Show GENERAL MORGANS VIEWS washington W march 7 recently Becent ly general morgan commissioner of indian affairs was requested by the secretary of the interior to give an expression of his views upon the communication munica muni cation tion of the governor of south dakota urging the disarming of the indians indiana in that state in reply general geu morgan states stater the reasons for disarming the indians are obvious and weighty viz to prevent them from going on the warpath karpath and quiet the fears of the white settlers sett lera in their vicinity if I 1 thought there was really serious danger of any consider 1 able number of indians going upon the war karpath warpath path or that the surest way of preventing any indians from becoming hostile was to disana all I 1 should be very slow to interpose any objection to the measure if I 1 felt that the white settlers were in serious danger of attack by the indians and was convinced that their safety demanded the action above suggested I 1 could not resist but so far as my knowledge extends I 1 can hardly believe that there is now any serious danger of the indian uprising 1 I believe the indians to be for the most part inclined to peace and opposed to war they are sufficiently intelligent to understand at what fearful disadvantage they would be in a war with the united states they know our vast resources and are conscious of their own weakness moreover many reasons which have existed among them for discontent can be and by CongressI congressional ODAI action just had will be removed settlers in the vicinity of the reservations have been frightened and not without reason and yet during all the excitement and in spite of hitter bitter pro provocations vocations the indians have attacked no white people in their tomes hames so far as I 1 know they have not seriously threatened their peace those who have been or really are hostile should unquestionably be disarmed and their leaders be severely punished but during the late labe trouble in dakota the great body of sioux were friendly and the innocent should not suffer with the guilty to make no distinction in the treatment of indians indiana who took part in the hostilities and those who remained loyal many of whom suffered red for their loyalty would be an act of iW injustice ustice which the indian is as quick to recognize and resent as the white man it would be a great hardship to these in diana to lose their arms which they greatly prize they use them in slaughtering their cattle in hunting and in sport it is with some hesitation that I 1 say and I 1 say it only after careful deliberation and with sincere sorrow that it must be said that I 1 greatly fear the indians would not be safe either in their persons or in their property if it were known that they were entirely without guns for self defense the recent sad events in dakota where it is said sald women and little children were shot down by soldiers of the united states army and others were ambushed and slain without provocation by citizens have bows us how pitifully defenseless these poor creatures might be if wholly unarmed and unable to protect themselves thesus elves to disarm the indians gene generally tally and leave the whole body of sioux smarting under a sense of helplessness and wrong would tend to produce among them a widespread feeling of irritation unrest and distrust disastrous not only to the peace and prosperity of the indians but liable in itself to bring about the very danger which disarming is intended to prevent for should the arms they now possess be forcibly taken from them there to Is nothing either in the law or the habits of the people surrounding them to prevent them from arming themselves at the earliest opportunity by purchasing from the whites for the prevention of further trouble it seems to me necessary necea sary to treat them justly and kindly maintain min tain among them a well disciplined suitably paid vigilant indian police force and lastly keep at expo ekpo ed poi points ate a small garrison of troops sufficient clent in case of a great emergency to aid in maintaining order and protecting both indians and whites |