St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-27
At Least So Bishop Marty In
dieates in a Meaty In
tepVieW.
Trouble With the Chippewa
Indians Solely Due to Gov
eminent Lethargy.
CleVeland'S Administration OF
the Redskins Was Broad
and Just.

mission, of which he is one of the men,
bers. A representative of the GLOBE
called upon him yesterday, and was re-
ceived with the utmost cordiality.
Asked for brief statement of the In
dian problem, and especially that part
of it relating to the Chippewas, the bish-
OPP spoke freely and entertainingly on
the subject.
II am here" he said, "to meet Messrs.
Hall and Campbell" the other members
of the Chippewa commission, and, if
possible, to do something in the way of
fulfilling our promises to the Indians in
conformity with the treaty made some
two years ago. There is a growing dis
content among the red men, owing to
the apathy that has been displayed by
the government in alleviating their pres
ent condition. You know the Indians
are scattered all over Northern Mime
sofa in the various settlements of Leech
Lake, Cass Lake, Mile Laos, Fond du
Lac, Grand Portage and Beauvoir. and
by the terms OF the treaty the Indians
were to sell this land TO the government,
the segregated bands to be collected at
the reservation at White Earth. Here
houses, schools and churches are to be
erected by the government for their ma
terial ard spiritual welfare. and an effort
made to have the Indians till the soil
and become as nearly as possible self
sustaining and Self-respecting elements
of law-abidirg community. Although
The Treaty was Passed
two years ago. and although the COM
mission has labored necessarily to carry
its provisions into effect, the govern
ment at Washington seems to have been
so absorbed in other things as to have
entirely forgotten the matter, at least
nothing substantial has been done. For
this reason the Chippewas who, like all
Indians. are most sensitive OH the point
of a strict fulfillment of pledges and
promises made them, have grown dis
contented, and if something is not done
soon to allay their unsettled condition
of mind, serious outbreaks may be the
result.
Contracts, agreements or treaties with
the Indians should be carried out to
the letter and with prOmptneSS and dis
patch, otherwise they soon lose patience
and violent uprisings may be the result.
The quarterIng of the Indians at the
White Earth reservation is matter of
great moment. not only to the Indians
themselves, but to the state of Mime
sofa, for if allowed to remain in the con-
dition they are at present, the state will
have a numerous band of Migrants,
paupers and drunkards to provide for.
The main thing to be done is for the
commission to make personal visits
among the various settlements and per-
suade the Indians to unite in one band
at the reservation.
Asked if seeing the chiefs of the
bands would not accomplish the pur-
pose, the bishop replied most emphati-
cally, No"
ut will be necessary to see the In
dams individually" said he, ''fOr they
are quite independent. At present
there is great restitution among them
owing to the failure of their crops last
year, and this, together with the mac
tiVity of the government, renders their
condition more pitiable. We could not
get our contract last year owing to the
hostility of Commissioner Morgan, who
seems to be jealous of the splendid
work of the Catholic church among the
Indians, and who has shown his bigOtry
towards it in many ways.
mo doubt you have read of the con-
troversy between Morgan and the In
dian Catholic bureau, which appeared
lately in the public prints, III which he
accuses the latter of thwarting and i'm
peding him in the discharge of his duties
| wish to state that an effort has heen
made to get Mr.. Morgan to cite specific
instances wherein the bureau has been
guilty of any such offenses as he charges,
and he has been unable to cite single
case. The
Opposition TO Morgan
manifested itself only after he had dis
played from the very first his antipathy
toward that sect. | have heard it stated
that Morgan is simply carrying out the
behests of the present administration.
presided over by President Harrison,
who made use of his high dignity to
bring about the confirmation of man
through whom lie could dstil his
narrow views. The policy of all
previous administrations gave to
the Catholic church the widest
latitude in their efforts to chriStianiZe
and civiiize the untutored Indian. In
deed, President Grant invited and re-
quested the Catholic missionaries to 90
among these benighted people, fully
realizing that if any church was eapa-
bic of eyangelizing the savages that
church was the Catholic. And so the
OdIuOllC ulu ~ dlllOilS lIG
Indians, and iabOred with the utmost
zeal, born of a Christian fortitude, and
after accomplishing wonders among
them the government steps in and dr.
sires TO take advantage of the laborS of
these Holy men, whose lives have been
devoted to deeds of Christian heroism
and self-sacrifice. The government, or
the individuals who presume to speak
for the government, pirate of liberty of
conscience. sitnot the veriest slavery
to compel even Indians to subscribe to
religious belief which they have no
faith in?
Ministers of other sects have labored
among the Chippewas, but in vain. The
Indians have 10 confidence in them for
the reason that the great element of
charity is lacking in all they do Self
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT is the ruling principle
and moving spirit of the workers in the
other sects. H. NJ. Rice, my old CO.
labOrer, and man as eminent among
the Reds as he was in the councils of
the nation, has often stated to me that if
the Indian is ever to be saved it will be
through the Catholic church. Here is
man that has spent lifetime in deal
ing with the Indian. ana he knows more
of the condition and needs of these peO-
pie than perhaps any white man living.
Inc biShop was loud i'll his praises OF
the administrations
Grover Cleveland
whose treatment of the Indian question
was marked with the same broad states
manship that he brought to the consid-
Grafton of all matters of national i'm
portance. He said great error was
made by many people who considered
that the government was iavishing and
wasting money on the Indians, while |
the fact of the matter was the govern
menI was simply making use of the !
funds which belonged of right and JUS
tice TO the Indians, the proceeds of |
their lands ceded to the government !
Asked in case the treaty was perfected |
and the Chippewas settled in |
their new homes, if the commits |
sion would not meet with serious diff |
ficuity in their workings through the |
opposition of Morgan, he replied with |
significant nodding of the head. He |
did not believe that gentleman would |
be about to trouble them at that.time.