Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-12-12
THE way UNCLE SAM GETS FARMS
FROM INDIANS.
BY AMOS GILBERT.

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understood the human relation the preamble tC
the Declaration of American Independence, is o
itself sufficient. The idens must havo been in the
mind of the writer, and for truthfulness and APP
propriateness, better words could not be chosen
A stranger to our history, on reading the remarka
BILE paragraph, would rejoice that there was one
people who had effeetually guarded against en-
croachment on inborn rights What would be bis
astonishmert, and how humiliating his sadness,
when he learned that in practice, the we'll selected
phraseology was treated as q mere rhetorical
flourish?
Tell him the pilgrim puritons found in q wilder.
ness land, an uncultivatod people, who for aught
they knew, were placed there by creative powers
that the first oct Of these children of the forest
was one of hospitality, and that this was succee
ded by series of friendly manifestations, until
they were compelled to perceive that the rew-com
ers continually resored to arts Of which they were
ignorant, and by which the property of the natives
passed out Of their possession without equivalent
that the remonstrance the part of the defrauded
instead of procuring redress ignored by the
delrauders, who persisted in their in urous trent
ment, until they awakened spirit OF hostility kept
alive by reoetition of injurious acts, until the
forbearance of the natives exhausted, and they
had recourse to the only law known to them for
the redress of grievances. Here they were toled,
for the superior skill, and greater facilities of the
iniurers seldom failed to give them the advantage
in their conflicts When they were not overreach
ed in contracts for PORTIONS Of territory, pretext
was found for ejecting them forcibly. Thus it has
been up to the present time, and in dooma-day
a. Ill ID r,, Ha art
version of the current story of Indian massacres
now being perpetrated
Again, these declarers Of inalienable rights,
found, under other skies an undeveloped, timid,
passive people, whom they either stole or bought
from ignorant despots. chattelized them and their
posteIity for beasts of burden and compelled them
through generations, to cultivate the soil so un-
rghteously obtained, for the sole benefit of the
tyrants. Injustice is injustice by whomsoever
practiced, and oppression is oppression, by whom
soever endured.
The Bugie is strictly an Anti-Slavery journal,
but as the wrongs of the red man proceed from the
same recklessness Of principle as those inflicted
on the black man, it occurred to The writer, that
the readers of the Bugle would find their sympa
thies with the oppressed enlivened by perusal of
the treatment extended to once powerful tribe of
aborgnes, led on by celebrated warrior chief.
1t is due to readers and the writer to state that The
sketch was written the spot, in aid Of delec
tive memory. land that a few friends might know
the facts contained in the manuscript It's publi-
cation in this journal after thought.
have had very little means of estimating Indi-
an character aud habits and that little derived
principally from official sources. IL mostly fur
nished evidence that it not reliable. by paltry
efforts to crminate the weak and find justification
for the strong. The government has constantly act
ed K. B. Taneys position. tn at this class of our
fellow beings have rights which we are bound
to respect. This view Of the case is not cop6red
to those who are in high Office. Every dependant
who is permitted to put but thumb and finger
into the United States Treasury and every Shiny
reptile that hopes to crawl within feeling distance
of the money and honor dealt out to the obsequi.
Gus: all! all are obstinate, if not vocierous in
sustaining their superors, and urging their almost
immaculacy. Agents and sub-agents have so
added, omitted and distorted as to represent the
natives as the aggressors in almost all instances,
and when they did not commit the first act, they
provoked it. / never supposed the natives did no
wrong but at this hour | believe that the reveree
of their representations would not be wide Of the
truth Everett in his speech to the chiefs and their
suite could, Indian like, tel of the maize in the
extended hand on Plymouth rock; he could concede
that the red man then owned all the soil, that he
was strong and the white man weak; he could say,
what they well knew, that there was an inverted
order of things, but he could not afford to glance
Indian like, at the policy practice that changed
that order. He assayed to fatter them with the
assurance that out of fraternal regard the state
had been named; and he had the lying audacity to
tell them that the white mans heart was right
toward the red man. Never was polished phrase
worse prostituted. Never was truth more shame
essly withheld. Never falsehood CLOSED
over with more lavish hand, or with less copsci-
entous scruple.
Being habitually, perhaps naturally, prone to
associate myself with the weak, there would be
sufficient ground to question the reliability of the
sketch am about to write, were it not that the
data are obtained the spot from persons VINO
we're intimately acquainted with the natives; were
well posted in the intercourse between them and
the whites, and who have reputation for undoubt.
ed veracity. The living authorities are George
Dayen port and Antoine lie Claire. The former
the son Of Colonel Davenport who was in command
at fort Armstrong, and was trader in daily inter
course with them; and the latter a Canadian
alfbreed, who acted interpreter when the trea-
ties were made. Both knew them as they know
those with whom they now intimate. Both
have reputation for truthfulnoss.
Prior to the advent of transient squatter traders,
there were no difficulties or discontents. The
whites bought their furs, peltry and corn at
rates satisfactory to the Indians; and though the
buyers enriched themselves, it was by a system of
honorable traffic. The sellers knew that the buy
ers realized great profits, but it was in conse-
quence of facilities to which they had not access
and would not know bow to manage, If they had
When the itioerant dealers came among them, the