New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-08

outrages are committed with impunity" Inc
author believes that the wild Indians are now
| thorough convinced of the utter futilty OF war
| fare against the United States Goverhmeh.
| and that their contests In future VIII
be 1.-THE acts of predatory parties Ior
which the Indians at large will not be respohsioic,
| or a deliberate determination of the bands ana
tribes TO die fighting rather than by the slow tor-
ture of starvation to which the Government con-
dennis them. Nearly all the large game Is gone
and thus, with possibility of providing FOOD 1or
| themselves with no chance of success III
war, and with no adequate assistance from Govern
ment, they thoroughly comprehend that their oniy
hope for the future is in work, they express H.
Gin the white mans road" They don't like II put
they WILL Colonel Dodge is assured, dig rather than
starvc There is but hope for Them he says 'ho
treaty systems and tribal relations must be proken
up. and the Indians individually aosorpeu Ill
the great family of American citizens preparatory
to this-necesSarily a gradual process-Ooonei
Dodge suggests this plan.
l. Turn the Indians over to the War Department.
.. Abolish the Indian Bureau as now consul
tued, with all the laws and parts of laws estauiIsn
ing 1t and controlling or directing us "Pei,'oIs.
Replace the Commissioner OF indian hnans' iho
superintendents inspectors. agents etc., py nc,
tailed army officers and let the Indians be supplied
10y and through the Quarternasters ana COMMITS
saly Departments OF the Army:
3. AbrOgate all existing treaties.
/. Abolish all trade and intercourse laws now IN
the statute book. Give the Indians the same rights
in trade as are enjoyed by citizens of the nited
states farms and liquors excepted until the Indians
shall have become citizens. -,
,. Enact laws for the control and guidance OF the
Indians until they have citizens come under inc
operation Of the common law.
g. Make commanding officers of military posts
in Indian territory on reservations OcO Super
intcndcnts of Indian Affairs and give them mggls-
terial authority over the Indians so long as they
live in unorganized territory.
!. Give the Indians farms in severaltY. mol, now
ever. requiring each TO live on his farm. but en-
contaging them to form permanent settlements ana
villages.
:. al the land of tie reservations not allotted TO
Indians to he bought of them by the Government
and thrown open TO settlement by whites
.. Give the Indian the lallot, and all the rights
and duties OF citizenship rs soon as the country I'D
which he resides shall have been organized into
county.
Gent f'od even to the exclusion If necessary oil
all other supplies.
The author is not in favor of the transfer OF the
Indian Bureau to the War Department. declaring
that bureau the means by and through which are
pcrpetrated most of the wrongs and ouraGes
inflicted on the savage, comparatively few men
" using its machinery to swndle, pauperize and de-
grade" him. Let us take into consideration. Col
one Dodge says, that the Indians savages; that
while abolishing tribal authority We substitute
nothing therefor leaving the Indians abso-
utey without any rule of life or
conduct: that they are now amenable to no
law, civil. military divine. except the law of
retaliation; that they are prisoners of war confined
against their will restricted areas that the CIV
zed world makes il not only the right but the duty
Of the prisoner Of war to escape if he CAM that Ill
treating them and wi Ii them only as tribes we ig-
more individual obligation, and by blaming all
alike we take away from the well-dlsposed all
incentive to good behavior; that we endeavOr
to Iepress the ardor and aspirations of naturally
ambitious race by keeping them penned up res
ervations, disarmed and with nothing to do, when
by giving them occupation might divert this
ambition into other and useful channels and last
and most important that keep them always
hungry sometimes the verge of starvation;
and il must be conceded that the Indian
behaves much better than we have any right TO ex-
pect Iii support of his statement that the actual
number of murders and Outrages committed by H.
dams on citizens is so small as would scarcely be
thought of if perpetrated by whites. Colonel
Dodge says that i'll the summer of 1867 white men
in Julesburg robbed and murdered more citizens
than all the Indians have robbed and murdered
during any one OF ten years past.
The chapters the camp-life of the Indians are
full of anecdOte and of fresh information. The
author displays throughout keen observation,
notable sense. and feeling for justice with
which the Army officer on the frontier is not
usually supposed by the sentmentalist to be en-
bowed.