, 1856-09-12

seen with what rapid strides their fair-skir
neigh6ors acquired comforts. They saw
his superiority in everything. They coulC
not shut their vision to the inevitable des
tiny which awaits them-that their power
and influence in that vast region were
gradually, but certainly, passing away
and, aroused by those savage instincts
which have controlled the race in their
attacks on the frontier settlements from our
earliest history as people up to the pres
ent time, commenced the barbarous and
savage war which they did, Offering as an
apology dissatisfaction with the treaties
which they had just concluded. The pres
ent delegate from Washington Territory,
Colonel Anderson, was with me while pass
ing through the Indian country. He saw
what saw, he heard what l heard, and
will doubtless corroborate the general
statements which here make you, beside
giving you many incidents of interest which
in my hurry l omit.
1t is true, as you suppose, that 1 have
lived amongst the Indians for several years,
and that know the Indian character, and
that l have been engaged since the war
commenced in defending the settlements
against their murderOus attacks l have
lived in Washington Territory for four
years, surrounded by Indians, with whom
| have always been on terms of intimate
friendship until the war began since which
time | have been engaged in the war. /
believe was among the first to respond to
the call Of our Territorial Governor for
help, and have been in the field ever since
up to within few days Of the time / left
Washington Territory, which was about
the Goth of May, and believe that l under
stand the Indian character, as friends as
well as enemies. You ask me whether
" the charge is true that has been put in
circulation, to the effect that a party of
seven white men had taken o party of
friendly Indians near the Cascades, and,
after violating young girl, murdered the
whole party | In reply to this last inqui-
ry, l answer, that ] heard Of this charge,
for the FIRST time on my arrival in this city
If an outrage so criminal and brutal had
been committed in Washington Territory,
| certaiRly would have heard it it would
have been a theme of universal condemna-
tion, and the perpetrators driven from our
midst. l can say, without the fear Of con-
tradiction, that the Indians Of Washington
Territory, while there was peace, have
been more courteously treated by the
whites than Indians have ever been in any
Territory. Their rights have been scrupu-
lously observed. In the length of time
that resided among them l knew one
Indian killed by white mon. They were
arrested, tried before an examining court,
and acquitted yet, Notwithstanding the
murderers were acquitted, such was the
power Of public sentiment that they had to
leave the Territory.
l have known several white men killed
by Indians who were acquitted of the
offence and, if am not forgetful, Col.
Anderson was their counsel. Since have
been engaged in the war have taken a
number of Indian prisoners, comprising
men, women, and children. have in no
case killed the men except such as were
proven guilty of being engaged in some of
the various murders that have been COM
mitted upon our citizens. Where It was
not clearly proven, they have been sent to
the reservations. The women and children
have been invariably kindly treated, and
sent to the Indian reservations. l have
been surprised at the sympathy manifested
for Indians by some persons on the Pacific
occupying a high position-at tho great
pains they take to tell of the barbarous
treatment the Indians receive at the hands
OF the volunteers, tOhich barbarOuS treatment
The Indians nerer did receire at the hands Of
The rOlHnteers, and how scrupulously the
same class of men avoid telling Of the saw
age and brutal murders the Indians have
committed on our unsuspecting and de-
fenceless citizens, comprising men, women
and children how they have mutilated
the dead bodies Of women by cutting of
their breasts and severing the heads Of in
fants at the breast from their bodies We
have not learned as yet that the Indians
have violated our women-o our white
women for none have been left alive to
tell the tale of their wrongs, for the Indi
ans take no prisoners Can It be that
those Indian sympathisers on the Pacific
are ignorant of the factsG If not, what
can they meaU by such extraordinary and
one-sided publications
In haste, your obedient servant,
GILMORE HAYS.
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