The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-04-04

BY GEN. THOMAS J. MORGAN,
Formerly Commissioner of Indian Affairs
SPECIAL ARTICLE.


~ ENERAL SHERMAN, in
VI speech made shortly before his
death at public gathering in the
City of New York, was reported in
the daily press as saying that it was
"absurd for this nation to be support
ing in idleness 250,OOO Indian pau
pers." find that very considerable
number of people accept this fanci-
full statement as historical, and sup
pose that all these 250,OOO are lazy
vagabonds, fattening at the public
crib. The truth is, that probably
less than one fourth of them receive
anything whatever from the govern
ment, and that the great mass are
self-supporting; that is that they sub
sist either by the labor of their own
hands, or upon that which they re-
ceive from the government in pay
ment for their lands. Whatever may
be said of Indians or white men who
live upon their income, it is not true
of either that they are paupers.
Probably one of the richest people in
the world are the 1.500 Osages, who,
in addition to large reservation with
homes and cattle, have in the United
States Treasury to their credit more
than eight million dollars, on which
they receive in cash every quarter
100000.
There is current saying, which
hesitate to repeat, and would not,
except to puncture it, that the "only
good Indian is a dead Indian"
Whether, as commonly reported, the
late General Sheridan ever uttered it,
do not know, but it certainly ex-
presses the opinion entertained of
the Indians not only by cowboys who
have come into sharp collision with
them on the plains, soldiers who
have memories of Custer massacres,
and politicians whose constituents
have an Unsuitable greed for Indian
lands, but it passes current among
the thoughtless everywhere. Easy
proverbs save hard thinking.
The fancy involved in this falla-
cious utterance is, that the Indian is
utterly incorrigible, essentially saw
age, incapable of taking on civilized
habits; beast, devoid of human
sympathies. The fact is that Indian
nature is simply human nature bound
in red; that the Indians have the
same affections, passions, desires and
capacities that other people have. A
somewhat careful study of them in
face to face contact on the reserva-
tion, in their homes, and in the Gov
ernment schools, has led me to the
firm conviction that, as class, under
favorable conditions, they are self
respecting, noble minded, and res
ponsive toall rightful appeals to their
better natures. There are now more
than 10000 Indian youths enrolled in
schools, and they show the same apt
itudes as white children under SINH
lar circumstances; they excel in pen
manship and drawing; are not defec-
tive in musical talent; can be trained
to habits of industry and study; take
readily to the ruder mechanical arts,
and not few of them have acquired
very respectable scholarship, general
and professional. The late Senator
Plumb, of Kansas, used to declare to
me with great earnestness that every
dollar given for Indian education was
thrown away, and that it was impos-
sible to educate them; and yet, with
that singular inconsistency sometimes
found in men in public stations, he
continued, term after term, to vote in
the Senate for the expenditure of mil
lions of dollars for Indian schools.
The facts with which we confronted
him were more powerful than his
fancies.
If one should form his opinions
entirely from the utterances of the
Congressional delegate from Arizo-
ma, the Hon. Mr.. Smith, he would
conclude that the true type and ex-
ponent of Indian character is "Kid,"
the notorious renegade, who has ter
rorized large part of Arizona for
years past, and has furnished employ
ment for considerable body of
United States soldiers, to say nothing
of beef contracts and other profitable
ventures incident to the presence in
a community of a regiment of cavalry.
On the other hand, if one will take
the trouble to read the somewhat ex-
haustive study of the religious condi-
ton of the Sioux Indians, made by
Hon. Daniel Dorchester, while Su-
perintendent of Indian schools, or
will inform himself of the missionary