The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1850-07-20
THE CALIFORNIA INDIANS.


All accounts heretofore concurred, in representing
the Indians of California as peaceful and molten
sive race, with the exception only of that common
failing of all savage tribes, thieving propensity.
The first emigrants and discoveries of gold, found
them doclle and willing to work in gold-digging, for
few trinkets and little fnery of almost any kind
wlthwhlch to decorate their persons The emigrants
have continued to employ the Indians, in the same
way, during the whole progress of the gold explor
ing and digging enterprise, suffering somewhat, no
doubt from their thefts but still nsing them the
cheapest kind of laborers and in one way anoth-
er conrivng to obtain possession of all their gains.
The last accounts, however, indicate that a war
of determination has been commenced, which will
no doubt speedily end in the extinction of the race,
except perhaps small portion, who may linger
awhile In poverty and degradation, as did the abo-
rhymes of New York and New England.
There are two accounts in the San Francisco pa
pers, of the recent massacre of the Indians which in
atrocy stands alongside of the French massacre of
the Arabs, near Algiers Some of the papers repre-
sent the Indians as having been most outrageously
oppressed and ill-reated by many of the emgrants
until they became desperate and fled to the noun
talns, from whence they issued in occasional de-
predatory incursons upon their old masters, driving
away cattle and indulgng their natural propensity
steal Other accounts say that the Indians, by their
thefts and other offences, have justly brought this
tributon upon them.
Perhaps some of the statements in regard to the
oppression with which the whites have visited the
Indians, may be exaggerated, but we doubt not that
they have suffered terribly at the hands ofmany par
ties of avarcious and cruel adventures. The weight
of evidence is decidedly in favor of it, and it is also
the characteristic of our countrymen, derived from
their British ancestors, to show but little mercy to-
wards an inferior race. Private letters from emf
grants well as statements in the California papers
prove conclusively that the Indians have been shot
down. and treated with as little consideration as wild
beasts, for the most tifng Offences and that they
have been compelled TO toll, very severely in many
cases, for the whites, for little remuneration
on pain of ball from revolver being sent through
them.
The disposition to tread down and exterminate an
inferior race in the British and Americans, to which
we have alluded, is marked trait of character, which
the historian will not fail to note, though it is unpop-
ular to call attention to in either country, and has
often been sturdily denied. The British race have
always utterly refused to amagamate with inferior
races, and Notwithstanding its boosted philanthropy,
has never yet taken upon itself the elevation of one
of these races but has always ultimately rooted them
out with treatment which at times has well deserved
the of erocity. 1t is perhaps to this terrible
and ferocious energy, that the British and Ameri-
cans owe their superiority and the prospect they
nave OF ultimately spreading over, and In effect sub
jugatng the world. Had they, like the Spanards,
anal gamated with the races they have subdued like
them they would probably have gradually deteriora-
ted, in the mixture good and bad on equal terms
it is generally, perhaps invariably found that the
bad predominates.
Perhaps what we have termed ferocious energy
may be called only mpatience restlessness, and an
unwilling disposition to bear with the foibles and
the weaknesses of inferior men and races We see
this on small scale i'll all the employments of our
peope,-in the work shops, on the FARMS and in all
places, where physical and mental labor are brought
out. The strong are disposed to use the weak as in
struments, to treat them with overbearing AFRO
gance and contempt. One of the most difficult tasks
we have ever found, in the various empoyments in
which we have been engaged, and we doubt not
many others have found it the same, has been to re-
slst and check the tendency of associates to impose
upon and tyraniZe the simple minded-Noth-
ing is more evident than that every aborer, mechan-
&c, or merchant, in country, has to fight his way
through host OF competitors and that in every thing
chiefly to his own mental vgor, and to some extent
also to his physical endurance, depends his success
lie meets but little friendly counsel, or aid, save
from those who allied to him, by ties of consan-
guinity or interest, and his whole life is a warfare
and struggle, taking his powers of mind and body to
the utmost.
If among ourselves such is the case, what can an
inferior race which stands in our pathway expect /!
Very little Of kindness or mercy, we opine.
Nel0buryport Herald.
EXTRA PATHETIC. The pathos of the following