National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-09-19
THE INDIAN AS HE Is.
Mr.. LeedoIn's Observations with the
Holman Junketing Committee.

Mr.. LeedOIn's Observations With the
Holman Junketing Committee.
Sergeant-at-Aims of the House Leedom
who was in charge Of the Holman Indian
committee, comes back to the city with
various novel views Of the Indian race.
Red Cloud he believes to he loafcr. and
constitutional dead beat, who is the only
one Of all the chiefs the committee has
visited that steadily refuses TO allow his
children to attend school and take on the
ways Of civilization. Red Cloud tells his
people that Us long as the Great Father
knows that they are unable to sup
port themselves, they will he
provided with ratons, hut If they
become self-suppOrting they will
receive no more help. When IL was sug
cstcd to him that his men should learn to-
farm he said "Our farmer their instructor
IN agricultufe) Is not Of the right kind.
lie comes here and wants us warriors to
work What we want is foi the Great
Father to send us white men To plant our
corn, hoe IL, reap II, and put In barns, which
they should build us. We are warriors, and
don't work; squaws work. Red Cloud
| seems to be the only chief who Is unprO-
| grcssyc, and wishes to be taken care Of"
Mr. LccdOm tells good story Of the
committees adventures with Red Clouds
tribe when they visited that tribe in pur-
suing their investigation. They had seated
Themselves about, surrounded by the red
| men, whose warlike CountenanCes did not
tend to make them feel easy They noticed
many Of the red men were heavily armed,
! and Red Cloud himself was inclined to be
mOrOse Gradually several members Of the
! committee began to feel sick, and retired ;
but Judge Holman, whose position Of chair
man would not allow Of his absence, could
q ~ sit still and count the bcatngs Of his
heart. Mr.. LcedCm himself bravely stood
the ordeal, but he said the presence of
| McCiillicuddy, Of whom Red Cloud and his
tribe are afraid, was the only thing that re.
assured him, and kept him from running
! away. The Conclave finally ended; and to
the great relief of the committee none OF
their sCalps were missing. The Indian
children are remarkably quick at their les
sons. In pcnmanship and arithmetic they
especially excel. At mental arithmetic
they are given orally long lines Of figures
and while all the committee who attended
the lesson were lost, after having added
several numbers, the little Indian boys
would give acorrcct total tOascore Of mum
bcrs without minutes hesitation. Thcii
writing, Mr.. LccdOm says, Is elegant, but
the study Of grammar is too much for them
and IN II they make but small progress
The committee has u number Of reforms IL
Indian government to recommend. Thl
general tenor Of them all will be to trca
the Indians like children aud govern then
accordingly; to teach them to farm aud earl
their own living, but In the meantime tC
care for them whenever they are unable t.
do so themselves.
"Thc Indians who have been under til,
control of the Catholics" said Mr.. Leedom
"nrc the furthcst advanced
Young-Man- Afraid-O f-llis-lIorses is TIL
most progressive Indian chief, and i'm
pressed the committee more favorably thai
any of the others. He sends his children 4
school, and has taken on the dress Of tn
white man.