The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-04-14
From TIE BySalo Democracy.
The Coming Indian War.

shall soon hear of the concentration of
forces at frontier points, in readiness for
the forward movement. Before the inal
order to march shall be given, and the
step have been taken, from which there
is no retreat, let us look at the subject
from another point of view than thar ia
ken by the belIigerent Secretary of War,
and with eyes less redeemed and angry,
try to discover if there be not some little
relief for the hard picture which wash
ington legislators and army executives
paint, of the poor Redskin.
The war of determination denounced
against the prairie tribes has been forced
upon us, say its advocates, by the treach-
cry and cruelty of the Indians. We de-
ny this. and appeal to facts to sustain us.
Since the emigration to California COM
menced, the bands of nomades who IN
habit the vast buffalo-range have found
their supplies of food gradually dirhin-
ishiDg, and have been forced to appeal
to the whites for partial relief from star
yation. They have frequently. even,
denied the pitifsl aims they asked, pre-
ferred to steal cow ora horse, and not TO
die for the want ofmeat. This nocrime,
among Indians, although the refusal Of
hospitality is, that they are only carry
ing out the law of their being, which
requires them to eat, by means of an OBJ
servance of their imperfect social organ
ization, which permits them to steal, rath-
er than not to eat. But they would al
ways rather eat the food of hospitality
than that of theft, if they could obtain
it. How terrible have they found the
retaliation, as compared with the original
wrong! They have been slaughtered,
tortured, scalped, by men protesting a
high religious superiority. and claiming
more refined civilization. This has
gone on for six years, and until the whole
Indian country is excited to fury against
the emigrants. They appeal to govern
ment, represent the wrongs done them,
acknowledge, frankly the sins they have
committed, and ask first for food, then
for protection, promising, and with ear
nest faith, to keep their hands from she'd
ing white blood. They receive all man.
ner of governmental pledges, and, for q
time are quiet. But, they cannot under.
stand why their ''Great Father" who
has so much moneya and such great houses
and big canoes and burns so much pow
der and shows SO much hunting, why ht
cannot send them corn and cattle, at once
instead of waiting until some future time
and so after patiently starving for another
few months, hunger drives them to stea
another cow or more horses, and retaiia
ton, sur-retaliation, murders, scalpings
and cruelties ensue. Then the treaty j:
broken, the Indians have not kept the
faith, and have forfeited all right to the
corn and cattle, which are never sent
So, the poor Indians again resort to theil
only refuge from death by starvation, and
rob the emigrants, whom they have now
come to consider their naturalenemies.
Thus it is constantly. Witness the
Fort Laramie massacre, the proximate
cause of the coming horrors. A lame
COW, which could not have proceeded
another step, was butchered by some
Indians-under what circumstances?-
Why, the bands had comein, to the num-
ber of thousands Of individuals, men,
women, and children, and were encamp-
ed about the Fort, waiting for their an
nuities, and actually without food, dur
ing several days, while they well knew
the money and supplies were within the
walls of the Fort. They were not angels,
nor yet Cherubim: they had stomachs,
and so had their children, who were cry
ing for food, and lame cow, of no use
to any one, turned adrift upon a prairie,
was an enticihg piece of property. They
killed it, ate it, offered to pay for it, re-
fused to give up the father of family,
who had butchered it, but told the officer
to come and take him. and they would
offer no resistance. What did that offic-
er do? He sent another and a younger
officer, Just out of West Point, and pos
sessed of constitutional dread of Indi-
ans, to negotiate-not with the white
flag and clean hands, but with fixed bay
onets, and spherical-case-shot. This
diplomatic youth asked for the cow-steal-
er, and received for reply, '.There he is;
take him ~ This was too much for the
great country's dignity, which that in
experienced and nervous young officer
supposed to be concentrated in him, and
he ordered his men TO fire. What came
of it then, we know. What is hereafter
to result from that foolish order, GoD
alone can foresee.
The law of kindness has never been
tried upon the Indians. With them, our
rule of action has ever been the bullet,
the sword, and the torch. Slaughter the
men, outrage the women, burn the cab
ins, trample the corn-felds. We have
forfeited our plighted faith with them,
as we never dare do with France or Eng
land we have stolen their lands, retain
ed their annuities, lied to them. cheated
them, sent drunken, incompetent, and ro-
guish agents to carry out the laws of
our country, among people who know
no law save that of common observance;
and when they have failed in any regard,
no matter how slight, to fulfil the rigid
demands of their "Great Father they
have been bayonetted. sabred, scalped,
and roasted, by thousands.
Their blood appeals to Heaven for re-
yenge. On this country shall one day
surely fall a retribution as terrible as il
is just. With the amplest opportunity
for kindness, and impelled to its exercise
by every consideration of justice and
magnanimity. we have ignored the
thought of leniency. and enacted par
more cruel than the bloodiest savage
could have imagined, because We sir
against efulgent light. The only In,
dian victim of the Laramie massacre.
was friend to the whites, an old, grey,
haired man, whose hand had never beer
raised towards an American, save to of
fer food or suceor He fell, at the WORD
Fire" How many more like souls arr
to follow his to the happy hunting.
grounds, time alone can show-probabIy
scores. And when the retaliation
shall have been completed, and the agents
of it leaning upon their dripping blades,