The weekly Arizona miner., 1884-05-23
THE NAyAJoEs.
IN wARLIKE MOOD, WHICH Is FesiERED
 BY MORMON ENnsSARIEs.


 whose recent resignation of the Navajo Indian Agency, on account of the failure ot the Indian Department at Washington to execute the promises made by the Govern ment to that tribe, was the means of occa sioning widespread comment in the col umns of the public press. Personally, the Major is so well-knowh in Prescott as to require no introduction to our readers, and when asked to be interviewed in regard to Navajo matters, past, present and pros pective, for the public benefit, the Major, with that spirit of accommodation for which he is noted, readily consented, and the following is published as the result of the reporters efforts:
 ''Mr. Riordan, what is the present state of feeling among your recent wards-the Navajoes-toward the white settlers in the neighborhood of their reservationp'
 ssAt present there exists that feeling of race prejudices always prevailing where the intrests of the Indian and white man clashes, and among the greater portion of the Navajo nation this has been greatly intensified by the disregard which the General Government has eK hibited in observing the promises made by it to these people. Especially IS this the case in regard to the permanent establish
 ment of the boundary lines of their reserva tion A survey has been asked for and re- peatedly promised, but further than that nothing has been ever done in the premises, and in the meantime the steady encroach- ment of settlers on lands which the Indian: have been taught to consider their own
 has created among the tribe the impression
 that they have no rights which white mar | is bound to respect. This impression hal been fostered and nurtured by the many Mormon emissaries constantly proselytins among them until there are many who firm ly believe that on the Mormons alone they
 must rely for assistance tO secure theil
 rights.
 'In what manner are they lead to be IIieve they will be assisted by the MormonsF
 ssBy force of arms. It is no uncommon
 thing to be told by the leading men amoni
 them, when any controversy with settler
 arises, that the time will soon com
 when they together with the Ute
 and Mormons will drive all settler
 out of the country. Whenever the Indian
 become involved in trouble with the white
 they invariably apply to members of tn church of Latter Day Saints for guidanc
 and advice, and always receive il"
 Would not the wealth which the trib has accommodated in the last few years b
 sufficient to keep them from participating l an outbreak. one of the consequences C which would be the loss of all they posses if they were defeatedF
 | "Yes, to a certain extent. However, tn
 amount of property possessed by thems ] greatly overestimated. Aside from thel
 trade in blankets which nets them abou SIG. 900 a year and their wool clip whic amounts III value to about S70, 900 pc ] annum-these are high estimates, the only wealth is in their sheep and horses. c the first they have about million head, ( the latter they have in the neighbOrhood o
 40, 600 head-of an average value of abou Sl5 each,-making thelr total nation' wealth at the highest possible estimate nc I over S4, ,OO0, ,OO0 This property IS, as anon other people, held by the few, while tn
 majority of the 1000 members of til
 tribe have little or nothing; and 1t IS frol this nothing-to-lOse- and d-everythln-to-g gal . element that trouble may sooner or lat' he expected unless the Government adop A more just policy in dealing with tue trib 1 Let the turbulent factor precipitate an out break, and general warfare will be u result. If the peaceably disposed pc | tion of the tribe are not coerced into Joir ling the conflict at the outset, they will lleast give aid and shelter to those who al | in active revolt, and should the Cover
 ment attempt to force them into giving | their guilty brethren they will not hesita T to array shemselves with the hostiles f is now some fifteen years since the tril
 returned to their present reservation fro , Bosaue RedondO, in. Texas, and Ill tn time new generation has sprung up VI - never measured arms with our GoVernmen e and this class cannot be made to belle f that an outbreak means certain defeat al |. loss of property, while there are n . lacking ambitious spirits who elOquently d Il pict the spells and glory which may
 won in warfare"
 "In case of an outbreak, how many VI o armed warriors could the tribe put into tl 2 feldP' Il "About 1000, easily. Each of who IS would be ari1ed fully as well as U. o troops. and this together with the advanta -lof superior knowledge of the count a would make such an outbreak one Of t \ - most formidable recorded in the annals i' Indian warfare. Before troops could l. mobilized in sufficient numbers to material
 retard their ravages, they could knder t 10 direction of skillful leader destroy neal
 every town along the line of the Atlantic
 Pacific, and by tearing up that road a ., cutting telegraph wires 80 impede | d movements of troops as to prolong the " B for several months"
 al CHIEF JUSTICE HOWARD.