Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-12-26
The Indian Problem.
B. Mcclellan in IA per's Magazine,

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Geo. B. Mcclellan in q = pers Mags zine.
With respect 70 the ever-burning n
dian question-so often finally settled
only to break out again almost with the
regularity of machinery-it might suf.
flee to bid my readers consult the daily
papers, which, as / write, are flied with
the sickenirg details of the horrors COM
mitted by Geronimo and his Apaches.
and Of the terror and apprehension felt
upon the borders in consequence OF the
threatening and uneasy attitude of the
Cheyennes, the Arrapahoes, and other
tribes.
Until the entire control of Indian af-
fairs is vested in the army, with sufficient
means to enforce it's decisions; until the
younger Indians are imbued with new
habits, desires, and ambitions, and the
elders disarmed, and, where necessary,
overawed by the display of overwhelm-
ing force; until the tribal organizations
are broken up, and the Idians brought
under the operation of the same laws as
the white man, alike for his punishment
and pTote ction, until the fTOntiersman
can regard the Indian as fellow citizen
or at least as human being, instead of
murderous savage more taken to a
wild beast than to a Dlan-it is idle to eX-
pect a cessation of these outbreaks SO
constantly recurring throughout the vast
territory dotted by their reservatic ms.
Whether the cowboy, the trader, the
miner, or the Indian be at fault, so long
as the present conditions endure there
must be q repetition of outbreaks or of
tho of I hon,
Those who are protected from all pos
can not realize the horrors resulting
from the raid Of few Indians,
the immense d fficulty of experimenting
them, and the moral sufferings and ma
teriai losses resulting from the mere ap-
prehension of an Indian outbreak even
on small scale.
Among the widely scattered and de-
fenseless settlements party of less than
a score of Indians can with impunity
create immense devastation, ard the
mere possibility of such thing vastly
impedes the material development of the
country.
So long as the possibility exists it ia
the duty Of the general government to
provide fully against it at any cost. The
great diff Guilty under which our army
has always labored is that it mas been
required to perform Onerous and most
dangerous work with an entirely ineuffic-
lent force. 1t has always done its best
to compensate for Its paucity of numbers
by audacity and CELEBRITY; but there is a
limit to the possible, which our army has
too often been called upon to exceed.
1t is sale to say that our losses in In
dian wars have Deen far more than
qEadrupled by the necessity of attempt
ing the impossible, and too much praise
can never be given to the brave men who
have unflinchingly made the endeavor,
with no other Indictment than their in
nate heroism and a pride in their pro-
fession.
Apart from the fact that it is cruel and
unjust to put brave men to ouch test
even the paltry consider
alton OF economy demands a different
system, for it is unquestionable that the
slight increase of expen-
diture caused by increasing the force of
the present establishment by the addi- |
ton Of 10000 privates to the existing
regiments Of cavalry and infantry would |
be far more than met by the diminished |
cost Transportation and the increased |
of the country resulting from
the secure and rapid development of the |
of the immense region affected
by the Indian question. When, with
such an increased force, the excellent |
policy of concentrating the army at
small number of large posts-so justly |
by the Lieutenant. General |
be fully carried. out,
discipline and efficiency will be very
much improved, and all outbreaks will
be nipped in the bud, or, to speak more
the Indians will recognize
the folly of attem ptipg them.
| do not think it possible to insist too
strongly upon the necessity of placing
she management of Indian affairs under
The War Department, and in the imme-
1iate hands OF army officers, who should
,Ct as Indian agents.
With such suspicious creatures as the
Indians it is absolutely necessary that
here should be unity of management
and control and no shadow of doubt in
heir minds as to the prompt and entire
fulfillment alike on promises and threats.
The establishment of schools for In
Han children is very important step
n the right direction, and their effect is
excellent, SO far as they 60; but from
be imperfect knowledge in my posses.
sion it seems to me that they should be
on larger scale, and that
ihus far mistake has been made in at
empting to spread their advantages
over too many tribes at the same time
If small number of educated young
[ndians-half dozen or so-are
,ent back to their tribe, they are too
ew to stand alone and keep each other in
and are apt to be lost in
he mass of the tribe without producing
much, if any, influence upon them; while
f, instead of taking half a dozen from
zach ofseveral tribes, as many as hun
lred are taken from one tribe, they
would upon their return strengthen
Zach other, and accomplish good results
With the others.