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Show - - - . - REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIES. Doses of the Government. and such interference on the oart of the Ro. ;uauC'atl~oliesi ~w;i~ r i s e n~~'~d ennort lryrm u i ~ ~ t etnor p n~riuees ucht.@rc~, but from rhc incou~nntibilitve xit;ti~~l,)ae rne e~a ~st rict adberenre to ~ : I ~ I I . I religioussystem aria any p<orisiou for public schools other thau those taught by themselves. At the seven aerncies assienecl to the careof the Catholics,no restric- I tion has been plicecl upon tceir SJ-stem and methods of edicntion, and. no other religions body, so far as am aware, has in any way atte~npted, to interfere. I re.e. r et to sav that this is not trne. so far as the C'ilthnl~cs. :ire eonrcrne~lo, f nu111eo f r11ea ,oen~.icsnsaignedto orher ~.eliyiouI. J I~~I I I~S, r~ndi l l some instau<:est he illterit.reuee hiis been ;I ~nnteri;il1 1111iIera11teoc the ?forts of this O&t:r throoab its nrrllts to brink Indiitrls t~nderc on. trol, and to enforce rules lookiEg towah civilization. INDIAN CIVILIZATIOK. The auest,ion of Indian civilization is deeper and broader than is to be touud ill the i r ~ q ~n~ ~ ra~lytsd w rr as to \rl~;tlirr an 111dia1c1a ll bueiv-ilized. The rj~restioni n that form hnl bce~l 1t111gs iuro answerell, and t l ~ oO IIIS ti>r~ure ~~lniuinwp.l1 i1.b is of or;lcti(:nl interest to the A~n e r i c a~~ peol)~e,'re~;~ttoe sth e i~; l ' i t~owdl ~~i ( .Li r e esstmrii~it o ituy exte~lilcila nd sue{.esstill rtlit1.t for that r11i1. 1 believe thilt the present ~innatisf.i(:. to1.y co~lilitioni n n-hiell ln~l i a~olfs this C O I I I I ~ ~aJr e st111f o u~~ndo,t witb. s taui l i~~thge lnrgi, and i~~r r r a s i nilcur laga of InoneS nl~ielit he G I I V ~ ~ I I . lnrnt I I ~ I Sb een ~ n a l i i ~fo~r gn I~alf:crl~rur.,vis, <tile to the fjct that 11.r thr the larcrcst i~ortiono f the e r~~e u~l i r~hlalvves i leer~n ~adew i l h no pr;wti. cal ref<rence to the question of civilization. Au annuity in money or blankets, or bacon and beef, may hare a tendency to draw the Indians withio the reach of the Gor.ernment, and prepare them fbr the begin-ning of a work of civilization, and also to render them disinclined to take up arms and go upon the mar.path. But with any tribe a few rears of this treatment is snfficient for the purpose, and after this end has been gained, a coutinuatiou of the-feeding and clothiup, without a reference to further improvement on the part of the Indians, is simply a waste of expenditnre. This has been the case with a large portion of the money spent upon Indial~s during the last fifty J-ears. It is trne tbat the letter of treaties may h a v ~be en complied with b~' soche x-penditures, and thus the credit of the nation saved it1 form. But the suiritof thetreaties.whioh uniformlvlooked toward the civilizationof the li~dianub, as hreo cli<regilrdrtl, i l l t6at no re;lsonal!lr lnerhodu have bee11 drrisrd and adopretl for j~ro~aotinrgi~ ilization. Tbis is nlunil'cut ~ I U I the filer thi~tt he ooestion h:ls not bee11 laide~la s to wllrther all ludiun should be tiobjrete'd to n systeln of enfortled industry, aud no pliin has been d ~ v i s el~olo ki~~togw nrd his rlnration, by bringing to bear opon l l i n ~ the ordioar.~io otivrs of induritrs,, \r.l~icha re foun~ii u tbe r e s~~u n s~l~i l i t i e~ that attach-to self-snpport and individual manhood. This negligence or long continued disregard of the main question relative to Inilians has largely resulted from the theory adopted from the bee inn in^ as to the oolitical status of Indians. Thev have been treated as if gapable of ac6ng for themselvesin the crtpacity"of a, nation, whereas all history shows no record of a tribe, within our republic. able to assume and continue the character and relations of s sovereign people. There niay hare been a, reason in the weakness of the early colonies, and far superior numbers of their Indian fbes, for recognizing thia condition of Indian sorereigntx. But tbat has long since passed away, and there is no longer ally occasion for recognizing the tribes wb@ |
