New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-25

vns tod by a settler who resided beyond Msnkstc
that on the arrival Of the news from Spirit Lake the
people were wild with alright. and neghbor OF his
mounted his horse D The evening 70 ride around and
Get the latest information soon he came galloping
back announcing that he an Indian setting fire to
house not far of, and the Sioux were coming, and
urged my informant 10 harness his team and nee with
bis family for their lives, aud then gslloped on 10
alarm the rest of the neighbcrs. Ny Informant was
somewhat alarmed, but be concluded not to fee in
stead Of fleeing he persuaded the neighbors TO all
come to bis cabin. They then baueaded the door
and windows had their arms all ready, and, with
weeping women and children around them, they list
ened and watched till morning. After while they
yentured out but could signs OF attack FAR or
near and during the day they found out ths the per-
son who was taken BY the scout for an Ind an setting
fire TO house was the honest occupant himself who,
without thinking any harm, had taken the liberty to
walk into the door OF hs own cabin with lighted
candle in his hand Had this evil fallen upon the
wretches who provoked IT, nobody would have cared;
but upon the innocent men, women and children
around Spirit Lake the blow fell and four wretched
women ere now in captivity. Maj. Flandrau assured
that the United States troops would follow steadily
on and finally secure the murderers, which will no
doubt be the case.
You are right in your surmises that the settlers
always prorokc those outrages On the part OF the
Indians which they afterwsrd punish 80 severely. and
that greedy eye TO their reserved lands induces
them 10 constantly provoke collision with the Indians
making those collisions prete1ts atterward TOT driving
them further West. This trouble began by the shoot
a
Indian vos not 10 blame. | have often a family
Of Sioux-men, women and chldren-passngp eaceably
through the streets Of the towns, and from five to
twelve dogs, "mongrel, puppy whelp ana hound
surrounding them, barking and swapping at them for
half an hour together The settlers tram their dogs to
do this and il is constantly done. AT the sight OF an
Indian the dogs are out, and are seldom or never
called back and the Indians with weapons IN their
hands bear patiently every day an annoyance which
no white would bear for five minutes and IT, as in
this case Indian at last shoots one OF these ours the
whole encampment is attacked their arms stolen their
tents torn down and they with cures and blows driven
Off There is sulen hatred extensively. almost univer
sally INDUCED in by the settlers toward the Indians
heard few days since deny their right even to
walk the highway or the streets OF the towns and oil all
the company present was the only one TO assert their
right to do so. This feeling toward the Indians Is
shameful in the extreme. They really seem to have
no friends in the West All their faults are exagger,
ated and all their virtues denied 1t is boastingy said
that thew have no word in their vocabulary which sig
nifes I" grattude" Perhaps not, but the sentiment
may exist aeithom word to represent it. The white
man is proiuse in his words of gratitude and in most
cases bis gratitude consists in Uorfs only.
William Penn and his followers Kept tath with the
Indians seventy years and all that time lived AMIGA
blv with them.
There is now living at Minneapolis elderly
who lost in the woods in the Fall OF 1853. When
nearly exhausted and in despair he discovered
by some Sioux Indians and taken by them to their
campmeD. They had scanty supply of food, but
the best was given him, and they slept on the bare
him; and when he became able to travel they put him
upon his road and he arrived home in safety This ac-
count had fro most reliable authority and one such
instance urO1cs the indS the theory OF the Indians
upfeehnc nature. The whole history of our country,
from the landing of the Pilgrims to the present hour,
shows the Indian to be- when kindly and justly treated
faithful friend; but the internal doctrine preached
Inv the early pastors of the New-Eugand churches,
viz, that God in his providence, had given the In
dian tribes into the hands Of the white men to be- exter-
minated has left its bloody mark through more than
two centuries from Plymouth Rock the banks Of the
mississippi it is rife and potent to-day all over the
West, and thousands Of Christian men openly pro-
claim. that it is impossible for the white man and
the Indian to live together in the same land; that
" the weaker must give way to the stronger and the
sooner the Indians exterminated the better
As Won evidently abhor such sentiments, | have
yeptured TO write this short defense of the Indian,
hoping that in the of other prescribed men,
Der. of the human family, The TRIBUNE will ever de-
fend the rights of the injured red mar
But it is not impossible by any means to induce the
Indian 10 adopt the arts Of civilized life. Numerous
instances exist all over the West OF families and tribes
who have become good agricuursts, and much more
might be done it, instead of mdnlg'"s th,. brutal
hatred of the Indians and The covelou' use se,
all rivir reserved lands, the people oi Tue mesS
would bear ruth Their yaHHs, encourage he'r rTiuss,
and kindly seek their welfare. The greatest fault al
eyed against the Indians is that they will steal but
he fact of their rude life and heathenish education
hould serve somewhat to palate this fault. But
they are lazy and don't love to work. Who says
his I! Why, the Yankee farmer from New-Hamp-
hire and Vermont, who was set to work picking
tones and driving the cows almost as he was
weaned: he always worked, and why shouldn't the
Indian Because the Indian was nerer taught TO rork
and would reasonably take the lifetime OF several
generations TO change the habits of nomadc races,
and bring them to the habits of the farmers of New
| England and the West. The experiment has been
successful already in many instances, and patient
effort with the Indian would in n few years, work
vast change in their character and habits OF life. He
can be civilized and chrstianized aud can be taught
TO love and practice the arts of civized life and gen.
Grafton or two hence they may be found quietly cult
waiting their farms beside their white brothers. l; is
very seldom, indeed, that the Indian commits any cut
rage unDrOroked upon the white and if they were
treated kindly and justly the white man and Indian
could live peaceably together to the end OF time.
Yours trRly, u. w. Z.