, 1856-03-28
Iudians-a War Of determination.

lldialS-a War OF EGiermlnallOn'
A brilliant historical writer has compar-
ed the Indian character to rock, whose
form cannot be changed without the de-
struction of its substance. The whole an
nails Of the Inflated red men corroborate
the smile. The aboriginal races within
the United States have, with few excep-
tions, resisted all ciVilizing influences, ut
terly refused either subsection, amalgama-
ton, or improvement, at anglo-saxon hands,
and have fallen, rank after rank, fighting
to the last, within the shadows of their an
cestral forests, for the hunting grounds Of
their fathers. Their van has been driven
back, and further back, until they are fore
ed beyond the Mississippi. And now, sud.
denly, they are pressed by great detach-
ments from civilization, who flank them
from Utah and New Mexico, and encroaeh
upon their narrowing territory from the
rear, in California, Oregon and Washing
ton. Upon the barren plains, and among
the dreary mountain ranges of the great
desert-heart Of North America, they have
for scme time maintained precarious ex-
istcnce from the yearly decreasing bands
Of buffaloes, the trihing Ovails Of other
hunts, and the Insignificant fruits of some
little unskilled agriculture, eked out with
wild roots. But the ring Of advancing set
tiers now hens them in on all sides. From
Minnesota, Washington territory, Oregon,
California and the Mormon and halfMexi-
can settlements at the south, they are
steadily compressed within their narrowing
deserts; and steadily is starvation staring
them more and more nearly in the face.
With the stubborn hardihood of their
race, however, the few survivors seem to
be resolved to die in the vain effort to
maintain what ground Is left to them, un-
soiled by the step of the white man. BY
the adVices which the last few arrivals
bring from our Pacific and trans Mississip-
plan possessions, there seems to be now
waging concerted and general, yet loose
and disorganized attack upon the whites,
similar in character to the enterprises Of
King Philip, Of Pontiac, Of Pecumseh, and
Black Hawk. In the Columbia, Rogue
river and Willamette valleys, beyond the
Rocky mountains, in the mountainous re-
gion east of the California settlements, In
the vast plains haunted by the Sioux and
Pawnees, which stretch from the foot of
the Black hills eastward to the settlements
upon the borders Of our states, the Indians
seem to DO everywhere rising after their
old manner, ambuscading individuals, and
parties, firing houses, numbering and scalp
ing man, woman aud child; in short, dcvas-
tating and destroying every person and
thing which has the mark of civilization on
it, with all the old Indian blood-thirstiness
and blind, unthinking recklessness of con-
sequences. And, Os always heretofore,
the more slowly moving anglo-saxon power
is rising around them with its old, steady,
extermnating purpose, to erase forever
these last remnants Of the red tribes
Harney moves westward from the frontier
forts upon the Sioux and Pawnees, with
strong body of regulars. Governor Curry,
of Oregon, is preparing to sweep the
Rogue river, Walla-walla and other Pacif-
ic tribes, out of Oregon-and existence
with thousand frontiersmen and three
hundred United States troops. Governor
Mason, Of Washington territory, has sum-
moned volunteers from that section for
like purpose The whole white population
is beyond endurance exasperated at steal
thy daily murders committed by the Indi-
ans, in their national warfare. Thirty men
and women are heard Of, assassinated singly
or by families, within ten days. Sixty
more similar cases are registered at another
time. Daily reports of such atrocities have
awakened oil the settlers; and they will
probably not rest until there are no more
Indians left within our borders. This
done, there will be none Of the race in the
United States. except those settled in ag-
ricultural communities in the different na-