, 1891-03-08
THE INDIAN QUESTION.
Shall the Red Mans Weapons
Be Taken From Him
Commissioner MOrgan's Views
On the Subject.
How He Would Prevent
Further Trouble.

WASHINGTON, March Recently
Gen. Morgan, commissioner of Indian
affairs, was requested by the secretary of
the interior to give an expression of his
views upon the communication of the gov
ernor of South Dakota urging the disarm
ing of the Indians in that state. In reply,
Gen. Morgan states: The reasons for dis
arming the Indians are obvious and
weighty, viz, to prevent them from going
on the warpath and to quiet the fears OF
the white settlers in their vicinity, If |
thought there was really serious danger of
any considerable number OF the Indians
going uDon the warpath, and that the
surest way of preventing any Indians from
becoming hostile was to disarm all. l
should be very slow to interpose any OBJ
lection to the measure. If 1 felt the
white settlers were in serious danger OF
attack by Indians, and was convinced that
their safety demanded the action above
suggested, | could not well resist it.
But so far as my knowlegde extends, l
can hardly believe there is now any seri-
Gus danger of an uprising. | believe the
Indians to be, for the most part. inclined
to peace and averse to war. They are
sufficiently Intelligent to understand at
what fearful disadvantage they would be
in a 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 by congressional &C
ton Just bad, and will be removed. Set
tiers in the vicinity of the reservation
have been frightened aud not without rea-
son, aud yet during all the excitement,
and in spite OF bitter provocation. the la
dams have attacked no white people in
their homes. nor, so far as [ know. have
they seriously threatened their peace.
Those who have been or are really
hostile should unquestionablY be disarmed
and their leaders severely punished. But
during the late trouble 10 Dakota the
great body OF the Sioux were friendly, and
the Innocent should not suffer with the
guilty. To make no distinction in the
treatment of the Indians who took part
in the hostilities aud those who renamed
loyal, many of whom suffered for their
loyalty, would be IN act of injustice,
which the lndi IN is as quick to recognize
and resent as a white man.
Ii would be a great hardship to these
Indians to lose their arms, which they
greatly prize. They use them 10 slaught-
ering their cattle, in hunting and IN sport,
1t is with some hesitation that | say. and
| say it only after careful elaboration and
with sincere sorrow that it must be said,
that [ greatly fear the Indians would not
be safe, either in their persons OF in their
property, if it were known that they were
entirely without means of self-detense.
Recent sad events in Dakota, where, it is
said, women aud little children were shot
down by the soldiers Of the United States
army, and Others were ambushed and
slain without provocation by citizens, have
shown how pitifullY defenseless these poor
creatures might be if wholly unarmed and
unable TO protect themselves.
To disarm the Indians generally aud
leave the whole BODY of Sioux smarting
under a sense OF helplessness and wrong.
would tend to produce among them a
widespread feeling of irritation. unrest
and distrust, disastrous not only TO the
peace and prosperity of the Indians but
liable to bring about the very danger
which the disarming is intended to pre-
vent. tor should the arms they now DOS
sess be torpibiy taken from them, there is
nothing either in law or the habits of the
people surrounding them to prevent them
from arninR themselves anew at the ear.
lest opportunity by purchasing from the
whites. For the prevention of further
trouble. ii seems to me necessary to treat
them justly and kindly; maintain among
them a well disciplined. suitably paid,
v%igilant Indian police force; and. lastly,
keep at exposed points small garrison
troops. sufficient in case of great emer-
gencv to aid in maintaining order and
protecting both the Indians and the
whites.