course, first for war, then for peace, and vice versa, until they have lost all confidence in us are ceasing to respect us. They have said to my officers:

War for the past eighteen months has been a benefit to us. We have never been so well fed, have helped ourselves from your trains, ridden your mules and horses, had white women for wives, and went with plenty of white scalps from the routes to our villages, and make peace when you come to fight us.

A great trouble has been that we have allowed them to break treaties at will. In fact, we have made treaties with them which, owing to the country they were allowed to occupy, &c., it has been impracticable for us to carry out, and we have thereby given them an excuse or opportunity to break them, make war, and retaliate for real or assumed injuries in an Indian's only way and manner. To as far as possible avoid the conflict of action to which I have referred, and to fix the jurisdiction and responsibility of these Indian matters within easy control, it seems to me, and I so recommend, that the officers assigned to command the Indian country should, under direction of the proper branch of the Government, have full and entire control over it, so far as police regulations, treatment of Indians, distribution of annuity, supplies, &c., are concerned. Let the commanding officers of posts situate in each tribe's country look to the interest of such tribe, and exercise the same rule and control over it in the enforcement of the laws and orders of Government as he does over his troops. Let the goods to be distributed be sent to these officers, and by them turned over in bulk and not in broken packages to the chiefs of each band or tribe, who will see that to each of his people is given their just and proper share. This simple and direct mode of dealing would secure both their confidence and rights; it would cause them to look to one source, one person (the officer) in all matters conghts, government, &c., and he could be one whose acts and conduct would be under the direct scrutiny and control of his superior officer. He would have the strength and power to enforce his authority, and not only make the Indians behave themselves, but also make the whites-the traders, pioneers, emigrants, &c. -respect the laws, orders, regulations, &c. Now, an Indian superintendent or agent announces his regulations governing trade, intercourse, &c., with the Indians; military officers issue their orders bearing upon the same matters, clashing with the former. The superintendent or agent gives license to trade, &c., to one person, an officer to another. Responsibility to both makes responsibility to neither, hence the authority to neither is respected the license is abused, the regulations and orders disregarded, and the Indians are wronged and robbed. As stated in a former part of this report, great outside lines of travel, the Platte and Arkansas, and thereby keep them together and removed from too free contact with the whites, which, as shown by all past experience, invites illicit traffic, begets demoralization and leads to conflict. I am clearly of the opinion that instead of dealing with these Indian tribes as with foreign nations, or recognizing them as treaty-making powers, the Government should regard and treat them as subjects, take care of and protect their rights and interests, make laws and prescribe rules for their government, compel obedience, punish offenses, and, in fact, adopt all necessary measures for their government, protection, support, and future welfare as subjects or wards. I submit these views believing it my duty to do so, and I am convinced that if adopted in whole or in part the most beneficial results would be realized there-