176 



CONGRESS. (THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



since been added to the list, the total has not been in- 

 creased, because in the mean time four iiave been lost 

 or condemned. Twenty-six additional vessels have 

 been authorized and appropriated for, but it is probable 

 that when they are completed our list will only be in- 

 crease.d to forty -two, a gain of five. The old wooden 

 ships are disappearing almost as fast as the new vessels 

 are added. These facts carry their own argument. 

 One of the new ships may, in fighting strength, be 

 equal to two of the old, but it can not do the cruising 

 duty of two. It is important, therefore, that we should 

 have a more rapid increase in the number of service- 

 able ships. I concur in the recommendation of the 

 Secretary that the construction of eight armored ships, 

 three gun boats, and five torpedo boats be authorized. 



An appalling calamity befell three of our naval ves- 

 eels on duty at the Samoan Islands, in the harbor of 

 Apia, in March last, involving the loss of four officers 

 and forty-seven seamen, of two vessels, the u Trenton " 

 and the " Vandalia," and the disabling of a third, the 

 " Nipsic." Three vessels of the German navy, also in 

 the harbor, shared with our ships the force of the hur- 

 ricane and suffered even more heavily. While mourn- 

 iny the brave officers and men who died, facing with 

 high resolve perils greater than those of battle, it is 

 most gratifying to state that the credit of the Ameri- 

 can navy for seamanship, courage, and generosity was 

 magnificently sustained in the storm-beaten harbor of 

 Apia. 



The report of the Secretary of the Interior exhibits 

 the transactions of the Government with the Indian 

 tribes. Substantial progress has been made in the 

 education of the children of school age and in the allot- 

 ment of lands to adult Indians. It is to be regretted 

 that the policy of breaking up the tribal relation and 

 of dealing with the Indian as an individual did not ap- 

 pear earlier in our legislation. Large reservations, 

 lield in common, and the maintenance of the authority 

 of the chiefs and head-men have deprived the individ- 

 ual of c\fery incentive to the exercise of thrift, and 

 the annuity has contributed a<i affirmative impulse 

 toward a state of confirmed pauperism. 



Our treaty stipulations should be observed with 

 fidelity, and our legislation should be highly consid- 

 erate of the best interests of an ignorant and helpless 

 people. The reservations are now generally surround- 

 ed by white settlements. We can no longer push the 

 Indian back into the wilderness, and it remains only, 

 by every suitable agency, to push him upward into 

 the estate of a self-supporting and responsible citizen. 

 For the adult, the first step is to locate him upon a 

 farm ; and for the child, to place him in a school. 



School attendance should be promoted by every 

 moral agency, and those failing should be compelled. 

 The national schools for Indians have been very suc- 

 cessful, and should be multiplied, and, as far as pos- 

 sible, should be so organized and conducted as to 

 facilitate the transfer of the schools to the States or 

 Territories in which they are located when the Indians 

 in a neighborhood have' accepted citizenship and have 

 become otherwise fitted for such a transfer. This con- 

 dition of things will be attained slowly, but it will 

 be hastened by keeping it in mind. And in the mean 

 time that co-operation between the Government and 

 the mission schools which has wrought much good 

 should be cordially and impartially maintained. 



The last Congress enacted two distinct laws relating 

 to negotiations with the Sioux Indians of Dakota for 

 n relinquishment of a portion of their lands to the 

 United States and for dividing the remainder into 

 separate reservations. Both were approved on the 

 same day March 2. The one submitted to the In- 

 dians a ^specific proposition ; the other (section 3 of 

 the Indian appropriation act) authorized the Prc^i- 

 dent to appoint three commissioners to negotiate with 

 these Indians for the accomplishment of the same 

 general purpose, and required that any agreements 

 made should be submitted to Congress for ratification. 



On the 16th day of April last I appointed Hon. 

 Charles Foster, of Ohio, Hon. William Warner, of 

 Missouri, and Maj.-Gen. George Crook, of the United 



States Army, commissioners under the last-named 

 law. They were, however, authorized and directed, 

 first, to submit to the Indians the definite proposition 

 made to them by the act first mentioned, and only in 

 the event of a failure to secure the assent of the 

 requisite number to that proposition to open negotia- 

 tions for modified terms under the other act. The 

 work of the commission was prolonged and arduous, 

 but the assent of the requisite number was, it is under- 

 stood, finally obtained to the proposition made by Con- 

 gress, though the report of the commission has not yet 

 been submitted. ^ In view of these facts, I shall not, 

 as at present advised, deem it necessary to submit the 

 agreement to Congress for ratification, but it will in 

 due course be submitted for information. This agree- 

 ment releases to the United States about nine million 

 acres of land. 



1 he commission provided for by section 1 4 of the 

 Indian appropriation bill to negotiate with the Chero- 

 kee Indians and all other Indians owning or claiming 

 lands lying west of the ninety-sixth degree of longi- 

 tude, for the cession to the United States of all such 

 lands, was constituted by the appointment of lion. 

 Lucius Fairchild, of Wisconsin, lion. John F. Har- 

 tranft, of Pennsylvania, and Hon. Alfred M. Wilson, 

 of Arkansas, and organized on June 29 last. Their 

 first conference with the representatives of the Chero- 

 kecs was held at Tahlequah, July 29, with no definite 

 results. Gen. John F. Hartranft, of Pennsylvania, 

 was prevented by ill-health from taking part in the 

 conference. His death, which occurred" recently, is 

 justly and generally lamented by a people he had 

 served with conspicious gallantry in war and with great 

 fidelity in peace. The vacancy thus created was 

 filled by the appointment of Hon. Warren G. Sayre of 

 Indiana. 



A second conference between the commission and 

 the Cherokees was begun Nov. 6, but no results have 

 yet been obtained, nor is it believed that a con- 

 clusion can be immediately expected. The cattle 

 syndicate now occupying the lands for grazing pur- 

 poses is clearly one of the agencies responsible for the 

 obstruction of our negotiations with the Cherokees. 

 The large body of agricultural lands constituting 

 what is Known as the '' Cherokee Outlet" ought not 

 to be, and indeed can not long be, held for grazing, 

 and for the advantage of a few against the public 

 interests and the best advantage of the Indians them- 

 selves. The United States has now under the treaties 

 certain rights in these lands. These will not be used 

 oppressively, but it cannot be allowed that those who 

 by sufferance occupy these lands shall interpose to de- 

 feat the wise and the beneficent purposes of the Gov- 

 ernment. I can not but believe that the advanta- 

 geous character of the offer made by the United States 

 to the Cherokee nation, for a full release of these 

 lands, as compared with other suggestions now made 

 to them, will yet obtain for it a favorable consider- 

 ation. 



Under the agreement made between the United 

 States and the Muscogee (or Creek) nation of Indians 

 on the 19th day of January, 1889, an absolute title 

 was secured by "the United States to about three and 

 a half million 'acres of land. Section 12 of the gen- 

 eral Indian appropriation act, approved March 2. 1889, 

 made provision for the purchase by_ the United States 

 from the Seminole tribe of a certain portion of their 

 lands. The delegates of the Seminole nation, haviflg 

 first duly evidenced to me their power to act in that 

 behalf, delivered a proper release and conveyance to 

 the United States of all the lands mentioned in the 

 act, which was accepted by me and certified to be in 

 compliance with the statute. 



Bvthe terms of both the acts referred to all the 

 lands so purchased were declared to be a part of tl 



Eublic domain, and open to settlement under tl 

 omestead law. But of the lands embraced in these 

 purchases, being in the aggregate about five and 

 half million acres, three and a half million acres had 

 already, under the terms of the treaty of 1866, he 

 acquired by the United States for the purpose ot set- 



