The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-12-10


not seem to be within the alleged evil against
which that legislation was AIMED from sparce.
ness of population and other circumstances.
1t IS often quite impractlcable to summon
posse In place where officers of justice re-
Qulre assistance and where military force Is
within easy reach.
The report of the secretary of the INTERIOR
with accompanying documents, presents an
elaborate account OF the business OF that de
partment A summary of Itwould be too eX'
tended for this place | ask your careful at
tention to the report itself. Prominent among
the matters which challenge the attention OIL
congress at its present session is the manage
ment of our Indian affairs. While this qucs-
ton has been cause Of trouble aSd embar
rassment from the infancy OF the government,
1t is but recently that any effort has been maze
for its solution at once serious, Determined,
consistent and promising success. 1t has Teen
easier to resort To convenient makeshiits Tor
tlding over the temporary difficulties, than to
grapple with the great permanent problem
and accordingly the easier course has Almost
invariably been pursued. 1t was natural al a
time when the national territory seemed al
most illimitable and contained many millions
of acres FAR south of the bounds of civilized
settlement that policy should have been inl-
tiated which more than aught else has been
the fruitful source of our Indian compiled.
tons | refer, of course, to the policy OF deal
| ing with the various Indian tribes as separate
natlonaltles. of regulating them by treaty
stipulatlOns to the occupancy OF immense res.
ervations in the west and OF encouraging
them to live undisturbed, by earnest and we'll
directed efforts, and to bring them under the
influences of civilization. The unsatisfactory
results which have sprung from this policy
| hoe IN al =
! settlements have crowded the borders OF the
reservations, the Indians, sometimes content.
edly and sometimes against their will, have,
been transferred 10 other hunting grounds,
from which they have been again dislodged
whenever the ncw.found homes have been de-
sired by adventurous settlers. These removals,
and the frontier collisions by which they
have often been preceded, have led to frequent
and disastrous conflicts between the races. 1t
! is proftless 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, it had until the past
few years seemed scarcely nearer solution
| than it was half a century ago. But the gov
| ernment has of late been cautiously but steadi-
! ly feeling its way to the adoption OF policy
which has already produced gratifying results,
and which, in my judgment, Is likely, II con
gress and the executive accord in its support,
to relieve US 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 holding to their re-
sponsibilites, there is imperative need for leg
islative action. My suggestions In that re-
spect will be chiefly such rs have been already
| called to the attention of congress, and bave
received, to some extent, its consideration.
FIRST, recommend the passage of an act max
ing the laws of the various states and territor'
les applicable to the Indian resers ations with.
| in their borders, and extending the laws OF
the state of Arkansas to the portion OF Indian
Territory not occupied by the flve clvllized
tribes The Indian should receive the pre-
lection of the law He should be allowed to
maintain IN courts his rights OF person ana
property. He has repeatedly begged for this
privilege Its exercise would be very vaua
| BILE to him in his progress toward civilization.
| Second, of even greater importance IS meas
ure which has been frequently recommended
| by nv predecessors In Office, and ID further
ance of which several bills have been from
time to time introduced in both houses of
congress. The enactment OF general law
permitting the allotment in severalty, to such
| Indians ct least as deserve II, of a reasonable
quantity OF land, secured to them by patent
and for their own protection made inallenable
for twenty or twenty five years, IS demanded
tor their present welfare and their permanent
advancement. In return tor such considerate
action on the part of the government there is
reason to believe that the Indians in large
I plumbers would be persuaded to sever their
tribal relations and to engage at once In agrl
cultural pursuits, and that it is now for their
best interests to conform their manner of life
to the new order of things BY no greater in
ducement than the insurance of permanent
title to the soil can they be led to engage In
the occupation OF filling 1t. The Well.attested
reports of their increasing interest in husban-
dry Justify tho hope and belief that the enact
ment of such statute AZ | recommend would
! be ut once attended with gratifying results. A
resort to the allotment system would have di.
reCt and powerful influence in dlssolvlng the
tribal bond which is a prominent feature OF
savage lite and which tends SO strongly to per
petuate ii there.
| Iadvise liberal appropriation for the sup.
port of Indian schools, because of my conf.
dent belief that such q course is consistent
with the wisest economy even among the most
uncultured Indian tribes. There is reported
to be general and urgent desire on the part
Of the chiefs and other members tor the educa
ton of their children. II is unfortunate, IN
view of this tact, that during the past year the
means which have been ut the command Of
the interior department, for the purpose of In.
dian instruction, have proved to he utterly in.
adequate. The success Of the schools which
are IN operation At Hampton, Carlisle and For.
est Grove, should not only encourage mere
generous provision for the support OF these
institutions, hut should prompt the establish
ment OF others of similar CHARACTER. They
are doubtless more potent Tor good than the
day schools upon the re-eIvatIons, rs the pu.
pills are altogether separated from the sur.
rnundngs OF savage life and brought Into con.
tact with civilization. There are many other