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Show REPORT OF TEIE COIIMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. DEPARTDIEONFT T HE INTERIOR, OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, Novmnher 1,1873. I have the honor, in accordance with law, to forward herewith the annual report of Indian affairs of the country. In respect to the general question of civilization of Indians, the re-cord of the year is a good one. In many of the agencies gratifying prog-ress has been made, as shown in increased interest in the education of children, a <lispositiou to labor, the desire for allotment of lands, and in the increase of stock and ordiuarv farm nrodncts. and other uersonal ~ ~ ~ ~ proprrtj. At other agencies serioll$ t'florra i n rhc, S ~ I I ~ dI .i rrrtim II;I\-C dcvelo~~emdo re decidedly the ~ l i t l i ~ ~ ~\r~hilcth~ 1e1sn i ll the \\7a.y 01' 11l'og. ress. Among these hinderances six are specially noticeable. FICTION IN INDIAN RE+ATIONS. First. Aradical hinderanee is,in the ano~nalourse pation of many of the Indian tribes to the Ciovernment, which requires thela to be treated as sovereign powers and wards at one and the same tirne. The corupara-tive weakness of the whites made it expedient, in our early history, to deal with the wild Indian tribes as with powers capable of self-protec-tion and fnlfillin~? treatv obliaations. and so a kind of fiotion and ah-sl~ nlityh aaeunle'/nto ali onr i ; ~ d i ai:~el~n tin~~s.W e h n ilk~ tl~~eor y( ~ w r sixty-five iudrl~nualentn :~rionr\, virl~ino ur borders. a i t l ~~ I J O I I I vr h ; ~ w entered into treaty relations as being sovereign peoples ;, and at the same time the white agent is sent to control and snpervise these for-. eign powers, and ca.re for then1 as wards of the Government. This double co~~ditioonf sovereiguty and wardship involves increasing dif-ficult. ies and absurdities, as the t,raditional chieftain, losing his hold upon his tribe, ceases to he distiugushed for anything except for the lion's share of goods and moneys which the Government endeavors to send, through him, to his nominal subjects, and. as the ~~ecessitieosf the Indians, pressed on every side by civili~ationr,e quire more help and greater discr~mination in the ruaqrler of distribliting the tribal funds. So far. and as rauidlv as oossible. all recoanitioa of Indians in aov other relation tha; st,pictlya s subjects of t,he"~overnmeusth ould cease. To provide for this, radical legislation will be required. EVILS OF PAYMENTS BY CASH ANNUITIES. The second hinderance, growing directly out of the first, is found in the form in which the beuefactions of the Government reach the In-dian. In treaties heretofore made with many of the tribes, large suais |