The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-03-16

the agents of the HUDSON Bay Company During
the many years that this influential Company has
exercised uncontrolled jurisdiction over that vast
extent of territory which stretches Westward,
from Lake Superior to the Pacific and Northward
to MCKENZIE river and the Arctic ocean, they have
not been engaged in single difficulty with the
Indians that was not speedily adjusted to the
satisfaction of both parties How different has
been the case with us during the past century.
we have literally fought our way, step by step,
westward from the Ohio river to the Eastern base of
the Rocky Mountains, and Southwark from the
Cumberland river 10 the Gulf Stream. Whether
kindness would not have been more effectual than
force OF arms, we have never fairly tried We exas-
perated when we might have soothed and seized with
with strong hand, where we might have purchased
for trifie. That we Unidentified the Indians for
their lands, after having despoiled them of their
crops, and burnt their towns, and reduced them to
ahJect misery, is but a poor satisfaction for the
previous aggressions committed upon them by the
rude and reckless population of the border. It is
well understood that the Florida war had its origin
IN the repeated provocations offered to the Indians
by the whites. The BLACK HAWK war sprung from
- ~~@NS>S'
Oregon, it has frequently been stated, would
never have occurred if we had fulfilled in good
faith our treaty stipulations with that tribe
More recently we have been furnishing the Nava-
jos in New Mexico. 1t was charged against
them that they had murdered the servant of one
OF our army officers, and they either would
not, or could not give up the murderers; but &C
cording to their custom they offered an indemnity
This was refused and war forced upon them
They may have been guilty of other outrages, but if
this were so, we are not cognisant of them. Ger
tainly their offences could not have been of
very serious nature, nor was there much to fear
even from their enmity, for they are essentially an
unwarlike people; are partially civilized; have
long since given up nomadic life, and congregate
together in their pueblos They cultivate the soil
have large tocks and herds; weave blankets of
exquisite texture, and are at all times far more
disposed to shun a quarrel than to provoke one
and yet, for two months, their settlements were
harried by our troops, who slew twenty-five of
their warriors, besides a number of their women
destroyed six hundred acres of corn and five thou
sand sheep and brought off one thousand head as
spoil. We impute no blame to the officers in COM
mand of this expedition for in this, as in all other
cases, they, of course simply obeyed the orders of
their superors; but we cannot refrain from ex-
pressing our conviction, that however humane the
policy of our government with regard to the In
dans may be in theory, it is frequently perverted
in practice. If then the efforts of the American
Indian Aid Association should result in enlisting
POPULAR sympathy in behalf of race that is,
we fear, more sinned against than shining, and in
stimulating the government to take such precau-
tionary measures are absolutely essential for
the protection of those who are not permitted
to protect themselves, the good that will thereby
be accomplished, may serve to atone to some ex-
tent, for the careless manner in which we have
heretofore performed our duty towards people
who ave just claims upon our sympathy.