The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-05-14

given us through the means OF the public Journals fully
confirms all these statements and anlicipaions AT the
last account tsays the most recent arival the Indians
were within days march OF Campeachy, in vast mum
bers, and with abatement OF their design OF general
massacre of their opponents Their war-cy was Death
to both black and white-man. woman, and child-ali
save the red man. They claim TO be 100000 stfong a
say the country rghhuy belongs to them and they WI
possess It, and insure possession by the massacre Oh ~
their opponents" 49,,
These descriptions sir are terribly graphic; and they
make known to us as well the awful conditloh OF
the country, the characteristic features OF le race
which is producing il. Ii Is very Pfooaoie' SUI na'
these Indians NAV have been oppressed Such, IN
deed is perhaps, the inevitable consequence OF The
effect OF powe, execse b oy ub IN our oWn history
and we feel il in our days. We are not guilt
less with respect the Indians, who have fled for gen
erations and are still fleeing before advancing settle
ments, and TO whom there seems no resi- but the grave
And the repoach made by the honorable senator from
Kentucky against the Spanish in Yucatan that they
have not improved the condition OF the Indians is as
applicable TO them Our attempts at civilization
have been almost utter failures Whether these failures
have originated in the inherent difficulties of the subject,
or in inudicious efforts, it would be difficult to decide
with certainty There great obstacles to improvement
in the fixed habits of the Indians. They change almost
as little as the nomadic Arabs, who essentially
what they in the days OF Abraham There but
two occupations becoming adult male Indian, and
these fighting and hunting He may go to war to &C
qure gory and he 90 to the chase to procure meat
and furs But he must work. if he does he is dshon-
ored and all the labor thus thrown upon the women
whose condition is equally harsh and serve This was
it too agreeable to the stronger party to be easily
surrendered 1t has certainly given way very much to
circumstances, but it still exerts powerful influence
the condition of the Yucatese Indians whether attached
to the hacendas as poems or roaming through the forest
there can be justification for their present conduct
II is sad indeed that they have right to vote; and
having been admitted to the enjoyment OF political prvl
eges, the they waging is civil war looking to
a change of government by revolution. The constu
ton of Yucatan may have said they fit to vote, while
their moral constitution may say they not fit for
it, A false philanthropy may have given them the pot
cal qualifications of citizens, while wholly destitute of
the necessary intellectual qualifications Their present
conduct shows that they utterly unprepared to
else political power-as much our Indians, whose
conduct they closely initiate this of extermnaon
The Yucatese government, this extension OF the right
of suffrage, have made an unhappy experiment they
now find TO their cost. Such high privileges not to
be tempered with Here, thanks 10 our condition. the
very broadcast exercise OF political rights is extended
all, for all may safely exercise them. Long habit and
education have qualified citizens to participate in all
the powers OF government and this Institution is the very
corner OF our whole political fabric. This in
Yucatan is war OF races, not OF partiesfor physical
existence at least on side, not for political power
The advancing savages, II appears have elected Chief
as their ancestors probably did in remote times and
stamps them with the true character OF savages, and this
consideration is enough to demand our inerposon with
out adverting any other Certainly, accustomed
to associate good deal OF cruelty with civil wars, and
especially with Spanish civil But these contests do
sweep before them entire races and utterly destroy
whole countries; and when fought for political rights
OF their objects. But such spectacle this has been
in the world the catastrophe Of St Domingo
events now going in Yucatan The white race is to-
tally subdued, broken in spirit, and fleeing before their
pursuers; still mercy is shown and the object is OBJ
vIOusly determination, and not political power
In this state of things, urged to stop; to get in
formation, as though we did not know all could
know, far as the claims of humanity concerned
and to examine and discuss all the casuisry of politics
before place ourselves between the barbarans and
their victims. We might as well stop to investigate the
putting it out And while we talk, other powers may
discharge the claims OF humanity, and take possession OF
the sS eoan.ry .hoy project pro tot, -
ment OF Yucaan which calls the world for assistance
not to guard its power but TO secure the existence of its
people Let discharge the conioned duties of humanity
and policy and leave the internal questions between the
races to be adjusted alter the one Is saved from the
vengeance of the other
Relations alluded to the reports which have reached u.s.
that the Yucatese Indians have been furnished by the
British agents at Belize with the arms which have
enabled them to carry this mercess warfare. The
fact is distinctly in,mated by Mr. Sierra the commits
sioner of Yucatan; and | understand reported if not
by some nd Ger has been called
atrocity The honorable chairman stated that the guns
had the English Tower mark and had, therefore, been
cuson-logically enough, thought-that this circum-
stance furnished presumptve evidence of their dstrbu
ton by British authorized agents The honorable SEN
ator from Mississippi, however, Mr. DAvIs,l supposed
that these guns might have been sold by the British gov
eminent at home in consequence of their having been
made before OF the recent improvements in fire arms
and that they had thus found their way the traders
and from them, in the usual of traffic, to the In
dams This may be so, sir; for a similar disposition is
sometimes made OF arms become antquated. But | am
not aware that this has recently taken place. and had
supposed the old stock hand had long since been ex.
hausted | am not well enough acquainted with the
habits OF these Indians to tell you what kind Of
| in their habits from our Indians if they prefer
English muskets for hunting And if they do not,
DO not understand how these muskes could become
articles OF traffic at Belize, why the traders should
be furnished with supplies of them l have, however,
sir seen such things my time; and as they have oc-
Cured elsewhere they may have occurred in Yucatan
am not about to prefer bill of indictment against
England as the honorable senator from Connecticut
thinks some OF us are too prone to do But am not dis
posed to reject the lessons of history, because the truths
1t teaches may be harsh and unacceptable know that
arms have been furnished to Indians within the United
States by the agents of the British government, and by
the directions of that government and may thence
draw the legitimate conc! fusion, that such act is
within its code of political ethics, and may be done
when called for by political considerations The
measures to which | refer took place when the
distinguished senator from South Carolina MR. CAL
HoUNl presided the Department of War, and
connected his name permanently and so brilliantly
with the history of its administration. He TO it.,
sir when it was langud, exhausted by the exeons of
Il terrible war, and when it comparatively without
order energy and he left it in high state of organ
zation, prompt in it's administration economical in its
branches. wish his successors more fortunate
termination of their abors than that they should retire
from them with reputation equal to his Reports of
the distribution of arms by the British authorities 10 the