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Show I 10 REPORT OF THE .Xexico, i t would seem to beessential that there should~bea military post established at some proper point in that region. The scanty information we have in regard to the Indians of Utah is not reliable or satisfactory. It is much to be feared that they have been tampered with, and their feelings towards the United States alien-ated to such an extent by the Mormons that in any difficulties with the latter a large portion of them may be found on the side of those enemies of our government and laws. Such a state of things has been apprehended by this office for some time, as will he seen from the accompanying copies of reports upon the subject from the Acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs to your predecessor in 1855. The superintendent for California reports that universal peacepre-vails among the tribes throughout the State ; "that not a hostile senti-ment is entertained by the Indians in any portion of the State, and a general feeling of security pervades the entire white population." He further states that "the progress of the reservations is attended with as great a degree of success as could be expected or desired by the most sanguine friends of that system ;" that "the Indians perform with entire willingness all the labor required ;" and that " the progress they have made in acquiring a knowledge of the pursuits of industry is remarkable, and in the highest degree encouraging to the friends of the system of subsisting Indians by their own labor." Among other interesting evidences of this good result he cites the fact that, at the Nome-Lackee reservation, the wheat crop of this year, con-sisting of over ten thousaudhushels, was entirely harvested, threshed, sacked, and hauled to the storehouse by the Indians, attended only by two white men as overseers. An extreme drought has cut off the crops on the reservations in the aonthern part of the State, and additional expense may have to be incurred to save the Indians from suffering from that cause, which every effort is being made to prevent. Five reservations in all have been established, viz : Sebastian or Tejou, Klamath, Nome-Lackee, Mendocino, and Fresno farm, on which about 11,239 Indians have been colonized, and are in course of being successfully trained to habits of industry. From the represen-tations of the superintendent, there must be a marked difference in the habits and condition of those who have settled in the reservations and those who have not yet submitted themselves to this beneficent plan for their preservation and improvement, A most reprehensible practice has prevailed to some extent in Cali-fornia of kidnapping Indian children and selling them for servants. This practice has been confined to a few persons, and I am happy to say that it has hcen condemned and discountenanced by the great mass of the people. There have, however, been some difficulties grow-ing out of i t ; but energetic measures having been adopted by the government to suppress it, and some of the parties engaged in it having been convicted and sent to the penitentiary, it is believed that there will not be a renewal of these troubles. A large number of claims liave been presented for payment for sup-plies furnished the Indian service in California during the years 1851 and 1852, which have not been paid for want of appropriations, but |
