The Portland daily press., 1889-12-04
PROSPERITY
CONTINUED FROM THE FIRST PAGE.l

that she is first class vessel OF ner rate.
The report of the Secretary shows that while
the effective force of the new navy is rapidly
increasing by reason of the improved build
and ornament of the war ships the number
of our ships fit for sea duty grows very slow
ly. We had ON the fourth of March last 81
serviceable ships, and though four have since
been added to the list, the total has not been
Increased because in the meantime have
been lost or condemned. 26 additional vessels
have been authorized and appropriation for
them made but it is probable that when they
are completed our list will only be increased
to AZ, gain of five. The old wooden ships
are disappearing almost as fast as the new
vessels are added. The facts carry their own
argument. One of the new ships may in
fighting strength be equal to two of the old,
is important therefore that we should have
more rapid Increase in the number of service
able ships. concur in the recommendation
of the secretary that the construction of eight
arm0red ships, three gunboats and Ave tor
pedo boats be authorized.
An APPALLING calamity befell three of our
naval vessels on duty at the Samoan Islands
IN the harDor Of Apia in March last, invol-
wing the IS of four officers and forty-seven
seamee, OF two vessels, the Trenton and the
Nandalla and the disabling of third, the
Nipslc. Three vessels of the German navy
also In the harbor shared with our ships the
1orce OF the hurricane and suffered even
more heavily. While mourning the brave
ofhcers and men who died facing with high
resolve perils greater than those of battle, it
Is most gratifying to state that the credit of
the American navy for seamanship, courage
and generosity was magnifcently sustained
In the storm III the harbor of Apia.
The report of the Secretary of the Interior
exhibits the transactions of the government
with the Indian Tribes. Substantial progress
has been made In the education of their chill
dren of school age, and in the allotment of
lands to adult Indians. 1t l. to be regretted
that the policy Of breaking up the tribal re-
lations and of dealing with the Indian as an
individual. did not appear earlier in our leg
| islation. Large reservations held In common
with the maintenance of the authority of
| chiefs and head men have deprived the
individual of every incentive to the
has contributed an affirmative i'm
pulse toward alstate of confirmed paupersm
Our treaty stipulations should be observed
with fidelity aud our legislation should be
highly consideratvc of the best interests of
an ignorant and helpless people. The reser-
yatlons are now generally surrounded by
white settlements. We can no longer push
the Indian into the wilderness and it re.
mains only by more suitable agency to push
him upward into the estate of self-support-
ing and responsible citizen. For the adult
| the first step is to locate him upon a farm,
and for the child, to place him in a school.
| School attendance should be promoted by
every moral agency, and those failibg.should
| be com.elled.
The national schools for Indians have been
| very successful, and should be multiplied
and, as far as possible. should be so organ
| lied and conducted as to facilitate the trans
| fer of the schools to the States or Territories
| in which they are located where the. Indians
| in neighborhood have accepted citizenship
| and have become otherwise fitted for such a
| transfer. This condition of things will be
attained slowly, but it will be fastened by
| keeping it in mind; and in the meantime
| that cooperation between the government
| and the mission schools, which has wrought
much good. should be cordially and impair
| TALLY maintained.
The last Congress enacted two saistinct
laws relating to negotiation with the Sioux
Indians Of Dakota for the REIMBURSEMENT of
portion of their lands to the United States,
and for dividing the remainder into separate
reservations. Both were approved on the
same day. March 2 The one was submitted
to the Indians as specific proposition. The
other (sec. of the indian appropriation act)
| authorized the President to appoint these
commissioners to negotiate with these Indi-
ans for the accomplishment of the same gen.
eral I purpose, and ,,a required that
submitted to Congress for ratification.
| On the 10th day of April last l appointed
Hon. Charles Foster of Ohio, Hon. VIM.
Warner of Missouri and Major Gen. George
Crook OF the United States navy. commits
sioners under the last named law. They
were, however, authorized and directed first
| TO submit to the Indians the definite propo-
sition made to them by the act first men,
toned and only in the event of a failure to
secure the assent of the requisite NUMBER to
that proposition to open negotiations for
modified terms under the other act The
work OF the commission was prolonged and
arduous but the assent of the re-
qulslte number was, 1t is under
stood. finally obtained TO tho proposition.
made by Congress, though the report of the
commission has not yet been submitted In
view of these facts, / shall not, as at present
| advised, deem 1t necessary to submit the
| agreement to Congress for ratification, but
| II will in due course be submittnd for infor-
nation. This agreement releases to the
land"
| The commission provided for by section IA
of the Indian appropriation bill to negotiate
with
THE CHEROKEE INDIANS
and all other Indians owning or claiming
lands lying west of the $50 of longitude for
the cession to the United States of all such
lands was constituted by the appointment Of
Hon Lucius Fairchild of Wisconsin, Hon.
John 4. Hartranft of Pennsylvania and Hon.
Alfred M. Wilson of Arkansas, and organ
| lied on January 20 last. Their conference
with the representatives of the Cherokees
was held at rahlequah, July 30, with no def
| mite results.
Gen. john F. Hartranft of Pennsylvania,
was prevented by ill-health from taking part
| in the conference. His death, which oc-
Cured recently, is justly and generally Ia
mented by people he had served with con-
spicuous gallantry in war, and with great
fidelity in peace. The vacancy thus created
was filled by the appointment of Hon. War
| rem u. Sayer OF Indiana. A second confer
| ence between the commission and the Chero.
KEGS was begun November 6, but no results
have yet obtained, nor is it believed that a
conclusion can be Immediately expected.
| The cattle syndicate, now occupying the
lands for grazing purposes, is clearly one of
the agencies responsible for the obstruction
OF our negotiations with the Cherokees. The
large body of agricultural lands constituting
what Is known as the Cherokee outlet
| ought not to he, and indeed cannot long be.
held for grazing and for the advantage of a
lew against the public interests aud the best
advantages Of the Indians themselves. The
| United States has now under the treaties
certain rights 10 these lands. These will
| not be used OppreSsively, but it cannot be
allowed that those who by sufferance occupy
these lands shall interpOse to defeat the wise
| ana benefcent purposes of the government.
cannot but believe that the advantageous
character of the offer made by the United
| States to the Cherokee Notion for full re-
| lease OF these lands, as compared with other
suggestions now made to them, will yet OBJ.
| tain for 1t o favorable consideration.
Under the Agreement made between the
United States and the Muscogee Tor Creek
| Nation of Indians, on the 10Th day of Janua-
~, 1889, an absolute title was secured by the
United States to about 8. 500, 600 acres Of land
| Section II # the general Indian appropria-
| ton act, approved March 2, 1889, made pro-
vision for the purchase by the United States
| from the Seminole tribe of certain portion
| OF their lands. The delegates If the Semi
| mole nation, having first duly evidenced to
| me their power to act in that behalf, deliv-
cred proper release and conveyance to the
United States of all the lands mentioned in
the act, which was accepted by me and GER
tilted to by me in compliance with the stat
ute. BY the terms of both the acts referred
to all the lands so purchased were declared
to be part of the public domain and open
to settlement under the homestead law.
or the lands embraced in the purchases
lbeing in the aggregate about 8, 800, 900 acres),
3,50O,O00 acres had already, under the terms
of the treaty of 1886, been acquired by the
United States for the purpose of settling 9TH
er Indian tribes thereon, and had been ap-
propriated to that purpose. The land re-
naming and available for settlement con-
sisted OF 1887, 796 acres, surrounded on all
sides by lands in the occupancy of Indian
tribes.
Congress had provided no civil government
Tor the people who were to be invited by my
proclamation to settle upon these lands, ex-
cept as the new court, which had been es-
taollshed at Muscogee. or the United States
courts In some of the adjoining States had
power to enforce the general laws of the
United States.
In fh;.