New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-21
TREA TMENT OF THE INDIANS.

VIEWS OF GENERAL NELSON A. MILES.
CONDITION OF THE PoNCAs-THE CONDUCT OF THE
GOVERNMENT TOWARD TuEM SERIOUS MIS-
TAKE-FITNEss OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT TO
MANAGE THE INDIANS.
General Nelson A. Miles, who was seen by
a reporter Of The TRIBUNE recently at the Brevoort
House. asked about the condition OF the POnca and
other Indians He said:
al was appointed as one Of the Commissioners to
vestlgate the condition OF the POncas found part OF
them living very comfortably In the Indian Territory
their grant OF $53O00-about the those Indians
receiving aid from the Government Those who had re-
NAMED IN Dakota, or gone back to It, found were
earning their living by cutting wood, farming and
working various They were receiving no sup
port from the Government only little aid from benev
oent people In the vicinity"
Were those the Indian Reservation anxious to
turn TO Dakotaf
They did not so express themselves They mad been
repeatedly told that they could not return, and they
seemed to have the idea that their title null and
void and was not respected by the Government"
Did to feel embittered against the Govern
meDt -
IA portion of them appeared to be. From my invesi-
cations 1t seemed that the entire treatment of the
Poncas was serious mistake, resulting from misman-
agement incom potency or selfish motives. They we're
wrouged The removal of any portion OF our peaceaDle
alton to distant part OF the country and holding
them there entirely foreign TO our ideas OF justice
and our system OF government. and are simply nexcus
able do not know OF any good or substantial reason
for their removal nor have ever heard OF any"
.Wil the Government policy toward the Poncas affect
the other tribes"
81 think 1t will be very injurious especially with the
friendly tribes 1t has created the idea in their minds
that Government dsregards its treaty obligations
and that 1t Is disposed to the tribes to the In
dian Reservation The Northern Indians look upon the
reservation Botany Bay or Siberia, and think that
Government will pick up tribe whenever 1t can put
them there and let them die OF"
"Why die OFF,
Because the Indian Territory has great deal of
malaria times and II man lives there long enough
he is sure be attacked have had command OF men
and horses in that section for O good many years. and
know something about It,"
"n that Is the case. why does the Government con-
tinue TO put Indians on the reservation 2"
81 can see no good for It, Let the Government
protect them where they are. They much
attached the country where they than
we are. III my Judgment It would be better 10 give
them small allotment OF land where they live than TO
move them into territory because OF ths pecu.
iaity in their nature and because there no justice
In removing them any more than there would be in
putting the negroes or Chinese into State keep
ing there There Is longer any frontier east OF
the Rocky Mountains. Settlements have sprunR IN
beyond the Indian Reservation, are surrounding
them on every side; so tnat the Indians must become
part OF our population the law-abidng be protected
by the same authority, and the evldisposed 10 be
governed by the same laws that govern white people,
think that as soon as the people understand this
Indian question popular opinion will 81 strong that
the putting Of portion Of population under the
control Of irresponsible. inexperienced man. and
surrounding them with Chinese wall, as It were so
that they cannot commuuicste with the outside world
VIII be an impossbility Then the Inllans will be
treated fairly and justly When they they will give
tie Government very little trouble"
How does the Army look upon the Indian question ~
" Under Lhe present system the Army Is very much
embarrassed IRON the fact that 10 Is required stand
alOOf have nothing whatever 10 with the mapaR.
officers undoubtedly better Informed about the mat
Ter than any other officials CT the country They know
tue character or the Indians their ways their mode OF
reasoning. and by long OF on the plains
they become acquainted with the different men III the
tribes, aud know wbO be tru ted and who ara |
treacerous Yet when an outbreak 0ccurs an Indian
agent mas something To accomplish, the Army Is called
upon 70 de- the disagreeahle work. eninre ali The
hardshIps OF campaign, engage I'm the /
most dangerous enterprises, ami then has 10 bear |
all the odum OF any transaction that may not
the Governments would but try the experiment OF letting
the War DeDar ment manage the Indians, think much
good would result. Let 10 turn of the widest
most warIike and most troublesome Indians the care
OF the Army and SEQ whether or not Improvement
would not 10 made good Illustration Of what might
De done u seen IN tae great success OF Captain Patt
After t5s 1874 picked out seventy 1--we OF the
greAeBb rODhefs muefers and cnthr0ats and he took
them o0wn 70 FOf1da They were the worst men In tne
Cheyenne, Kowa and COInanche tribes The change In
tn0re Indians las been marvellous; aud out of
tDAlI parity, nave grown tine Indian institutions |
AZ Hamptot Va, and Carlisle, Penn. which have been
Army pfierrs the indians have made progress |
tnan they move under other control during
tbe history Of tie country Let tho PeaeeaDle tribes
where they are and be uder tie oOutro OF the
Q .eau ue1e