| OCR Text |
Show 14 REPORT OF THE of the United States, for a year or two, until they can be induced to turn their attention to agriculture and the raising of stock, and thus provide for their own subsistence. The duty of making the necessary explorations of the country, and of selecting and surveying the hound-aries of the reservations, was confided to R. 8. Neighbors, the princi-pal agent of the department in Texas, and to Captain R. B. Marcy, of the army, who were instructed to make'a joint report of the result of their proceedings, with the plats of 'the reservations. At the last accounts the surveys had not been comljleied, and their report has conseqnently not beenreceived. The important measure of thus col-onizing these Indians will, when consummated, place them more fully under our control, and have a tendency to prevent the depreda-tions and outrages from which the border-citizens of Texas have so long suffered. Conventional arrangements are necessary with all the Indians in New Mexico and Utah, except the Pue.blos, for the purpose of fixing them in proper locations, and of giving to the department such influ-ence and control over them as will enable it, as far as possible; to confine them thereon, and to induce them to resort to agriculture and kindred pursuits, instead of relying, as they now do, for support upon the uncertain and precarious supplies of the chase; and when that fails, upon the more hazardous and injurious practice of theft and plunder. Our citizens ought to have proper protection from Indian depredations; but in the present State a;f things in these two Territo-ries, this is impossible. All the military force that could be sent there could not prevent such depredations, othei.wise than by the extermina-tion of the Indians. Without implemehts or stock, and untaught and unassisted in the art ofhushandry, they cannot support themselves otherwise than they do. When, as is often the case, the chase does not supply their necessities, they must steal or starve. They must either subsist to a considerable extent by plundering the white inhab-itants, or they will have to be exterminated; or else they must be colonized in suitable locations, and, to some extent at least, be sub-sisted by the government, until they can be trained to such habits of industry and thrift as will enable them to sustain themselves. This system is in progress in California with some prospect of success. It is. about being comn~encedi n Texas, and its adoption in New Mexico and Utah should he no longer delayed. Though expensive at first, its cost will 'not equal the amount of the losses sustained by our citi-zens from the depredations of these Indians. The governor of New Mexico estimates the cost of putting this sys-tsm in operation in that Territory at $67,500 for the first two years, $40,000 for the third, and $30,000 for each of several succeeding years. He reports the amount of losses sustained by the white population of the Territory duriDTg the year past, at about $112,000. That the obligations of Christia~duty,a s well as the dictates of humanity, demand the efficient actidn of the government. must be too obvious to require ,lincusnion. We bnvc to some cxtent't~kenp osuensiun id' the lands of theat. Indians. driven them from their cherished restinn-ulaveu. and destroyed the gime, their only means of support. W: ihould |
