The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-27
THE INDIAN PROBLEM.
The Opinion of the Late Military Command
er on p National Question.


er on a National Question.
Gen. Geo. b. Mcclellan. in January Harper.
With respect to the ever-burning Indian ques-
tion-so often finally settled" only to break out
again almost with the regularity Of machinery
1t might suffice to bid my readers consult the
daily papers, which, as l write, are filled with
the sickening details of the horrors committed
by Geronimo and his Apaches. and Of the terror
and apprehension felt upon the borders in conse-
quence of the threatening and uneasy attitude
OF the Cheyennes. the Arapahoes and other
tribes.
Until the entirs control Of Indian affairs is
vested In the army, with sufficient means TO en-
force its decisions; until the younger Indians are
lmbued with new habits, desires and ambitions,
and the elder disariped. and. where necessary,
overawed by the display of overwhelming force;
until the tribal organizations are broken up. and
the Indians brought under the operation of the
same laws as the white man. alike for his punish
ment and protection; until the frontiersmsn can
regard the Indian as a fe.low-citizen. or at least
as a human being, instead of a murderous saw
age more akin to a wild beast than to a man-it
IS idle TO expect a cessation of these outbreaks so
constantly recurring throughout the vast terri
tory dotted by their reservations.
Whether the cowboy, the trader, the miner or
the Indian be as fault, so long as the present
conditions endure there must be a repetition of
outbreaks Or of the apprehension OF them.
Those who are protected from all possible
danger by au iusuperable barrier cannot realize
eAC NiAOAo 49, AiOAl SHO Itl0 vi Al ION
Indians, the immense difficulty Of experimenting
them, and tho moral sufferings and material
losses resulting from the mere apprehension of
an indian outbreak even on a small scale.
Among the widely and defenseless
settlements a party of less than a score of In
dians can with impunity create immense devas-
tatlon, and the mere possibility of such a thing
vastly impedes the material development of the
country.
So long as this possibility exists it is the duty
of the general government to provide fully
against it at any cost. The great difficulty under
which our army has always labored is that it
has been required to perform onerous and most
dangerous work with an entirely insufficient
force. 1t has always done its best to compen-
safe 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 safe to say that our losses in Indian wars
have been far more than quadrupled by the
necessity Of attempting the impossible, and too
much praise can never be given to the brave
mon who have unflinchingly made the endeavor,
with no other incitement. than their innate
heroism and a pride in their profession.
Apart from the fact that it is cruel and unjust
to put brave men to such a test unnecessarily,
even the paltry consideration of economy de-
mands a different system, for it is unquAstion-
able that the comparatively slight increase Of
expenditure caused by increasing the force Of
the present establishment by the addition of
10, 600 privates to the existing regiments of
cavalry and infantry would be far more than
met by the diminished cost of transportation
and the increased prosperity of the country re-
sulting from the secure and rapid develop
ment OF the resources of the immense re-
gion affected by the Indian question. When,
with such an increased force, the excellent pol
icy of concentrating the army at a small num-
Der OF large posts-So justly approved by the
acknowledgement commanding-can be fully
carried out. discipline and efficiency will be
very much improved, and all outbreaks will be-
nlpned in the bud, or, to speak more accurately,
the Indians will recognize the folly of attempt
ing them.
do not think 1t possible to insist too strongly
upon the necessity Of placing the management
OF Indian affairs under the War Department.,
and IN the immediate hands Of army officers,
who should act as Indian agents.
With such suspicious creatures as the Indiansit
is absolutely necessary that there should be
unity of management and control. and no shadow
of doubt in their minds as to the prompt and en-
tire fulfllment alike of promises and threats.
The establishment OF schools for Indian chill
dren is a very important step in the right dlrec-
ton, and their effect is excellent, go far as they
go: but from the imperfect knowledge in my pos
session it seems to be me that they should be es-
tablished on u larger scale, and that thus
far q mistake has been made in attempt
ing to spread their advantages over too
many tribes at the same time. If a small num-
Der of educated young Indiaus-half a dozen or
so-are sent hack to their tribe, they are too few
to stand alone and keep each other in countc-
nance, and are apt TO be lost in the mass of the
tribe without producing much, if any, influence
upon them, while if, instead of taking half a
dozen from each of several tribes, as many as a
hundred are taken from one tribe, they would,
upon their return, strengthen each other, and
accomplish good results with the others.
Gov. IEOadlv'S Financial Condition