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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRR. 7 TEE QUESTION OF THE TRANSFER OF TEE INDIAN BUREAU TO TEE WAR DEPARTMENT. ' It will be seen, by.recUi.ring to the proceedings of the peace eommis-sion at its late meehng at Chicago, that a resolution was adopted recom-mending to Congress the transfer of the Indian Bureau to the War Department. In view of probable action upon that recommendation, and impelled by solemn convictions of duty, I feel called upon to offer some facts and arguments, for the consideration of Congress, in opposition to the proposed transfer, and to give some views, suggested by nearly two years' intimate official connection with the Indian service, rmth regard to the best method for the future conduct of Indian affairs. In 1849, Congress, upon the creation of the Department of the Interior, incorporated the Bureau of Indian Affairs in that department, giving to its head the supervisory and appellate powers theretofore exercised over Indian affairs by the Secretary of War. It is now proposed to re-transfer the bureau to the War Offioe. It is presumed the question for legislative solution will be three-fold: Shall the bureau be transferred to the War Department; or shall it rema,in nnder the direction of the Secretary of the Interior; or shall it be exected into an indenendent de~artment.u non an eaual footing. in all respects with the ~the fde~a r tme i tass, re&mmended;unanimoGly, by the peace commission in their report to the President of 7th January last: I shall endeavor to present some reasons against the transfer. These I proceed to offer, assuming all the time that the transfer meal18 that in future all our Indian affairs are to be administered by the army, under &.-h-ed .i rection of the War Office. ~ - My reasons in opposition are- 1. That the prompt, e.ij%ient, and successful management and direction of our Indian afairs is too large, onerous, and important a burden to be added to the &sting duties of the Secretary of Far. There is a limit to human capacity and endurance, and whe neither is taxed beyond that limit, it must fail ip the performance of its functions, and the result must be d~sappointment, and most probably disaster, to the service. The business of the War Department, in all its varied and complex ramifications, is sufficient already, if properly transacted, to employ all the faculties of the most accomplished head, even with all the aids he may summon to his assistance; and there are few men living, if any, who can give the requisite attenhon to its demands, and at the same time discharge properly and with requisite promptness the delicate, imnortant, and numerous duties the care of Indian affhirs would super-ad& - None can deny that the safe and successfnl management of the mili-tary affairs of a republic of 40,OUO,OUO of people, demands the constant a. ,nd. e~xclu~sive~ ex~erci~se of all the Dowers of an aocom~lished and ~ ~ experienced statesmin. A & A little investigation, aud even a snperficial knowledge and a little reflection. will convince even candid mind that there isno branch of the I"~blic fiehire nwre intricaie and di&c:ult, and involving lrlorc varietl sud larger p11Wic ;and private interesth, rh.8~tm r "hdiun aKairh jn uoue rco~~i r iinnr t heir control and directi~~un l u r-e r hrdin. or 3 mow ueusi-tide and-charitable heart. If these things be true, the conclusion is irresistible that the proposed dLtransfe9 is unreasonable and wrong. |