1st. The extinguishment of the Indian title.
2d. The gathering of Indians upon reservations.
3d. The instrumentalities used to teach the Indians civilized industries; and
4th. The establishment and operation of schools.
From the organization of the Government to the present time these branches of Indian affairs have been in operation; lands have been bought and bought again; Indian tribes have been moved and moved again; reservations have been established and broken up. The Government has sought to give lands in severalty to the Indians from time to time along the whole course of the history of Indian affairs. Every experiment to teach the Indians the industries of civilization that could be devised has been tried, and from all of these there has resulted a mixture of failure and success.
A review of the century’s history abundantly demonstrates that there is no short road to justice and peace; but a glance at the present state of affairs exhibits the fact that these tribal communities will speedily be absorbed in the citizenship of the republic. No new method is to be adopted; the work is almost done; patient and persistent effort for a short future like that of the long past will accomplish all. It remains for us but to perfect the work wisely begun by the founders of the Government.
The industries and social institutions of the pristine Indians have largely been destroyed, and they are groping their way to civilized life. To the full accomplishment of this, three things are necessary:
1st. The organization of the civilized family, with its rules of inheritance in lineal descent.
2d. The civilized tenure of property in severalty must be substituted for communal property.
3d. The English language must be acquired, that the thoughts and ways of civilization may be understood.