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Show 20 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. the Indians, it had been nnderstood that the War Depa~tmentw ould, as it was supposed that by its established facilities it best conld. furnish the su.nn. l ies and tr&sportation referred to ; but tbnt department at a late day declined to do so, and this office was obliged to obtain estimates from Maior General Curtis and other gentlemen whose judgment could he relied upon, ahd secure a special ap-propriation from Congress. I deem it proper to state this fact, in justice to this office and to the department, which has advised and directed in all the steps takeu in this matter, but do not wish to be understood as casting any reflections upon the War Department, which doubtless had good reasons for its course. It gives me great pleasure to state that, for the most p a ~ ti,n deed almost withcnt ex-cevtion, the relations between the civil and militarv officers unon tlre frontier. ne- ~ ~~ .~~ co-nrily tlrrowtt intu cunut:ri~~inn lndian n1311e;s during tire year, have been of t l ~ it~ lostc ol.did rlnarar~er,a 115 ihnt OI IT euperi~r~endrla~ntds: tr:nrs !lave lrnd frequent occasions to express their thanks t o military eomrnan~ersf or prompt and efficient assistance. I t is very desirable, however, that the extent to which military officers are bound to render such assistance should be more clearly de-fined ; for in some eases officers hesitate to assume the responsibility of affording it; while, as to others, the existing laws only go so far as to indicate that the mil-itary may render aid by direction of fhe President, au appeal to whom would be in vain for cases of pressing and immediate need, on account of the time ne-ceesarily occupied in the correspondence. The large amount of hack pay and bounty due to Indian soldiers enlisted in the United States army, and to the heirs of those who have deceased, has ren-dered it necessary to adopt some rules and regulations by which those funds could reach, with certainty, the persons entitled to them, and it is thought that the present arrangements are sufficient for the purpose. At one time within the year a special agent of the department conveyed to the Cherokee country and paid to the claimants some $9,500, awarded through the proper department, giving much needed relief to many suffering Indiaus. Additional bonds have heeu required of the agents, and they have been constituted guardians of the minor heirs of deceased Indian soldiers, and instructed as to receiving and using the funds received in their behalf to the best advantage of those interested. Special efforts have been made for the improvement of our Indian schools, and by correspondence with the var io~~susp erintendents and agents, and special investigations in numerous cases, this office has sought to learn the precise con-dition of the schools, and tbus to arrive at iust conclusions as to what is neces-eary for their irnprove~ntrot. Parricnlitrly 10;13 thi? Lct,n tlw cane as tu the arlit~uls iu Rausna and Sebrarkn, tlrr most acceadible nl all; but the murc dintnnt aum-cies have not heeu forg~tten, and such action as has been taken will be ;en-tioned under the proper heads in the subsequent part of this report. An earnest endeavor has been made to awaken or revive the interest of officers and teach-ers in the work of educating the children of the Indians, as the only means of saving any considerable portion of the race from the life and death of heathen. That the labor of reclaiming the AmeCcan Indian is more difficult than that re-lating to any other race, is the universal testimony of those who have devoted themselves most earnegtly to it; and the reasons for this state of things do not alone inhere in the nature of the Indians, but arise to a grcat extent from the character of the whites with whom they are brought into contact upon thefron-tier, who are too often unprincipled and reckless, devoid of shame, looking upon an Indian an a fair object of plunder, and disgracing their race and color. It ia only to he wondered at that so much good has been accomplished, and there are many cases.of great encouragement to the sincere philanthropist and Dhrist,ian. I t has been the endeavor of this office to aid in this good work, and much has already been accomplished, and the way opened for still further progress in the right direction. An examination into the merits of the German Kindergarten system, which |
