818 THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 



were given to the several different religious denominations. In some 

 cases confusion followed. Catholic Indians were given in charge of 

 Methodists, and vice versa, each denomination holding to its creed that its 

 Indian devotee conforming to the creed of the other would be lost, while 

 the Government said, " Conform or you will be lost," and the churches 

 calling out, " If you do conform you will be lost." This pleasant spec- 

 tacle was not calculated to inspire the red man with the peaceful dis- 

 position of certain denominations who had before that time claimed 

 to be men of peace. The Indian is essentially a materialist, with 

 undefined or illy-defined ideas of a hereafter ; music, costumes, para- 

 phernalia all best appeal to his senses. Logic and reason do not so 

 quickly touch his judgment as visible objects, which he can see, hear, or 

 smell. His feet in duty must be carefully led. Restraint to a wild man — 

 one who is unused to be commanded — is the severest of punishments. 

 An Indian on horseback is a king j on foot the merest shadow of a man. 

 Deprive an Indian of his ponies and you at once cripple his locomotion. 

 This is now the accepted rule. They are deprived of their ponies or 

 horses in cases where they show a disposition to roam. When the grass 

 becomes good in the spring it is a dangerous temptation to the Indian, 

 for the grass of the plains is the forage of the ponies. No fears of an 

 Indian outbreak in the winter; because of no food for the ponies. 



Habits of personal cleanliness, thrift, economy, dependence are the 

 essentials in a civilizing Indian policy, and these are now being taught 

 on the several reservations. The reason leading to the present reser- 

 vation system is easily comprehended in the oft-asserted Western com- 

 pact expression, "It is cheapertofeed than to fight him." The past hun- 

 dred years has demonstrated that the Indian is not a theory but a fact. 

 Moral suasion might have been the best thing to govern him with, but 

 it was not adopted as a system, and as he is now a settled problem 

 as to location and situation, being in fact a permanency, a fixture, the 

 problem now is to make him a good citizen with the least probable 

 cost to the nation, and to teach him that it is best for him to become a 

 self-reliant, self-supporting man. Now that the divinity of the State 

 doth hedge him in, constantly growing citizens around him will prevent 

 in the near future outbreaks and raids. Keeping him busy and well 

 supplied with food, we'll fed, will prevent time being used in which to 

 concoct revolt and raids. 



The practical in the Indian policy is fast usurping the ideal. The 

 land question and subsistence are the remaining questions of moment 

 to the Government in our Indian affairs. 



THE INDIAN SYSTEM AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE UNITED STATES, 



OCTOBER 1, 1886. 



The administration of Indian affairs of the United States is in the 

 hands of tbe Secretary of the Interior, aided by a Commissioner of In- 

 dian Affairs, in charge of the Bureau. This office is in the Department 



