Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-12-18
AFFAIRS.

NAV lOtNAI AT AtHSs
Extracts from the Annual Reports of tile
Heads of the Interior and Navy Depart-
Notwithstanding Lamar's Ideas for Bet
tcring the Condition of the Red Men.
INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE annual re-
port of the Secretary of the Interior re-
views. at great length, the relations of the
Indian tribes to the Government and the
settlers residing near their reservations.
The Indian outbreaks of the year
and the causes of them are con-
sidercd. The recommendation of the
Commissioner of indian Affairs that
the loss guilty of the rebeliious Chiricahuas
should lie transported to an island i'll the
Pacific Ocean, as a penal colony, to earn
their own living by fishing, stock-raising,
etc, or tent to the military prison al Fort
LcavelNorth, is iEdorsed. 1t is recon-
mendedI that the Southern Utcs be
located in Indian Territory, and that
the Flutes, of Oregon, be settled on home
steals md given farm implements and
Other assistance. The subject Of the leaS-
ingof land by Indians 10 cattle companies
is t,ken up, and the Secretary says he is
convinced that in the making of these
lc;ses the assistance rendered by the Indian
agents was directed more for the interests
o the cattlcMen t!lal l0r the Indians under
heir care and supervision.
After speaking of the encroachments of
railroads on Indian rights, the Secretary
Isays:
Ii is evident that the Indian race has
reached Il crisis in its history. The Indians
Gun no longer exist in this country in Il
savage or se,ni-etviiized state, nor can
march OF civilization. 1t llns already
surrounded them, Movements of population
eastward and nOrthwiri and southwark have
gone on with unprecedented rnpidity. until
every reservation is closed in and pressed
upon by, colonies, settlers, miners, ranch
ing. the Indian to more distant rescr-
vations can be continued no longer.
lie must make his final stand for exist
himself to the necessities of these new condt-
lions and partakc Of this all pervading c!vili-
cation his extinction will be sure and swift.
The need of a permanent scheme of Indian
management to meet this emergency is press
ing upon the Government with impcrious
The report declares that the Indian race is
no longer II source of danger to the peace of
the Republic; neither is itany longer an obsta-
nSe to N If s o e en inr as OR 3hs m in,sraste ae oi o,Tr
WI people are concerned, apart from the
needs Of the Indian population, the Indian
bly, withdrawing ali liIs'tGi overnmentai SUI SUI
pervision over these people and confer
ring unon them the rights of Ameri-
| Cull citlEClISillp. hllC' Incorporating llltO our
body polite 1000. 900 of blacks in II state OF
slavery and investing them with citizenship
aud suffrage we need not strain ut the gnat
Of 100000 Indians. Such q course, however,
would be more cruel and destructive to the
Indian, i'll the helpless condition to which the
extension Of settlements will soon reduce him,
than q war Of determination.
l that a portion of every
reservation be divided up into separate tracts
of suitable size for farms, to be allotted to
each individual as his sole and separate es.
tate. Provision should be made against the
power mntil after Il time limited) OF selling or
mortgnginE the same, or even leasing it to
reservation. Without legislation of this
kind all efforts to make the Indian support
and unavailing. 10 overcome his natural
aversion to labor there must be the incentive
given alone by a sure guaranty that the fruits
or his labor shall be enjoyed i'll security. No
man will clear forests, inclosc fields and
cultivate them, and rear houses and barns,
when at any moment he may be removed
some distant and unknown region. The
ownership OF land, frceholding, tends to in
spire individual Independence, pride of char.
mont of the domestic virtues. Provision
should be made that the Indian accepting Il
patent for his lnnd shall not thereby forfeit
ans OF his rights US Il member of his tribe,
nor the protection and benefit which the laws
of the United States extend to the Indians
\ generally.
The Secretary recommends the appoint
AbSiiV VI d COlHIIioSIOl VI llut more lllall SIX
men of integrity, intelligence and expert
ence. and of such ability as to be able to
comprehend the course of treatment and
methods of management best adapted to in
sure the specdiest progress of the respective
tribes and bands, to visit each of the reser-
vatlons, and investigate and report the con-
dition, peculiar circumstance and needs of
the Indians residing thereon. The condition
of the Indian schools is gratifying. The
story Of the Oklahoma invasions is retold,
and it is stated that these unlawful move
ments nave rendered it unwise at present to
open negotiations with the Indians owning
the title to these lands for the purpose of
opening them to settlement.
Three million nine hundred and twelve
thousand four hundred and fifty acres Of
public land have been sold for cash: 16t-
POI, 2l3 acres have been absorbed by public
entry, and ISL $50 acres OF Indian lands
have been disposed OF, making a grand total
of 20, 995, 5l3. The total receipts from
these lands were SS,6 sos. The total
area of surveyed lands up to the 3Olh of
June, 1885, is 900, 6 9,347.5 so acres. That
unscrVeyed is estimated at Si5, $50, 800. so
acres.
The establishment of q court in the yell
lowstone National Park with exclusive ju-
risdiction over al! misaemeanors, and with
l lp"S1 w liz tlilN \ lUlu ~ DNll Ill iNI
cases of %fclonies, to be tried in the nearest
court having criminal jurisdiction, is rec
commended. The expenses OF the Park for
next year are estimated at $3.50, 600.
TIE NAVY.
WASHINGTON, Dec. IA. summar of
the principal points Of interest in the report
of Mr.. Whitney, Secretary Of the Navy, is
given below:
The property of the navy-yards, valued at
about S5o, 0J0,0uN. is reported rs falling rapidly
into q condition of extreme decay, and it is
ommend that improvements;he made at
once unless it he the desire OF Congress to
abandon the property to waste and ruin. The
Secretary reports that excellent progress is
being made in the manufacture of steel guns
tor the new ships and says that five six-inch
ana two fve-inch brcech-ioadiny higiI-power
steel guns have been completed and ~satisluc-
torily tested.
The deposits from the sale OF Government
property under the control of the Navy De-
partmcnt from November /, 1851, to Noyem-
Der !, 1850, amounted to S2n;3 040.
The squadrons are reported as follows:
North acknowledgements fiagship). Brook
Is 4, Galcna, Swu,ara, Alliance and Yantic.
South .Atlantic-Lancnster Ulagship) and Nip
Marion, ossipee. A a!IaSs"'p'' Mo 1"a"a:
ship. shenandoah. Mohican, Iroquois,
Adams and Ptnta. N latter YES.
sci is occupied exclusively in cruising in
a lnCkl = IA rr fAlt ~,- L.. 4 AZ.