Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-07-09
Aaucaster fntelligellcer.
MONDAY EVENING, JULY 9. 1888
The Indians and the Army.

The Indians and the Army.
It has long been a debated question
whether the Indians should be put IN
der the administration of the interior
or the war department. They are now
the care of the former, and the little sue
cess which has rewarded its treatment
of them warrants the movement towards
a change which seems to have been inau-
gurated by the decision of the president
that the Apaches, captured by General
Crook, shall be put under the charge OF
the war department. General Crook
seems to have made himself responsible
to these Indians that they should be
properly taken care of upon the San
Carlos reservation to which they were
willing to be removed and it was upon
the faith of his assurance to them, that
his success in treating with them was
probably due. The frequent violation
of the faith pledged by the government
to the Indians, has been the great cause
of our troubles with them; and it is
altogether likely that General Crook
demanded, as the reward for his success 8
in subduing the Apaches, that he shoald
be given the power Of seeing to it that
his stipulations with them are strictly
complied with. The interior department
is still permitted to manage the San
Carlos agency, but the army will man
age the Indians. This has been sup
posed to be the function of the agency a;
but the San Carlos agent will hereafter
be seemingly but the government store
keeper.
There is every reason to feel entire con-
fidence that General Crook is the right
man to manage the Indians, and that
while his control over the Apaches is
undisturbed their peacefulness will con-
tinue. The Indian is strongly controlled
by personal character and General
Crook is shown to possess the character
istics which lit him to obtain and main
tain their allegiance. The Apackes
whom he has subdued, are the most war
like of all the Indians, and il peace can
be maintained with them it will be dem
onstrated that Indian outbreaks are
always avoidable if they are properly
treated. 1t would he very gOoj
thing if General Crook should be
put in entire charge of the Indians, a:
Indian commissioner, with that depart
ment made an independent one, equally
free from the control of the war 0l
Indian departments. If General CrOol
should be given the entire supervision o
the Indians, with power to select agents
of most suitable character for the deli
cate and responsible fuctions they ar
called on to perform, the Indian problem
would he one no longer In every de.
partment of the government the fitness
of its head for the place is the guarantc,
that it will be well administered. Th'
lack of such entire fitness in the head o
the Indian department is especially seri
Gus and damaging, because the lndian
are now our only foes. But for them Til
Amy would have no work to do. Near
Iy the whole of the army is now employ
ed in protecting the territories from tn
possible outbreaks of the Indians. Tn
only active service the soldiers see il il
Indian campaigns. IL may he that Sucl
campaigns are useful in giving EN-
pIoyment to :ln army that the countr.
thinks it has to keep up, for cases o
emergency, and which would rot i!
idleness if the turbulent Indians wer
not at hand 10 keep it stirred up. !
may he, too, that it is with this view
that the government agents give TIN
Indians SO much cause for re
belliOn, but it is more probable
that greed for the Indians land
and for the profit that is found in cheat
ing them prompt the frauds and aggres
sion that constantly keep the Indians il
4 hostile state of mind, and that are s.
discreditable to the nation. 1t seem
impossible to stop them. The reserva
tions that are solemnly pledged to then
are reservations only SO long as the white
man does not ctvet them. Then the,
90. First the Indian is cajOled ant
uLDpoothS vi stht
that does not do he is aggravated int,
fighting for them, and then kicked out
Only now the surrender of L reservation
in Washington territory 10y Chief Mose
is announced Moses is tricky Indian
who is not the chief of Il tribe and wh'
has no authority from the Indians t'
deal with the government for them
He is shrewd and willy fellow whom
the government has picked up as a suit
able tool and whom it recognizes as /;
chief. He has made deal with it which
he thinks is sufficiently seductive to the
Indians to secure their acquiescence il
it. Each one gets 4 wagon and set o
farming implements, and in Consdera
tion therefor is to get off the land h,
possesses, which is found to be of minera
wealth, and get on to another reser
walton bare of minerals and tot
cold and mountainous for agricul
ture; and which, therefore, th'
white man has no present use for
Let us put General Crook in charge OF
the Indians, in the warranted faith tba
he understands how to treat them ant
will refuse to be treacherOus with them
Then in a few years we will have as
little need for an army rs We seem t.,
have for a navy, and we can turn oul
West Point graduates out to Craze in
private pastures, with our blessing and /;
years salary, rs we are now turning of