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Show REPORT OF 'THE COMMISSI6NER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. rem:bin.with us as foreigners. Their own interests, more strongly even than those of the GovernmenQrrquire that they should he recognized and treated for what they are, an ignorant and helpless people; who have a large mor;%l claim upon the United States-a debt which caunot be dis-charged by gifts of blankets and bacon, or any routine oficial care for their protection or relief. These are trifles compared with the one boon-civilization-which every considerat,ion of hutuanity requires that we shonld gire them. We hare taken from them the possibility of liv-ing in their way, and are booud in return to give them the possibility of living iu our way-an obligation we do not begin to discharge when we merely attempt to supply their wants for food and clothing. They need to be taught to take careof themselves. If any demonstration of the feasibility of this teaching is required, there are very few Indian agents now in the service who cannot, each out of hie own experience antl observation, furnish facts remarkably conclusive on this subject. An Indian is subiect to like ~ ~ s i ownitsh the rest of us. So long as he I can be~uhsimtedb j r ations or by the ol~atich, e will nor lill~or;s o innfix* he 1lrcliue8 to lahnr, he caunot take the first step in civilinatiou. 'l'h(~call I to labor must come to him, uot through memorials or treaties, councils or presents, bnt through his necessities. He must be driven to toil by cold aud the pangs of hunger. Then, when he has taken this first step toward self-support, hi8 wants, whirl1 at the beginning were registered only in his stomach, take on multiplied forms, and urge to increased industry. Naturally, when a Inan begins to toil for that which he re-orires, he begins to learn the value of personal.property rights, and thus takes the first step in separating from his tribe, and toward indi-vidual manhood. Oongress, at its last session, recognizing the propriety that Indians, like other neoole. shonld toil for what thev haw. directed that all anau-ititss S I I O U I ~h ;r&fter be pilid only in wtur11 f o r~n~nfo( *rm of labor, giv-ing, however, to the Srcretary of the lt~terior discretion which alloma thc e s emr~t i oo~f ~c ertaiu tribes frout the oocratinn of this rcstr~eriou. This emihently wise legislation has been oa great avail to the Bureau during the year in enforcing iadusDry. While in some oases it has ex-cited hostility aud produced slig.ht disturbance, it has on the whole worked wit,h eminent slltisfaction. Tlte question has been raised b.v the Indians, and sometimes by their friends. as to the right of the Government to eomuel themto labor as ;I conalitiot~o nteet.clel;i to rewiring that which thefiorernmeat hanproln ised to give them, uutl milltout :IIIJ snch restrictio~b~r ing nnluell i l l the ~won~iseB. ut whrn it is rec:oll~rtedt hat the Indian ~ ~ twd lrleyc eives that wltich tile Goverun~ent1 1;is ~~romi.seh(ilm , antl ci~joja.b eside till! br11e6t of all the Ial~orlt r perforlllg, not only ill ir* moral rtfeet it1 pro-motitlg habits of iudustw. h t ~at l s i~n the i~nmoremer~nts~ ;~(latuxd trolls raisedythere can be no hesitation as to the positive benefit conferred npon the Indian by holding him to this restriction in the enjoyment of his funds; and when it is remembered that the Government has upon its hands the care and support of these Indians, not only for the brief period covered by their treaties, but until they shall be able to care for themselves, it mill he seen that the interests of the Government, as well as those of the Indian, require that whatever expenditure is made in his behalf shall be so made as will tend most rapidly and mrtainly to his civilization. For this reason 1 would most respectfnlly racom-mend that the restrirtions placed upon a~~r,ropriationfso r auullities for Indians l ~ yth e 1;mt Cougress be l~c r~a f tcroru rin~~eadu,t l that t l ~ cdi a-crctlon ot' the Url)arimet~at s to rrleaait~ga uy tribe from its operatiunm |