The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-12-07
IMPORTANT INDIAN NEWS.
THE RED SKINS MUST NOT DEFY
UNCLE SAM.
The Situation still Grave One-Extreme
Watchfulness Necessary to Avert Hos
tiIities-Views of the Secretary of War
and Gems. Schofeld and Miles.


main causes Of discomfort among the hostile
Indians is that a certain band of Sioux living on
Pass Creek, in Rosebud Agency, have been
ordered to move against their will. These In
dians desired to be transferred to the Pine
Ridge Agency, and have secured the consent of
the Indians now there. Gen. Brooke, in asking
for authority to permit the transfer, states that
in his opinion this would still further aid in the
disintegratton of the hostile element.
Gen. Miles telegraphed him in reply that he
had ample discretion in the matter, but advised
him not to make promises to the Indians. He
could assure them, however, that the Govern
ment had secured increased rations and more
general employment, and that the soldiers
would be their friends so long as they kept the
peace, but their bitterest enemies should they
commit crimes and defy the Government. Gen.
Miles adds that in his opinion the transfer
can be made permanent hereafter if deemed
advisable.
In the other telegram Gen. Miles says the
reports from Gen. Brooke indicate a more
favorable condition. Two Strike is expected in
to-day.
Gen. Miles says that he does not regard Two
Strikes threat to stab Gen. Brooke as a signal
for hostilities as important inasmuch as it was
made by an Indian in a harangue to his own
people and not in the presence of strong body
of United States troops He says that in case
the disintegration continues the threatened
outbreak will be prevented for this winter at
least.
The situation is still grave one in his opin-
ion and will require extreme watchfulness on
the part of the authorities to satisfy the Indians
and 10 avert hostiities until the spring.
SECRETARY PRooToR's VIEWS.
In response to Senate resolution asking for
information respecting the disarmament of In
dians in the Northwest the Secretary of War
yesterday transmitted to Congress a letter from
Maj Gen. Schoteld and mass of official cor
respondence. Secretary Proctor says "It will
be seen that the efforts of the military authori-
ties had been exerted to divide and
bring within the power of the troops
by peaceable means as many of the
eisaffected as possible, and at the ssame
time to make the best possible prepara-
tion to suppress the outbreak promptly should
it occur. 1t was plainly the better policy to
take steps that would make it possible to dis
arm the Indians at the proper time than to at
tempt this prematurey, when it could be only
partially successful and would doubtless pre-
cipitate serious outbreak.
WHAT GEN. scHoFIELD SAYS.
Gen. Schofeld in a letter of December 3 to
the Secretary of War; says:
81 have the honor to report that from the
concurrent testimony of Army officers and
others familiar with the condition of the Sioux
Indians, that considerable proportion Of them
are well armed and we'll supplied with ammu-
milton.
"It does not appear from all that has hereto
deliberate purpose to commence hostilites
against the whites. They have, SO far as known,
simply placed themselves in an attitude of de-
lance and determination not to submit to the
requirements of the Government. Should they
commence hostilities there will be no room for
doubt about the course to be pursued If, on
the contrary, they maintain their present atti-
tude, and 1t remains for the War Department
to determine the initial action, the question
Will not be so easy of solution"
DISARMAMENT WOULD BE IMPRACTICAL.
In connection with the question of dsarming
the Indians, Gen. Schofeld says
1.-The Indians do not, as rule, keep in their
personal possession the arms and ammu-
milton designed for war service. These
are concealed or cached in places which
no white men have yet been able to
find. To disarm them might, therefore,
mean simply to deprive of the few compara-
lively worthless arms found in their possession,
leaving the Others where the Indians can take
possession of them at any time when they wish
to use them. 1t is also important to observe
that there has never been much, if any, pract-
cal difficulty experienced by the Indians in pur-
chasing from traders in or near their own
country all the arms and ammunition which
they could by any means pay for, and that the
Indian will make any sacrifice, however great,
to procure such arms and ammunition when he
desires them-giving, for example, horse
worth $50 for rifle worth s. or less. These
facts, it is suggested, make it manifest that
there call be no practical disarmament of the
Indians except by making them actually prison
ers of war and holding them under such re-
straint that it will be impossible for them to
procure arms or ammunition. This
would seem to require such change
in the general policy followed in the
treatment of the warlike tribes of Indians as
would continue military control over those who
may have been subdued, until such control be-
comes no longer necessary; and this, it is sug-
gested, may possibly be done by joint action
between the War and Interior Departments in
such manner as not to interfere with the meas
ures of the Interior Department deemed best
for the civilization and material welfare of the
Indians.n
In concluding his letter, the Major General
says that the protection of the friendly Indians
has by no means been overlooked. The troops
designated for service in this emergency will
consist of thirteen regiments of Infantry four
of which will be mounted nearly five regi-
ments of cavalry, and two battalions of
artillery. Gen. Schofeld says that
additional troops, though not very many can
be sent if necessary.
lnclosed in the correspondence is the follow
ing letter of December from Secretary Proctor
10 Gen. Miles while the latter was in Washing
ton:
81 take this opportunity before you return to
your command TO report to you more formally
what the President said to you at the conference
at the White House, and what has been his mind
and his instruction to me from the first, as
said to you at our conference at st. Louis and
mere, and that is that he looks to you to take
every possible precaution to prevent an Indian
outbreak, and TO suppress it promptly if 1t
comes. lie depends upon you for this, and
everything in the way of men and material that
In the opinion Of the Major General command
ing can be spared from other points will be sup