Year: 1874

III passing upon these claims.


Another subject, of an unpleasant
personal character, is the effort l
made to induce Government to in
demnify the widows and orphans of
those who were slaughtered in the
Modoc depredations. In this work l
encountered powerful opposi-
ton from those gentlemen known
as the Peace Commissioners-the
God-and-morality men who be-
lieve that all the outrages perpe-
trated on our frontiers are in
stigated or committed by white men.
Ny sympathies were all on the other
side. During well-nigh 40 years of
frontier life have had ample oppor-
tunity to become acquainted with the
wrongs to which you are subject. 1
believe that allegiance to the Govern
ment and protection by the Govern
ment are inseperable duties. The
American flag is a guarantee Of that
protection to the dutiful citizen.
And no matter over what inch of soil
that flag waves, there extends the
might and power Of the United States
to protect and defend the humblest
citizen of the land. Applause.


was defeated, for the time. My
bill did not pass. But [ will never
give it up. L will never yield the
point. 1 have studied the subject
thoroughly, as I believe; have col
lated all the laws and all the authori-
ties on this subject, and do not
despair of ultimate success.


In Gods name what interests have
the settlers on the frontiers, who
carry their household goods in hostile
regions


BEsET RY DLooDTHIRsTY AND RAPAoIoUs


HoRDEs


Of savages-what interest have they
in melting hostilties, in provoking
murder and rapine? They have no
provisions to sell to the government.
They have no designs on the nation
all treasury. Their all is at stake,
and peace to them means life, hap
piness, fortune-all! But I can not
further dwell on this subject.


I have also introduced q bill for
the purpose of turning the entire
Indian Department over to the mill
tary. This is where the control of
the Indian belongs. These same
peace gentlemen, of which I have
spoken, have told me that what the
Indians want, is tracts and Bibles.
l told them that what they want is
muskets and ballsl Applause. 1
tell you, fellow-citizens, there is no
department in which SO much pecu-
lation is done by men whose profess
sion is piety and loyalty and whose
practice is plunder-men who carry
the flag in one hand and steal from
the public treasury in the other! [
wish to say in this connection that in
my labors in this particular l had the
of General Sherman, who tes-
tilted, though reluctantly, before the
Committee. also had the
aid and encouragement of all the
delegations from the various Terrific
ries. l believed and urged that the
troops should be withdrawn from the
States and sent to our
not alone because in the
South they are used to uphold a
tyrannical rule over the oppressed
people of that section, but on the
ground of economy, as well, We all
know that the method Of conducting
campaigns against hostile Indians
with a volunteer force raised hur-
riedly and poorly equipped is the
most expensive method of prose-
cnting war. For these reasons, fel-
low-citizens, was


OPPOSED TO ANY REDUCTION OF THE ARMY,
Not because I am attached to the
army in the abstract, but because the
men of whom it is made up, by
whom it is oficered, were educated
and paid to defend the Republic.
Moreover it would be unjust to turn
those gallant men from the army,
from the profession to which they
have been trained, to seek a liveh-
hood in the channels Of civil life, to
which they are not accustomed.


Among the prominent measures
which occupied the last session of
Congress was


THE FINANCE BIYH.


I have always believed it was a
wise conclusion of the people of the
Pacific coast to stick to a metallic
currency. The Eastern States are
afflicted with a paper currency of
uncertain and fuctuating value.
Here if a farmer has a twenty-dollar
gold piece, he knows what it is worth
to-day, and what it will be worth
next week. Not so with the farmer
in the East. I am reminded that
when l got back here to my home in
Oregon for all my distinguished
services the National Government
qreeaJaczed me. Laughter. l sold
my greenbacks at 80 cents, and to-
day / learn they are worth 904 cents.


When 1 reached the National
Capital, as I have said, the East was
from a great panic. A
single bank had broken, yet the
country was all astir with apprehen-
sions Of grave calamities impending.
The First National Bank Of Washing
ton City, controlled by the eminent
Christian statesman, Jay Cooke, had
The people Of the East
were trembling on the verge Of
financial ruin, as they believed.
Whenever the bill proposing imitation
of the national currency came up /
voted steadily against it. My col
league, Senator Mitchell, voted for
it. Perhaps he thought he was right;
4 know / was,