| OCR Text |
Show 1 ~ 2 . INDIANS OF NEW MEXICO. by all the great writers on the law of nature and of nations. To feed and clothe these Indians, either wholly or partially, is an expensive operation, or to distribute annual or occasional presents among them. It is a policy that promises no results beyond the simple fact of keep-ing them quiet for the time being. As long as this policy is contin-ued their peace can doubtless be purchased, and they thus kept quiet; but it only postpones the evil day. At the expiration of a given time it leaves the Indians in the same condition as that in which we found them, excepting that they are more clamorous and i m p o ~ t ~ u iant ~ their demands upon us. No progress is made in their c~vilization, and they still remain as before, strangers to labor and industry. Consequently, our policy should gofurther than simply making dona-tions to them. The attempt should he made, at as early a day as practicable, of inducing them to till and cultivate the soil. This cannot be done at once, but must be done gradually, and will require time; but should be persisted in until success or failure is clearly manifested. In order to bring about consummation of this policy it will be necessary to concentrate and to hring together the several tribes (that is, the members of each tribe should be drawn tog~thera, nd not the tribes, because the different tribes would not harmonize, whilst individuals of the same tribe would) into a smaller area, as the coun-try now occupicd by these Indians is an extensive one, embracing several hundred miles from north to south, as well as from east to west, with the Mexican settlements strung along somewhat in the centre from Dona Ana to Taos, which makes our intercourse with these Indians very expensive and difficult, and affords them ample facilities to carry on their predatory excursions with comparative impunity. Our chancesfor detecting and punishing them are greatly lessened by reason of their sparse settlements and great scope of country over which they roam, which is generally rugged and mountainous, and which is a great advantage to them, and disadvantage to us. This is so manifest that it only requires an inspection of the map of New Mexico to verify it. Hence I sugge t the policy of concentrating and collecting together these Iudians (that is, each tribe to itself) into a smaller circle. Todo thisinvolves thefurtherpolicy of establishing farms and ranchos in that part of their country adapted to agricultu-ral pursuits, where the effort should he made to induce them to culti-vate the soil. This ahould be done by degrees, and will require time to consummate it. Inducements should be held out and given to those who lay down the bow and arrow to take up the axe and the hoe. Discrimination should be made against those who refuse to join in thjs enterprise and in favor of those who do. To insure success in thls undertaking, a few mechanics and farmers, and other laborers, should be employed to manage and teach the Indians how to labor, and should constantly he with them; all of which would of course be un-der the control, supervision, and management of the different agents. The military force of the Territory should be so distributed and loca-ted as to give the necessary protection, and at the same time to aid and co-operate with the civil authorities of the Indian department. This scheme would involve a very slight increase of expenditure over that which has been heretofore made in this Territory. Agencies |
