Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
This executive order, signed by President Chester A. Arthur on 1884-01-09, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "—Canceling Yuma Indian Reservation." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.
Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.
Key Directives & Operative Actions
▪It is also hereby ordered that the Fort Yuma military reservation before mentioned be, and the same is hereby, transferred to the control of the Department of the Interior, to be used for Indian purposes in connection with the Indian reservation established by this order, said military reservation having been abandoned by the War Department for military purposes.
Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted
🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments
🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities
🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants
Total Words
357
2,091 characters
Estimated Read Time
2 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
49.9
Post-Grad reading level
Constitutional Polarity
+0.02
Framers' Alignment index
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Scholarly & Legal Citations
Exec. Order, "Executive Order—Canceling Yuma Indian Reservation," Chester A. Arthur (Jan 9, 1884). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-canceling-yuma-indian-reservation.
Official Document Text
Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)
EXECUTIVE MANSION, January 9, 1884. In lieu of an Executive order dated July 6, 1883, setting apart certain lands in the Territory of Arizona as a reservation for the Yuma Indians, which order is hereby cancelled, it is hereby ordered that the following-described tract of country in the State of California, except so much thereof as is embraced within the Fort Yuma military reservation, viz, beginning at a point in the channel of the Colorado River due east of the meander corner to sections 19 and 30, township 15 south, range 24 east, San Bernardino meridian; thence west on the line between sections 19 and 30 to the range line between townships 23 and 24 east; thence continuing west on the section line to a point which, when surveyed, will lie the corner to sections 22, 23, 26, and 27, in township 15 south, range 21 east; thence south on the line between sections 26 and 27, in township 15 south, range 21 east, and continuing south on the section lines to the intersection of the international boundary, being the corner to fractional sections 34 and 35, in township 16 south, range 21 east; thence easterly on the international boundary to the middle of the channel of the Colorado River; thence up said river, in the middle of the channel thereof, to the place of beginning, be, and the same is hereby, withdrawn from settlement and sale and set apart as a reservation for the Yuma and such other Indians as the Secretary of the Interior may see fit to settle thereon: Provided, however, That any tract or tracts included within the foregoing-described boundaries to which valid rights have attached under the laws of the United States are hereby excluded out of the reservation hereby made. It is also hereby ordered that the Fort Yuma military reservation before mentioned be, and the same is hereby, transferred to the control of the Department of the Interior, to be used for Indian purposes in connection with the Indian reservation established by this order, said military reservation having been abandoned by the War Department for military purposes. CHESTER A. ARTHUR.