Year: 1875



 Indian Commissioner Edward P. Smith has issued an order, at the instance of the Secretary of the Interior, appointing Col. L. F. Dudley Special Commissioner to remove the Indians from the Verde in 1avapai county to San Carlos in Maricopa. Col. Dudley has arrived here, is now investiga- ting the question, and will either proceed at once to remove them or if convinced that 1t is i,npracticable will so report to the Depart ment and ask that the order be cancelled. The reasons for such consolidation of agencies. as given in the instructions which Col. Dudley has had the kindness to submit to our inspection, are those of ''economy and better administration"

 Now it would seem to be a plain fact too apparent to be controverted, that the remo- val of an agency directly away from naviga- tion two or three hundred miles, must be very poor economy so far as all imported supplies are concerned, and in the matter of home products surely no better place can be found than the Valley of the Verde, there must therefore be mistake in the matter of economy.

 As to the question of better administra- ton we have yet to hear any complaints, and if there were, any one acquainted with ln- dian character will at once say that nothing so much interferes with the management of Indians as to remove them from their accus toned haunts. And we venture the predic tion that if the agency is removed these h. dians will never stay in new place until another war has conquered and compelled them to it.

 It is matter of deep regret that those in authority should have deemed it policy to disturb them in their peaceable relations which it has cost millions to establish, be- sides so many hundreds of valuable lives, and we can but feel that there is a fatal mis- understanding of the situation or such a thing would never have been thought of.

 We earnestly hope Col. Dudley's intelli- gent investigations will place the matter in its true light before the Commissioner, and that this unfortunate order may be rescinded, thereby averting the impending danger of  another war. It has been suggested, with out due consideration perhaps, that this dis turbance of the peaceful relations of the h. dians is meditated in retaliation for attacks, which the Commissioner or Secretary have deemed unwarranted, on the Indian Bureau or its agents, from citizens of the Territory. This view We are not prepared to accept for the reason that we never saw a people more ready to accord justice to any and all depart ments of the Government than those of Ari- zona, and little investigation must have proven it to the agents of the Bureau. Individuals in and out of the Indian service may quarrel, and one is as likely to be in the wrong as another, but it is not reasona- ble to believe gentleman holding an honor able commission under the Government of the United States wonld allow individual iealousies to interfere with the adminstra ton of an important trust that involved the safety of the lives and property ofthousands. No, the better opinion is that the Depart ment is mistaken in the necessities of the case, and is not aware oS, the hazard it runs in removing the Indians now at peace. We hope better cousels will prevail.