Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-03-09
II Would be Unjust 10 Make no Dis.
tInciiOn 10 Treatment Between
Hostile aud Loyal Indians.
MEMBERS or THE SOUTH oAkorA
lgcIsLsrURr Ill.
GENERAL none.N's VIEWS.
statement CONCERNING the Disarminr
OF the tudians.


WAsiuSoroS, March 7.-Reccntly
General Morgan, Commissioner Of In-
dian Affair, was requested by the
Secretary Of the Interior 10 give an eN-
preston OF his Views upon the COM
munlcation Of the Governor Of South
Dakota, urging the dissrming Of the
Indians In that State. In reply Con
eral Morgan states: "rhe reasons for
disarmlng tue Indians are obvious and
woighty, viz, 20 prevent thom from
goingon the warpath aud quiet the
fears Of tho white settlers IN their
vicinity. II thought there was
really serious danger OF any consider
able number Of Indians going upon the
warpath, or that the surest way Of pre-
venting any Indians from becoming
hostile was TO disarm all, | should DO
very slow to interposo any objection 10
The measure.
"fI fclt that theJwhitc settlers were
In serious danger Of attack 10y the In.
dams, and was convinced that their
safety demanded the action above sug.
gc,tsi, | could not resist; but, 90 far as
my knowledge extends, eau hardly
believe that there IL now any serious
danger Of the Indian uprising. !
believe tho Indians 10 bo for the most
part Inclined TO peace anu opposed 10
war. They are sufficiently Intelligent
70 understand at what fearful disad-
vantage they would be In war with
the United States. They know our
vast resources aud are conscious Of
their own weakness. Moreover, many
reasons which have existed among
them for discomfort can be, aud
by Congressional action Just had, will
he removed. Settlers In the vicinity
OF the reservations have been fright.
encd, and not without reason, and yet,
during all the excitement aud In spite
OF bitter provocations, tho Indians have
attacked no white people In their
b)me-. SO far as know, they have
not seriously threatened their peace.
THOSE who have been or really are hos.
tile, should PROFESSIONALLY be dis.
armed aud their leaders DO severely
punished, hut during the late trouble
In Dakota thegrcat body OF Sioux were
friendly, aud the innocsnt should not
suffer with the guilty.
"fo mike no distinction In the treat.
mcnt OF Indians who took part In tho
bostilitles aud those who remained
loyal, many Of whom suffered for their
loyalty, would be an act OF Injustice,
which the Indian IL Us quick " rccog-
nise and resent M the white man. II
would bo u great hardship 10 thesc In-
dams to lose their arms, which they
greatly prize. They use them In
slaughtering their cattle, In hunting
and IN sport. 1T IL with some hcslta.
ton that say, aud | say II only after
careful elaboration anu with sincere
SORROW that II must be said, that
greatly fear the Indians would not be
safe, either In thew persons or In their
property, II II were known that they
were entirely without guns for self.
defense. The rcceQt sad events In Da-
kota, where, 1t IL s&ld, 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 pltitully defonscless these poor
creatures might bc II wholly unarned
and unable 10 protect themselves
"To dlsann the Indians generally |
and leave the whole body Of Sioux |
snarting undc- n sense Of helple~ncas |
and wrong, would tend 10 produce |
among them n widespread feeling OF |
Irritation, unrest aud distrist, disa-t-
rous not only to tho peace anu pros
pority OF the Indians, but liable In Il.
self TO bring about the very danger
which disarmlng ~ intended 10 pre-.
vent. For should the arms they now
POSSESS be forcibly taken from them,
there Il nothing either In the law or
the habits Of tho people surrounding
them 10 prevent them from arming
themselves nj the earliest opportunity
by purchasing from the whites. For
the prevention Of further trouble II
peems to me necessary 10 treat them
Justly and kindly; maintain among
ihom well.ilsciplincd, suitably paid,
vigllant Indian police force, and lastly,
keep at expo cd points small garrison
ofifoops, Sufficient In case Of great
emergency 20 aid In maintaining
order and protecting both Indians and
whites"