Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-08
THE NOBLE RED MAN,
Commissioner Morgan Holds 1t Would
be Injustice to Disarm Him.

commissioner morgan HOlUS IL W. OuId
be Injustice to Disarm Him.
WAsIfNGToN, March 7.-Recently Gen.
erai Morgan, commissioner of Indian
affairs, was requested by the secretary
OF the interior to give an explanation Of
his views upon communication from
the governor of South Dakota, urging
the disarming of the Indians in that
state. In his reply, General Morgan
states: 1.-The reasons for disarming the
Indians are obvious and weighty, viz !:
To prevent them from going on the war;
path, and to quiet the fears of the white
settlers in their vicinity. If l thought
there was really serious danger of any
considerable number of Indians 60
ing upon the warpath. or that
the surest way of preventing any In
dians from becoming hostile, was to
disarm all, should be very slow to
interpose any objection to the measure.
Ii felt that white settlers were in
serious danger of attack by Indians, and
was convinced that their safety de-
manded the action above suggested, l
could not well resist it. But SO far as
my knowledge extends, / can hardly
believe that there is now any serious
danger of an Indian uprising. 1 believe
the Indians to be, for the most part,
inclined to peace and averse to war.
They are sufficiently intelligent to un-
derstand at what a fearful disadvantage
they would be in war with the
United States. They know our vast
resources and are conscious of their own
weakness. Moreover, many reasons
which have existed among them for
discomfort can be, and by congressional
action Just had, will be, removed. The
settlers in the vicinity of the reserva-
tions have been frightened, and not
without reason, and yet during all the
excitement, and in spite of bitter provo
cation, the Indians have attacked no
white people in their homes, nor, so far
as know, have they seriously threat
ened theirpeace. Those who have been or
are really hostile should unquestionably
be disarmed, and their leaders severely
punished; but during the late trouble
in Dakota the great body of Sioux were
friendly, and the innocent should not
suffer with the guilty. To make no dis
tinction in the treatment OF the Indians
who took part in the hostilities and
those who remained loyal, many of
whom suffered for their loyalty, would
be an act of injustice, which the Indian
is as quick to recognize and resent as a
white man.
Continuing, General Morgan said:
sit would be great hardship to these
Indians to lose their arms which they
greatly prize. They use them in slaught-
ering their cattle. in hunting and in
sport. 1t is with some hesitation that
say, and say it only after careful delib-
Grafton, and with sincere sorrow that it
must be said, that greatly fear that
Indians would not be safe, either in
their persons or in their property if it
were known they were entirely without
the means of seli-defense. The recent
sad events in Dakota, where it is said
women and little children were shot
down by soldiers Of the United States
army, and Others were ambushed and
slain without provocation by citizens,
have shown us how pitifully defenseless
these poor creatures might be if wholly
unarmed and unable to protect them
selves.
"To disarm the Indians, generally,
and leave the whole body of Sioux
under the sense of helpless
ness and wrong, would tend to produce
among them widespread feeling OF
irritation, unrest and distrust, disastrous
not only to the peace and prosperity of
the Indians, but liable in itself to bring
about the very danger which disarming
is intended to prevent. For, should the
arms they now possess be forcibly taken
from them, there is nothing in the law
or the habits of the people surrounding
them, to prevent them from arming
themselves anew at the earliest oppor-
tunity, by purchasing from the whites.
''For the prevention of further trouble,
it seems to be necessary to treat them
justly and kindly, maintain among them
a well disciplined, suitably paid, vigilant
Indian police force, and lastly, keep at
exposed points small garrisons of troops,
sufficient, in case of great emergency,
to aid in maintaining order and protect
ing both Indians and whites"