The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-12-05
DUTY OF CITIZENS CONCERNING
THE INDIAN MA SSACRE.
BY REV. HENRY B. wHIPPLE, BISHOP or MIN
NESOTA.

To the Editor Of the Pioneer:
The late fearful massacre has brought
sorrow to all our hearts To SEQ our beau
tiful State desolated, our homes broken up,
and our entire border stained with blood, is
a calamity which may well appal US. No
wonder that deep indignation has been
aroused and that our people cry vengeance.
If that vengeance is to be something bet
ter than savage thirst for blood, we must
examine the causes which have brought this
bloOdshed, that our condemnation may fall
upon the guilty. No outburst Of passion,
no temporary expediency, no deed of re-
venge, can excuse us from the stern duties
which such days of sorrow thrust upon us.
God is not blind. His eye can unravel the
dark web which conceals iniquity. Our
settlement of this terrible outbreak must
be just. Our condemnation must fall on
the guilty. We must redress all wrongs, or
the blessing of God will never rest upon
our State. At last we shall find that we
have reaped exactly what we have sowed.
As Christian, take issue with any one
who claims that God has created any hui
man being who is incapable of civilization,
or who cannot receive the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. Such an assertion is only worthy
Of infdelity. Admit this self-evident truth,
and we are compelled to look for the causes
which have brought degradation, sorrow
and death to this heather Indian race. The
North American Indian is savage, and
like all other heather men, fierce, vindic-
tive, cruel, and bis animal passions unre-
strained by civilization or Christianity.
And yet, in his attachments to home, kim
dred and country, in bis natural virtues and
belief in Great Spirit, he will compare
favorably with any heather race on earth.
The testimony Of Governor SHELLEY, the
Rev. DR.. GEAR, and other citizens who have
lived here for thirty years, show that
fearfully rapid deterioration has taken place
since they came in contact with white men.
Our earlier intercourse was marked by
warm friendships, and white mon lived here
in peace and tranquility, at time when
their only protection was the good faith Of
the Indian.
Our first dealing with them as govern
ment was based upon falsehood. We
purchased their land as of an Independent
nation, forgetting they were only our hea-
then wards. In all of our relations we
have persistently carried out the idea that
they were sovereign people. If it is
true that nation cannot exist within a
nation, that these heather were to send no
ambassadors to us and We none to to them,
that they had no power to compel us TO
observe treaty, and that we did not look
to them for inherent power to observe it
for themselves, then our first step was a
fatal mistake. They did not possess one
single element Of sovereignty, and had
they possessed it, we could not in justice
to ourselves have permitted them to exer-
else it in the duties necessary to g nations
self-existence.
The second most fatal error was natu-
raj inference from the first. Because we
had treated with them as an independent
nation, we left them without govern
ment. Their rude patriarchal government
was always weakened, and often destroy
ed, by the new treaty relations. The
chiefs lost all independence of action, and
sooner or later became the plant tools Of
traders and agents powerful for mischief,
but powerless for good. Nothing was Civ
en- to supply the place Of this defective tri-
bal government. The only being in Amer
lea who has no law to punish the guilty or
protect the innocent is the treaty Indian.
Thefts, murders, violence to women, where
death has followed, have been committed
by white and red men, and the law did not
hold in check the evil passions of bad men.
The only law administered by ourselves
was to pay premium for crime. The
penalty of theft was deducted from the an
nuity of the tribe, leaving the thief to
profit by his ill-gotten gains.
These evils have been increased by every
evil influence, and even fostered by the
careless unconcern of the government. We
have taken no steps to restrain savage
warfare among tribes at variance. They
have murdered each other in our streets,
fought beside our villages, even shaken
their CORY scalps in our faces, and
we did not know that we were nursing
passions since to break out in violence and
blood. There was no mark of condemna-
ton upon their Pagan customs, for even
high officials have paid them to hold hea-
then dances to amuse a crowd. The gov
eminent instead of compelling these men
To live by honest labor. has fostered idle