The morning call., 1891-03-08
TO DISARM
THE SIOUX.
Commissioner Morgan Strongly
Opposed TO the Plan.
1t Would Leave Them in a Pitiably Defense
less COnditIOn-A Hardship on
the FriendlieS.


WASHINGTON, March 7.-Recently Gen.
eral Morgan, Commissioner of Indian At
fairs, was requested by the Secretary of the
Interior to give an expression OF his views
upon the communication of the Governor of
South Dakota, urging the diSarming of the
indians in that State. In reply, General
Morgan states: The reasons for disarmiug
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 any serious danger of any con-
siderable number of Indians going upon the
warpath, OF that the surest way of prevent
ing any Indians from becoming hostile was
to dlsarm all, / should be very slow to
lnterpose any objection to the measure. If
felt that white settlers were in serious
danger Of attack by Indians, and was con-
vinced their safety demanded the action
above suggested, could not well resist it.
But, so far as my knowledge extends, l can
hardly believe there is now any serious
danger of an Indian uprising. 1 believe the
Indians to be, for the most part, inclined to
peace and aYerse to war. They are suffi-
ciently intelligent to understand at what
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 ly tie Congressional action just taken
will be, removed. Settlers in the vicinity
of the reservation have been frightened,
and not without reason, and yet during all
the excitement, and in spite of tier bitter
provocation, the Indians have attacked no
white people in their homes, nor, as far as
l know, have they seriously threatened their
peace. Those who have been, or are. really
hostile should unquestonably be disarmed
during the late trouble III Dakota the great
body of Sioux were friendly, and the inno-
cent should not suffer with the guilty.
To make no distinction in the treatment
of the Indians who took part in the hOstill-
ties and those who remained loyal, many of
whom suffered for their loyalty. would be
an act OF injustice, which the Indian Is as
quick 10 recognize and resent as the white
man.
ut would be great hardship to these
Indians to lose their arms, which they
greatly prize. They use them in Slaughter
is with some hesitation that ! say, and | say
it only after careful deliberatiOn and with
sincere sorrow that 1t must be said, that L
greatly fear the Indians would not be safe
either i'll their persons or IN their property
if 1t were known they were entirely with
out means of seif-defense. The recent SAD
events in Dakota, where, il is said. women
and little children were shot down b.
soldiers of the United States army, and
others were ambushed and slain without
mr. ion hTr nit h1V gh nc
how pitifully detenseless these poor
creatures might be wholly unarmed and un-
able TO protect themselves. TO diSarm
the Indians generally, and leave the
whole body of Sioux snarling under a
sense of helplessness and wrong, would
tend to produce among them a
widespread feeling of irritation. un-
rest and distrust, disastrous not only 10
the peace and prosperity of the Indians, but
liable in itself to bring about the very dan
ger which their disarmlng is intended TO pre-
vent, for should the arms they now possess
be fOrcbly taken from them there is nothing
either in the law or habits Of the people sur
rounding them to prevent them from arinng
themselves anew at the earliest opportunity
by purchasing from the whites.
- For the prevention of further trouble it
seems 10 me necessary to treat them justly
and kindly, maintain among them II we'll
disciplined, suitably paid, vigilant In!ian
police force, and lastly, keep at exposed
points a small garrison of troops sufficient
in case of great emergency to aid in main
tanning order, and protecting both the In
dlans and whites"