ing the year 1877, contributed for educational and other purposes, among all the tribes except the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole Indians, the sum of $70,114, as follows: For education, $33,950; for all other purposes, $36,164. The statistics in the annual report of the Indian office, for the year 1877, are authority for this statement.

From the same report, it is shown that many tribes have not a single missionary among them. Those thus situate number, in the aggregate, from 60,000 to 70,000 souls! This is a sad story. The annual contributions made for missionary purposes, by the membership of the various religious denominations in the United States, amount to millions of dollars. The mere statement of this fact, in connection with the other fact that, of the vast sum contributed, the mission boards of the various denominations set off barely $70,000 per year for school and mission work among our native heathen-is well calculated to produce profound surprise. That such cold indifference should exist in the Christian world toward these hapless people, is a source of deep regret.

With reference to the protection of the person and property of each Indian, and to provide for the punishment of such members of the tribe as trespass upon his farm, as well as for the punishment of minor offenses committed by one Indian against another, within the reservation, a brief and simple code of regulations, with proper penalties, prepared by the department, and adopted by the Indians in council, will be all sufficient; and an Indian police, limited in number, will suffice to give efficiency and force to them; and thus order will be preserved. Then, Congress should, in good faith, by appropriate legislation, fulfill the pledge made in the ordinance of 1787, and pass such laws, "founded in justice and humanity," as may be necessary to protect the Indian race "in their property, rights, and liberty." Every senti

The fact

ment of justice demands that this be done at once. that nearly a century has passed since this ordinance was adopted, and that no adequate legislation has been provided, in pursuance of it, to guarantee to the Indian his rights, is a burning shame. Let there be no further delay. The present laws for the protection of the Indians from intrusion, trespass, and personal injury by lawless whites, are wholly inadequate. The attention of Congress has repeatedly been called to this fact. It is true that it is made the duty of the military arm, in certain cases, to remove intruders from the Indian lands, but this duty is seldom discharged. On the contrary, the troops have been frequently used to punish the Indians, because they did not quietly submit to wrong and oppression, and the invasion of their rights and territory. Unlawful expeditions into the Indian reservations have been made, under the protection and escort of our troops-such, for instance, as the invasion of the Black Hills, in 1874, guarded by troops, with Gattling guns, under command of Gen. Custer. He acted under the authority of his superiors, and with the knowledge of the interior department. This expedition was not to put down any insubordination among the Sioux, nor was it authorized by Congress. It was simply a gold-hunting invasion, and invited miners into the Hills. The next year, owing to the dissatisfaction of the Sioux, Gen. Crook was sent there to drive out the intruders, who, by the bad example set them in 1874, had rushed in; but his sympathies were with the invaders, and his troops were finally turned upon the Indians; and thus began the Sioux war of 1876.

To obtain from Congress appropriate legislation, and the passage of such laws as will effectually protect our Indian wards in all their personal and property rights, will be a difficult matter. If the people, however, who are the source of power, take hold of the subject with that earnestness which

its importance demands, and make known to their servants what their wishes are, the result will be accomplished. To give force and vigor to the administration of Indian affairs, the bureau should be emancipated from the interior as well as the war department. The secretary of the interior is now burdened with the vast business and duties of five distinct bureaus, viz., pension, land, patent, education, and Indian. He can not give to the latter that patient attention, and bestow upon it the labor, its importance demands, and which is absolutely necessary. Of themselves, the business and duties of the Indian bureau are sufficient to engross the entire time, attention, and labor of one possessed of the highest grade of executive ability. No other work should disturb his mind, or occupy his time. On this subject, the peace commission.

of 1867-8 said:

"We believe the Indian question to be one of such momentous importance, as respects both the honor and the interests of the nation, as to require for its solution an undivided responsibility. The vast and complicated duties now devolved upon the secretary of the interior, leave him too little time to examine and determine the multiplicity of questions necessarily connected with the government of a race. The same may be said of the secretary of war. As things now are, it is difficult to fix responsibility. When errors are committed, the civil department blames the military; the military retort by the charge of inefficiency and corruption against the officers of the bureau. The commissioner of Indian affairs escapes responsibility by pointing to the secretary of the interior, while the secretary may well respond that, though in theory he may be responsible, practically he is governed by the head of the bureau. We, therefore, recommend that Indian affairs be committed to an independent department."

The Sioux commission of 1876, in referring to the evils existing in the management of Indian affairs, said:

"We submit that the remedy for these evils is not to be found by again placing the care of the Indians in the war department. It had this duty for near three-quarters of a century, and during the whole period there is no page in the history of our Indian management upon which our recollection can linger with emotions of pleasure. Our Indian affairs should be managed by an independent department. It ought to have at its head one of the first men of the nation, whose recommendations would be heeded, and who, as a member of the cabinet, could confer with the heads of the war and interior departments, and devise such wise and just plans as would equally protect the rights of the Indians and our own citizens. The head of the interior department is now burdened with five distinct bureaus. He can not give to Indian affairs that patient attention which is necessary to success. The war department, as its name indicates, is unsuited for the work of civilization. Officers of the army are not fitted, by inclination or training, to teach Indian children to read and write, or Indian men to sow and reap."

In the tables of statistics, accompanying the report of the commissioner of Indian affairs, for 1878, it is stated that the number of Indians who wear citizen's dress is 127,450. Of these 61,467 are males, and 65,983 are females. The number of houses occupied by Indians is 23,060. Of schools, there are among the Indians 60 boarding and 306 day schools. The number of scholars attending these schools is 12,222. Of these, 6,631 are males and 5,591 are females. The number of children of school age is estimated at 49,200. In this estimate some tribes are not reported. The actual number of school age in all the tribes is probably 55,000. The number

There was ex

Of this sum,

The number

of Indians who can read is stated at 41,300. pended for education during the year $353,125. the five civilized tribes appropriated $137,775. of church buildings, including those among the five civilized tribes, in the "Indian Territory," is 219; and the number of missionaries, including such as are among the five tribes referred to, is 226.

The five civilized tribes cultivated during the year 245,000 acres of land; the product from which was 494,400 bushels of wheat, 2,642,000 bushels of corn, 201,000 bushels of oats and barley, 320,000 bushels of vegetables, and 116,500 tons of hay. They own 40,000 horses, 4,750 mules, 236,000 cattle, 173,000 hogs, and 25,500 sheep.

Other Indian tribes than the five referred to cultivated during the year 128,018 acres of land; the product from which was 266,100 bushels of wheat, 971,303 bushels of corn, 172,697 bushels of oats and barley, 315,585 bushels of vegetables, 36,943 tons of hay, 193 tons of melons, and 697 tons of pumpkins. There were 22,319 acres of new land broken during the year, and 128,056 rods of fencing made. There were during the year 2,351 allotments of land made to fullblooded Indians. The Indians other than the five tribes owned 176,766 horses, 4,479 mules, 52,867 cattle, 27,671 hogs, and 510,674 sheep.

Other results from Indian labor were 8,100,630 feet of lumber sawed, 132,888 cords of wood cut, 200,600 shingles made, 387,000 pounds of maple sugar made, 146,000 pounds of wild rice gathered, 17,000 woolen blankets and shawls made, 2,530 willow baskets made, 3,800 cords of hemlock bark peeled for sale, 211,000 pounds of wool sold, and 3,600 barrels of fish sold.

When we call to mind the fact that by the treaties of 1867-8 with the Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapahoe, the Comanche,