Abstract

The Indian Bureau Transfer

The evidence taken by the Joint Committee which has in charge the consideration of the proposed transfer of the Indian Bureau to the War Department, promises, when published in full, to be of a good deal of interest. As far as it has gone it shows that the question is surrounded by difficulties of which the public have little knowledge. If there can be said to he any public opinion in the civilized portions of the country on the Indian question, it may be described on the one hand as regarding the Indian with a spirit of philanthropic benevolence, on the other as looking upon the system of government applied to him with profound distrust. The majority of the people and their representatives in U.S. Congress without question wish well to the savages and would gladly have the best care taken of them, and have them civilized and converted from nomads into industrious citizens.