Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1873.djvu/6

686 On these reservations they can be taught, as fast as possible, the arts of agriculture, and such pursuits as are incident to civilization, through the aid of the Christian organizations of the country now engaged in this work, co-operating with the Federal Government. Their intellectual, moral, and religious culture can be prosecuted, and thus it is hoped that humanity and kindness may take the place of barbarity and cruelty. Second; whenever it is found that any tribe or band of Indians persistently refuse to go upon a reservation and determine to continue their nomadic habits, accompanied with depredations and outrages upon our frontier settlements, then the policy contemplates the treatment of such tribe or band with all needed severity, to punish them for their outrages according to their merits, thereby teaching them that it is better to follow the advice of the Government, live upon reservations and become civilized, than to continue their native, habits and practices. Third, it is the determination of this policy to see that all supplies of every kind, whether of food or clothing, purchased for distribution to Indians, upon reservations and remaining at peace with the Government, are procured at fair and reasonable prices, so that the Indian meriting such supplies may receive the same without being the funds of the Government squandered in their purchase. Fourth; it is the purpose of the Government, as fast as possible, through the instrumentality and by the advice and assistance of the various religious organizations, and by all other means within its power, to procure competent, upright, faithful, moral, and religious agents to care for the Indians that go upon reservations; to distribute the goods and provisions that are purchased for them by the benevolence of the Government; to aid in their intellectual, moral, and religious culture, and thus to assist in the great work of humanity and benevolence, which the policy aims to accomplish. Fifth; it is the further aim of the policy to establish schools, and, through the instrumentality of the Christian organizations acting in harmony with the Government, as fast as possible, to build churches and organize Sabbath-schools, whereby these savages may be taught a better way of life than they have heretofore pursued, and be made to understand and appreciate the comforts and benefits of a Christian civilization, and thus be prepared ultimately to assume the duties and privileges of citizenship. These are the aims and purposes of the peace policy, briefly stated, and must commend themselves to every right-minded citizen as in keeping with the duty of a powerful, and intelligent nation towards an ignorant and barbarous race providentially thrown upon it for control and support.

It was not, of course, to be expected that so radical a change in the management of widely-scattered bands of roving Indians, whose only restriction hitherto had been their own capricious inclinations, and who roamed at will oyer vast regions of country, could he effected without resistance on their part and a show of force on the part of the Government. Such a result was never anticipated, even by the most sanguine