The Portland daily press., 1897-01-14
OUR NEXT DUTY TO THE INDIANS.
Pres ident Gates of Amherst Before the
Maine Women's Indian Association.

There was a large audience at State
street church last evening TO hear Presi-
dent Gates of Amherst College lecture on
"Our Next Duty to the Indians" Rev.
DIR. Jenkins, pastor of the church, presid-
sd, Rev. DIR. Merrill read the Scriptures
and offered prayer, and at the close of
the address Bishop Nicely pronounced
the benediction.
For twelve years, DR.. Gates said he
had been a member of the W. y. Board
of Indian Commi ssioners, and for the last
six years chairman Of the board: Eleven
men, the only commissioned Officers OF
the United States who serve WITHOUT
compensation. The board was estab-
lished by Gen. Grant to stand between
the Department. of Indian Affairs and
the general public with power OF In
spection, recommendation, ste.
MuraB HalsteaD, III a paper In this
months Cosmopolitan. describes the
debating societies Of Indiana 30 years
age, as given to the discussion OF the
QUESTION: which has suffered the great
or injustice at the hands If the white
raee-the negro or the Indian
The peculiar relations OF the whites
to the Indians who nominally possessed
the continent, give an importance 10
the Indian question far greater than
the mere mum Der Of the Indians would
seem to give it. Helen Hunt jackson 8
Century of DishonOr," made familiar
to American readers the story or broken
treaties. withheld annu1ties, Violated
pledges and wanton aggression on{the
part ct the government ana not merely
by settlers near the reservations. IWen-
~ years ago the Indian was absolutely
,xftb CHI inc lAWg. Al
though native born he Is not citizen
ana could not become Gitizen. YeG
he was not an alien. Daniel Webster III
trying 10 define the In ian, legally
called him "a perpetual reafdent with
diminntive rights" He could not be
naturalized and thus become citizen
If ho left his tri he and lived among the
whites, when he had acquired property
any one who chose might defIaud him
and there was no redress for the Indian
under our laws. lie could not appear
in cours Immediately, ner could snit
be brought in his name, unless by the
Secretary of the Interior through pro-
cess so cum bersome that 1t was seldom
set in motion.
Upon the Indian reservations the U
S, government had actually bound itself
BY treaty, not to administer justice and
net 60 Interfere by law for the prevention
of crilno. The old legal fiction which
had regarded each Indian tribe as for
eiRn power with which the United States
WAS TO make treaties, was responsible
for this state of affairs. Murders were
common in the Indian reservations, and
unless she victim was white man, the
United States took 10 cOgnlZancs OF the
crime.
The steady pressure from The whites
to get possession of lands SET apart for
the Indiars have led to most Migrant in
Justice and occasion constant encroaoh-
10 emit.
In 1870, Congress voted to make no
more treaties " 18th Indian tri hes, as suoh.
The Board of lnhinn Commissioners
and the Eisest friends of the Indians
since 1880, have advocated a reduction
of the vast reservations in Dakota and
other western territories, not by the vio-
lation of treaties, but by fair lnterpre-
tation which should provide for the sale
nv the government to white settlers of
tho great excess Of lands which the In
dian conld not possibly occupy with the
application by the government OF the
proceeds Of such sales to the education
of the Indians. In 1885, after persistent
agitation through the press and the pull
Fit, under tie wise leadership Of Hon.
Henry l.. Dawes Of Massachusetts,,
friends of the Indians secured the pas
ksage by Congress of the Dawes severalty
bill. This provided for the extensions OF
tho law ever the reser varions and the al
lotment If lands in se7eralty TO Very
ADULT Indian, male and female i'll quar-
ter and half sections, with additional al
lotmsnts fer each child in the family.
Ailctsnenta SO much are held by Indians
under protective title and cannot be
sold or Animated by the Indian owner
for Il period OF rs yours unless the Presi-
deaf OF tao United States shall Dy pre-
E.,A ofsa rvivr
reservation to he far enough advanced
In sosiye clear title before the expira-
tion of t6at period.
AS sson as au Indian has settled on
bis allo sMent, he becomes citizen Of
sbe United States with the right to vote;
but his Ianos aye exempt from taxation
Under this Rcs Thousands of Indians
have become farmers and citizens of
tbs Omitted States OF the 265, 600 Indi-
ans Exclusive Of the 60, 0O0 in the So
called civilized trihes), less than oua-
quarter now receive rations or aid Of any
Kind from the government while three
quar- ers of them 20 years ago were PIT =
periZed by the rGtions dealt out withCu
work.
For Ia years, in addition to the anna
oil MEETING OF the Board OF Indian Com
nissioners with representatives of mis-
siol work among the Indians. held al
Washington in January, there has been
4 confslence of prominent oitizons-
editors, conqressin en-, ministers and 9th
ers, at Lake MohenK, where three days
are spent in October of each year in
form aiating plans to aid the Indians.
Public opinion. legislation and mission
AIRY effort arc brought to bear to secure
this result. Congress has steadily in
creased appropriations for schools among
them until government schools are now
provided for four -ffths of all the Indi
an children of school age. The system
of contract schools" by which differ
emit denominations of Christians who had
mission work among the Indians. cen
tracted 10 educate in their schools a
great number of Indians youths for
whom the government paid a fixed al
IL vance, has been discontinued. There
was never mere need OF belp and teach
ing by Christian people through their
m missionaries than exists today. The his
tory of the English system of purely So
oular education in India, with its failure
to develop strong manhood in those ma
tives whose old faith it had destroyed
illustrates the danger If the Christian
church, does not redouble its efforts for
the Indian in these transition years
Frop, .oyo,,o-v IN cittzapGhiO