The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-12-16

4 mept. il is but recently that any eff
1 fort has been made for it's solution At
once serious, determined. consistent
1 and promising success. It has been
easier to resort to convenient make
shifts for tiding over temporary difh-
culties than to grapple with them for
the great permanent problem, and ac-
cordingiy the easier course has almost
ural at time when National terri.
tory seemed almost illimitable and
contained many millions of acres fa-.
outside the bounds OF civilized set
Elements, that a policy should have
been initiated " hich moro than aught
else has been the fruitful source Of
our Indian complications. I refer, Of
various Indian tribes as separate ma
lions; of regulating them by
treaty stipulations; the occupan-
cy of immense reservations in
the West, and of encouraging
them to live a savage life undisturbed
by any earnest and well-dirccted
efforts to bring them under the influ-
ences of civilization. The unsatisfac-
tory results which have sprung from
all. AS the white settlements have
crowded the borders of the reserva-
tons the Indians sometimes content
eddy and sometimes against their will
have been transferred to other hunt
ing grounds, from which they have
again been dislodged whenever their
found homes have been desired
by adventurous settlers. These re-
movals and the frontier collisions by
which they have often been preceded
have led to frequent and disastrous
conflicts between the races. 1t is not
profitable to discuss here which of
them has been chiefly responsible for
the disturbances whose recital occu-
pies so large space upon the pages
of our history. We have to deal with
the appalling fact that though thou
and hundreds of millions Of dollars
expended in the attempt to
solve the Indian problem, 1t
has until within the past few
years seemed scarcely nearer. a solu-
ton than it was half a century ago.
But the Government has now been
cautiously but steadily feeling j to way,
to the adoption Of policy which has
already promised gratifying results,
and W hich, in my j1d gment, is likely.
if Congress and the Executive accord
In its support, TO relieve us from diff
culties which have hitherto been met.
For the success OF the efforts now
making to introduce among the In
dams The ustoms and pursuits of the
civilized, and gradually to absorb
them into the mass of our citizens,
sharing their rights and responsibili-
ties, there ia imperative need for leg
islativc action. My suggestions in
that regard will be chiefly such as
have been already called to the atten-
ton of Congress, and have received,
TO some extent. it's consideration 1st.
I recommend the passage of an Act
making the laws of various States
aud Territ cries applicable to the In
| dian reservations within their bor-
ders, and extending the laws of the
State of Arkansas to the portion of
the Indian Territory occupied by the
five civilized tribes. The Indian
should receive the protection of law !;
! he should be allowed to maintain in
Court his rights of person and prop
erty; he has repeatedly begged for
this privilege; its effects would be
very valuable to him IN his progress
toward civilization. Second: OF
even greater Importance is q measure
which has been frequently recon-
mendcd by my predecessors in Office,
and in furtherance Of which several
bills have been from time to time i'm
troduced in both houses of Congress
the enactment of general law per-
hitting allotment in severalty to
such Indians at least as desire it, of q
reasonable quantity of land secu, ed
to them by patent, and for their own
protection made lnalienable for 20 or
Is years, is demanded for their pres
ent welfare aud their permanent adj
vancement. In return for such con-
siderate action on the part of
the Government, there is reason to
believe that tho Indians, in large
numbers, would be persuaded to
sever their tribal relations, and to en-
gage at once III agricultural pursuits.
Many of them realize the fact that
| their hunting days are over, aud that
it is now for their best interests to
conform their manner of life to tho
new order of things. by no greater
inducemcnt than the assurance of
| permanent title to the soil can they
be led to engage in the occupation of
tilling it. The well-attended reports
of their increasing interest in hus-
| bandry justify the hope and belief
that tho enactment OF such statute
as recommend would be ut once at
| tended with gratifying results. A re-
sort to the allotment system would
have direct and powerful influence
i'll lisselviug tribal bonds which is so
| prominent u feature of savage life and
which tends so strongly to perpetuate
it. Third: 1 advise liberal appro-