The true northerner., 1885-11-19
THE INDIAN PROBLEM.
Friends of the Untutored Savage Lay
His Grievances Before the
Great Father.
The President and Secretary Lamar
Outline the Indian Policy Of
the Administration.


the President and the Secretary Of the In
terror were very much pleased by their recep-
ton by both functionaries, though neither
unreservedly assented to all that the COM
mittee asked. and the Secretary differed
radically from the committee in certain i'm
portant particulars. Gen. Clinton b. Fisk
headed the delegation, and presented the
members to the President. Hon. Erastus
Brooks, of New York, read an address en-
bodying the views of the conference as to
the best methods of improving the condi-
ton Of the Indians. He reminded the Pres
ident of his remarks on this subject in his in
augural, in which he said the Indians should
be fairly and honestly treated as wards
of the Government, and their education
and civilization promoted with view to
their ultimate citizenship" He also re-
called the words of Mrs. Helen Hunt jack
son in her death bed letter to the President,
to wit: II am dying happier for the belief
that it is your hand that is destined to strike
the first steady blow toward righting the
wrongs of the Indian race" The questions,
Mr.. Brooks said which seemed to them to-
demand most immediate attention are those
relating to land and education, homes and
families.
What is now needed in regard to lands,
he said, is severalty and individuality,
with the protection of law for per-
sons and families. This would result in
settlements, in homes, and in land cultiva-
ton, and in that way make the Indian a
self-supporting citizen, endowed with all
the rights, privileges and duties of citizen
ship. The proof of the ability of the In
dian to work proftably for himself and for
the Government is found, said he, in the
fac hot xrbn hn OH
now have under cultivation more than $780,
600 acres of land, upon which in year was
raised l 200, 900 bushels of corn, 100000
bushels of wheat, and nearly 100000
bushels of oats and barley, besides 103, 900
head of cattle, 1,000,000 sheep, 235,00
horses and mules, and GS, 900 swine. These
figures, he said, do not include the products
of 10000 civilized Indians, ready for Ter
ritorial government.
The speaker dwelt eloquently upon the
evil effects of the lack of laws to protect the
Indians, and said they needed just what the
white man has-the force of law in their
behalf and the freedom of the ballot. To
secure these ends, il was urged that the tri-
bal relations and reservations be abolished,
and the diffusion as speedily as possible of
the Indian in the United States encouraged,
so that he may secure, by association with
his white brethren, pure civilization and
full citizenship.
Remarks were also made by Rev. LYMAN
Abbott, Mr.. NJ. L. Gates and Gen. Fisk,
each of whom advocated the abolition Of
the present system of Indian reservations,
and favored the adoption of policy in re-
gard to them similar to that so successfully
employed in the case of the colored popula-
ton.
The President listened attentively to the
speakers, and assured them of his deep in
terest in the Indian question. He reviewed
briefly the many difficulties encountered in
dealing with the question, which he ac-
knowledged was very important one, and
said the great trouble to his mind was as to
the first practical steps to be taken in i'm
proving the condition of the Indian. Shall
we give them more schools and churches,
and agricultural implements for use on their
reservations, or shall we deed them lands in
severalty and leave them to their own re-
source? One trouble he found was to get rid
of the influences of the old chiefs. Then,
again, if We leave them to themselves, and
one gets hungry, loud cry goes up that
they are starving. How are we to get the
Indians to mingle with the whites? We cer-
tainly cannot drive them off their reserva-
tions. Is it better to keep them under
tutelage where they are, or could their civ
ilization be better accomplished in some
other way? "The question is surrounded
with difficulties" continued the President,
"and the most important consideration to
my mind mt present is, What is the most
useful thing to be done?" He said that
while it might not be we'll for the cause to
disturb the Indians in their present homes,
he said that their reservations would ulti-
mately be given to them in severalty, and
the Indians thrown on their resources.
The President reminded the committee
that the cause which they advocated would
require years TO consummate, but intimated
that he hoped to be able TO make a begin
ming in the right direction during the re-
manning years of his administration.
The committee after leaving the White
House proceeded to the Interior Depart
ment, where they had long interview with
Secretary Lamar, and through their chair
man presented him a written statement Of
the view of the conference. In reply to
brief address by General Fisk, Secretary
Lamar said he would, in his forthcoming
annual report, acknowledge his obligation
to the philanthropic and benevolent asso-
Citations and individuals in the work he had
to carry on. The ultimate object was the
civilization of the Indian. A crisis had
been reached in the history of that race
that must be met by some methods differ
ent from those heretofore pursued. His
own knowledge OF the Indians wants was
as yet too limited to permit him to formu-
late general policy adapted to the present
and the exigencies of the future. The
process must be one of improving
the Indian out of his present condi-
ton into civilization, and it would be q
gradual process. The first point should be
to secure their reservations to them (either
as now located or compressed into smaller
space) in fee simple so that their title shall
be inviolable. At the same time he did not
advocate the division Of the entire reserva-
ton among the Indians, and believed the
abandonment of the reservation system at
this time would be premature. 1t was the
end to be sought, but the first step would
be, after bringing the Indians, with their
consent, into limits proportionate with their
numbers, TO protect them from the destruct-
i've influences of the stronger civilization
surrounding them. Whites should be rig
orously excluded, and when the reserva-
tons had been partially subdivided con-
siderable portion ought TO be left undivided
and undistributed. In the transition
state the tribal system must be adhered to.
II was the normal condition of the race,
and to take the Indian out of it would be