OCR Text |
Show '1 6 'REPORT OF THE 00JIM18SIONER OF IiYDIAN AFFAIRS. j . , ,. . (5) Jnstice.-The charge most frequently brought, against the Amer- . ican people in reference to their dealings with the Indians is that of injng-tice. This charge is sometimes flippantly made, and oftentimes rests npon no historical basis, and yet it is unfortunately true that the impres- - sion widely prevails in the popular mind and is deeply rooted in the mind of the Indians that treaties hare been brokeu and that the Government : h a failed in numerous instances to perform its most solemn obligations. , .It certainly cannot be said that this great nation has intended to be , . unjust, and recent acts o€ legislation have shown coucluuively a desire ,. . not only on the part of Congress, but of the people of the country gen - erallfi to fulfill to the letter all the obligations, promi~aaa, nd even expectations of the Indians. I But justice is two-sided. It demands as well as concedes. While it f is desirable that we ~houldp ay the Indians to the last dollar all' that is due theru, we should expect of them the fulfill~nenot f their obligations. ' They should be held to a strict accountability for their deliberate ac-tions, and where, without provocation, they go upon the warpat.b, com-i mit outrages, destroy properl.y, or otherwise disturb the peace, they ', ' should be punished; . I t is also worthy of co~~sideratiotuh at in the past we have made agreements which later developlnents h ~ v e~h owut o be unwise and undesirable both for them and for us. S n ~ ahr e all those treaties which recoguize the autonomy and perpetual independent nationality of the ' tribes. One greitt political truth has been made absolutely clear by the . malak of ereuts, and that is that the people'ot' the United States con-stitute one tlation. There is no place within our borders for independ-ent, alien governments, and the 1ndia.n~m ust of uecessity surrender ' . their autonomy and become merged in our nationality. Iu requiring 1 this me do not auk that they concede aoything of real value to them-selves, but only that for their highest welfare they abandon their tribal organizations, their provincialisms, their isolat.ioo, and accept in lien thereof American citizenship and a full participation in all the riches of our cirilieatio~~B. y this great trausfor~uatiout hey are the gainers, rather than we,ourselves. (6) Pirmne8s.-Thonsarlds of tbem are yet in a stage of childhood; i ; -they are living iu the twilight of oiviliz&ion, weak, ignorant, super-stitious, and as little prepared to take oareof thamsel\~e$a s so many infants. It is therefore unwise, out of exoessive regard for their mau-hood, to defer wholly to their wishes with reference to what is clearly for their gootl. The allotment of land, the restriotion of the power of I alienation, the compulsory education of their children, the destruction of the tribal organization, the bestowment of citizenship, the repression of heathenish and hurtful practices, the suppression of outbreaks, and '. . punishmentfor lawlessness are among the things whioh belong uomis-takahlj to the prerogatives of the National Government. Equally evident is it that those who, by the beneficent aid of the Governmen or otherwise, hare been rendered q~pableof self-support , |