Territory, the law has in very rar,
 instances been enforced, and for 8 cause {,
 which reference will presently be made i
 practically dead letter.
 The fact that the adherents of the Mormon
 church, which rests upon polygamy as it
 corner stone, have recently been peoplinl