Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1877 — The Indian Question—Recommendations of Sec’y Schurz. [ARTICLE]

The Indian Question— Recommendations of Sec’y Schurz.

The Secretary of the Interior devotes a considerable portion of his annual report to the discussion of the Indian policy. After reviewing the events of the year, such as the Sioux and Nez-Perpcs wars, trie flight of Sitting Bull, and tlic visit of the Commissioners. Sec’y •Schurz makes the following retnarks on the Indian ixilicy: While some progress lias tieen made In the adjustment of difficulties, and the danger of disturbance on a large scale seems remote, it would lie upwise to lose sight of the lesson taught by experience, that In these things appearances nre sometimes deceptive, and that the general condition of our Indian affairs is by no means satisfactory. It is useless to disguise the fact that n perfect solution of the Indian problem—that is to say, so complete an absorption of the Indians In our social and jxiliticafsystem that they no longer appear as an incongruous and troublesome element —Is, in our day at least, fraught with perplcxitlei which cannot lio solved by a mere stroke of legislation. We are frequently reminded of the fact that the character of our Indians does not materially differ from that of the Indians in the British Possessions on this Continent, and that, nevertheless, peace and friendly relations are maintained there between the Indians and the whites. That Is true; but the condition of things in the British Possessions is, in some verv important respects, essentially different from that which exists in the United States, in the British Possessions the bulk of the Indian population occupy an immense area, almost untouched by settlements of whites. In that area the Indians may roam about in full freedom without danger of collision, and the abundance of fish and game furnishes them comparatively ample sustenance. The line dividing the Indians and the whites can be easily controlled by a well-organized body of police, who maintain peace and order, but, in the United States, we have no longer a dividing line. The Indian frontier has virtually disappeared. There are still other complications aggravating this condition of things. Theearly Colonists on this Continent saw in the Indian tribes surrounding them a formidable power, and naturally entered with them into formal treaty relations. That system has come by inheritance down to our days, when the Indians, under a radical change of circumstances, appear at the same time as independenttribes, as National wards and assubjeets. Taking all these things together, the interspersion of white settlers, reckless adventurers, and more or less wild Indians in one another’s way, the anomalous and, in some of its features, absurd treaty system, with its ever changing finalities, its frequent deceptions, unavoidable misunderstandings, and incessant disappointments, the temptations to fraud and peculation in furnishing and distributing supplies, the careless and blundering management of agents removed from immediate supervision, the sometimes accidental, sometimes culpable, non-fulfillment of promises and engagements, the distress and suffering ensuing therefrom, and the comparatively lawless, uncontrollable condition of societj- in that part of the country which the bulk of the Indian jxipulation inhabits, we'find in the Indian question an array of difficulties, complications and perplexities—a complete solution of which in a short period of time seenis unattainable. In my opinion, our efforts should be mainly directed to the following points: 1. T’he first tiring necCTsarristhat wfrshould

1. iIJC JIIDV 111 1 » l.tlliuv ~X. AA.V-VA.K. keep good faith with the Indians in every respect. We should never promise them more than we are able and willing to perform, and then perform what we have promised. 2. The pursuit of hunting is as much as possible to be discouraged among the Indians. The excitement of the chase stimulates their warlike propensities. When the Indians cease to be hunters they will, in a great measure, ce-ase to be warriors. To tlite end they should be permitted to possess only a limited supply of arms and ammunition, and their ponies should be exchanged as much as practicable for cattle. 8. As a number of Indian tribes are still depending in part, at least, upon hunting for their sustenance, their wants must be provided for tn another way. They should b« gradually gathered upon a smaller number ol reservations, where agriculture and cattleraising can be carried on with success, and where they can easily be supplied with theii neeessarisS until they are self-sustaining. The Indian Territory has room for most of the Southwestern tribjs, which should be gradually located there as they come under control of the Government. One or two reservations in the Northwest this side of the Mountains, and a similar consolidation ol reservations on the Pacific slope, to be determined on after more minute Inquiry into local circumstances, will accommodate the Northern Indians. The interspersion of Indians and whites, which is so apt to lead to troublesome collisions, can, in this way, be considerably limited, and greater facilities will be afforded for the promotion of civilization. 4. While Indians cannot be expected to becomesuccessful farmers at once, several tribes have already made appreciable progress in that respect, arid others are likely to do so under favorable circumstances and judicious management. 5. The enjoyment and pride of the individual ownership of property being one of the most effective civilization agencies, tiie allot.ment of small tracts of land should be made to the heads of families on all reservations, to be held in severalty, under proper restrictiops, so that they may have fixed homes. 6. To protect "the security of life and property among the Indians the laws of the United States, to be enforced 'by proper tribunals, shoiSd‘'i>ux i .<rt!l«ffetf Wei s tne rfeseHatiilns, ana a body of police, composed of Indians, and subject to the orders of the Government officers, should be organized on each of them. It is a matter of experience that Indians thus trusted with official duty can almost uniformly be depended on in point of fidelity and efficiency. « 7. The establishment of schools for the instruction of the young is gradually being extended among the Indian tribes under our control as far as practicable. The attendance of Indian children should be made compulsory. One of the most important points is that they should be taught to speak ana read the English language. Efforts have been made to establish ana teach the grammar of Indian dialects, and to use books printed in those dialects as a means of instruction. This is certainly a very interesting and meritorious philological work, but, as far as the education of Indian children is concerned, the teaching of the English lamguage must be considered infinitely more'useful. If Indian children are to be civilized, they must learn the language of civilization. In this way a young generation may be raised up far more open to civilizing influences of a higher kind, and more tit for a peaceful and profitable intercourse with the white people. 8. At many of the agencies farmers are employed and salaried by the Government, but in some, if not in most cases, the farms have been worked by white men merely to raise crops for supplying the agencies and the Indians. They are to be turned to much greater advantage. The farms should be used, in the first place, for th? instruction of the youths at school. 9. On the reservations the labor of white men is to be dispensed with and Indian labor discrimination should be rcacle'in the distriKition of supplies and annuity goods, nnd the granting of favors bet ween those who work and those who live as idle vagabonds, so that honest effort might be encouraged by tangible recognition and reward. Some of these reforms have for some time been in progress. Others are in course of preparation. Their accomplishment requires time and patient labor, and above all things, an honest and efficient Indian Service. The Indian Service has. in some of its branches, long been the subject of popular siMpieion.

Without attracting undue Importance to vague rumors or allegations, it must be said that frequent investigations have shown that suspicion to be not without good reason. Inquiries instituted by myself since I was charged with the conduct of this Department have convinced me of this fact. As a result of such inquiries, presumptive evidence of fraudulent practices of a gross character have been senfito the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution, as well as civil action,