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Show RT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. and so to manage it as to provide for the largest What is true of Inclians in the Chippewas in Bfinnesota. 1 with some qnaliticatious of ? I recommend that legislation be sought from Congress looliir~gt oward the dirorcement of the United States and Indians as "citizens of a domestic sovereignty within our borders," and the transfer of the ; Indians and their property to the States where they reside, as rapidly as both the States and the Indians are prepared therefor ; but the pro- I visions of such legislation should be specitic as to the States, and uot ' I , in general terms. i. I TRAKSFER OF THE INDIAN BUREAU TO THE WAR DEPARTXENT. I A qnestion has beell raised in many forms duriug the rear as t~ the exnediencv of trausferrirle the Iudiau Bureau from the Interior to the ~ i~erpi r t mel r t .I u 1863 this subject ma8 quite thoroughly discussed, and is treated of a t length in the annual report of the Cum~uissior~oefr Indian Affairs for that year. During that rear, also, a peace cornl~lission was annointed bv the President. under act of Coneress. <'to remove if p o s s i ~ ith~e causes of war, to skcare as far as pragtica61e our frontier settlements and the safe building of our railroads, lookiug toward the Pacific. aud to su.e. e. .e st or inan-e irate some nlau for the cTvilization of ~ ~ I the 111~li;~us.T"I IISc or~~n~isscioo~~r~, ~paosfc rdi ght, three of \cl~on\\~.e re ei\.ilia!~su t' lnrge ;~cqrwiur;lrleu\v itll I I I I~~rl;lIaIttIe rr, and five u~ilitnr~. oflivers of high ra~rlk,t 811dm ost f:~r~riliw;~irth thc subject oi n l~iclrt l~r y treated, after r-isitilk: ar~tlr ~~n k itrr~e;g~ tiesw it11 the must warlikt* a~rtl 1 u n r ~ ~ a.~ ~ a go. :f ~all~ tlhne tribcs, dc~:lartl(tlh eir ol~i~liuunr ~t lrc s u h j~t;tt i follows: '.Tl~is bring& on to eolrsitler tllr m~~ch.rnootcqdo estiou whether the 1ndru11J l~rre;i~shr ot~ldb clu~~lgo tlw civil or i r~i l i t i l l . ,d~e l~ilrtr~reorf~ tt l~e G o r r ~ r r ~ n rT. o cletrl.n~ir~Itl.l is i~rolwrlvw e most first kuow what is to Ire the future treatment of the-ln&ian"s. If we intend te have war with them, the Bureau should go to the Secretary of War. If we ~ntend to have ueace, it should be in the civil denartment. In our iudrment I nueh wa;s are'wholl?. Illlrrc~cessarya, nd hoping t l~:~thte (;ove&e;;t i111d thr cuu~~t rwyil l agree \rith 11s. \re cannot 11own dvise the clr;ingr. It is .~ tossiblet l~ati,l l dt.sl)ite ourelti)l.tr; to maiutilin iwacc, \\.ar I I I ~ Vb e fi~rccd ;n us by soie trib6 or tribes of Iugians. In ihe &ent of such occur-rence, it may be well to provide, io the revision of the irit.ercourse laws or elsewhere, at what time the ciril jurisdiction shall cease! and the mil-itary jurisdiction begin. If thought advisabl?, also, Congress may authorize the President to turn over to the mrlltary the exclnsive con- ~' trol of such tribes as tnay becontinually hostile or nnmenageable. Uuder I the olans which we have suntzested. the chief duties of the Bureau will ~~A~ ~ 11e to edue~ttea nd i118tr11ctit; ;-~lre lx;aeeful arts-iu other \rorda, to civil. iro tho i~~~l iouTah.e 111iliturya rm ut tho Guver~rmcr~ist not the muJt a~l~oirabaldva nted to diacharee duties ol'this ch;~m~:rer.W e hare t l ~ e I highest {ossibfe appreciatiou Gf the officers of the Army, and fully rec-agnize their proverbial integrity and honor; but r e are satisfied that i not one iu a thousand would like to teach Indian children to read and 1 r write, or Indian men to sow and reap. These are emphatically civil and not military occupations. &'But it is insisted that the present Indian service is corrupt, and this change should be made to get rid of the dishonest. That thereara bad men connected with the service cannot be denied. The records ar |
