OCR Text |
Show PRAOTIOAL CONOLUSIOPTS. It seems to me that since the Government has assumed the guardi-anship of the Indian tribes, and has for years, by direct Oongressioual enactments, coutrolled their affairs and cared for and protected the Indians themselves, it should now take some steps which will take away from all Indian tribes absolutely their character as nations, and bring them completely and fully under snbjection to its laws. From the foregoing discussion of the political status of the Indians t seems to me the following praotical conclusions may be drawn : the whole course of our history the Indians of this n treated as separate communities, sustaining excep-a1 relat,ions to us. They have been iegerded as having relations ctly with the General Governmint alone andnot indirectly through, the States 01. to the States. Second. That the fictiou of regarding them as independent peoples has been displaced by the theory of regarding and treating them as wards of the General Government. Third. That the purpose of the Government, as has been made more to change their status from that Of wardship to that of citi- Fourth. That duriug the transition period and until the completion of their citizenship they should be regarded as subject to the laws of the General Government aud under its care and guardianship. In this connection I submit that the time has come for establishing .. laws and courts among the Indians under the anthority of the General Government. In doing this it wonld seem wise that them laws should he assimilated in each case to those of the State or Territory in which the reservation is situated, and that any system of courts shonld build upon the existing courts of Indian offenses.* Fifth. That the time has come for a declaration by Congress to the effect that hereafter it will not recognize the Indians as competent to at in our dealings with them they shall be treated not as nts, but as subject and dependent people, capable, of course, of insurrection, rioting,or disturbance of the peace, bnt not of waging war. Sixth. That the General Government has the right, both for its own protection, for the promotion of the public welfare, and for the good of the lodians, not orily to establish schools in which their children may he prepared for citizenship, but also to use whatever force may be necessary tosecnre tothe Indianchildrt-n the beneiit of these institutions. Even in the cases where, by taking their lands in severalty, they are in S e e referonce to case in United States court of Plentv Horses. wholkilled!Lieut. Casey, page 131. Promthedeoision ofthe conrt in this caw it would seem that Indian tribesatill retain their statns of qusai-independent nationn, oapshle ofmaintaining s state of war with the United States. notwithtitendin-e the re la ti one hi-^ of e-n srdian and ward that has cams to be recognized ss s~~bs i s t inbegt ween the United:Strrtos:and the tr~hesw ithin it8 limits. |