Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1862-12-13
Siouf Gitp 8egister
SATURDAY, DEC. Is, so.
COMMISSIONER DOLE'S LETTER
--NECESSITS Or SUMMARY AND
ACTIVE MEAsURES AGAINST
INDIANS PAOTL l TI0N OF THE
FRONTIER.

FRONTIER.
We notice that Commissioner DOLE has
addressed letter to the President, rela.
tive to tie trial and sentence of the In.
dams, taken in Minnesota by Gen. Sbley.
He evidently is laboring under that popu-
lar delusion among our Eastern people,
readers of uiawatha and similar works,
upon the beauty Of the "dusky maidens,'
and the noble, almost God like qualities
of the "brave warrior He admits the
preparation of most horrible and afro.
cious crimes, and barbarities which shock
every feeling Of humanity, yet in order to
show to the rest of this wild, barbarous
benighted race, what great magnani'
nous, and Christian people, we are he
would have the President rep-eve the sen.
tence of death, on such damnable heather,
rs left children nailed by the fee: to the
doors Of their fathers cabin, or tied two
together by the ankles and hung them over
fence rail to die, and who committed
atrocities upon the women to inhuman to
relate. 1t may be, that "distance lends
enchantment to the view," that the powers
that be at Washington may exempify the
greatness, magnanimiiy and Christianity
Of our people, BY granting pardon to the
perpetrators Of these diabo!ical crimes,
and furnish them with more annuities, and
further facilities, to repeat their atrocities
as soon as the country is again settled
and safety is comparatively gain restored
But the people Of Minnesota, Northwest
erh Iowa and Dakota are not disposed to
view these barbarities in that light. We
care not whether they were big Chiefs"
Or followers superstitiously obeying them,
if they are found to have participated il
these atrocities, we are for demanding an
eye for an eye, and a tooth for tooth,
and if such merited punishment, melted
out, begets bitter feeling of revenge
among the rest of the Indians we can.
not help it. Among civilized people i: is
asked:
"NhoevPr felt the halter draw
With good opinion of the law ?"
and We need not expect more from In
dams than from whites. But we believe
that q severe chastisement, promptly ad.
ministered, is the only way to smother
their revenge and stop their depreda,ions.
We have tried Throwing grass" we
lave tired " letting them alone severely,
and we see the result. In the early spring
OF 1857. Ink. KAPPA du-ta and his trbe-a
portion of these same lndans--passed up
the Little Sioux Valley, at first stealing,
then becoming more and more bold, en-
tered houses, demanding in the most in
solent terms whatever they wished, till
reaching Spiri: Lake, they commenced
ravishing and butchering the same as in
this last slaughter in Minnesota An OK
petition started in pursuit but fzzled out.
and no punishment whatever was inflicted
upon the perpetrators Of this horrible
crime. The Indians committing the crime
are well known to the officials and they
have been received in fall communion with
the others ever since at the Yellow Med
icine, and other agencies 10 Minnesota
Every summer since they hare been trav-
cling back aud lorth, through onr country,
doing no worse crime than taking yearly
from our hard working settlers, some ST..
500 to $4,000 worth OF horses, which they
could i'll afford to lose. Though we know
+ IN haf, breeds who visited the yellow
Medicine Agency that the horses were
there, yet we could learn Of no way Of OBJ
tanning them, without an armed force,
su0icientto demand them from a power,
full band Of Indians. which force private
means could not furnish, and our Goyer.
ment did not. Thus through 81, So 50
and 90 did these Indianr carry on their
Gepredatlons almost unmolested En-.
toldened by success and evident ndfer
ence manlfes;edby the general Government:
they became so insolent in 1851 that our
citizens demanded ill they obtained a
small State force to guard the settlements.
This made it more difficult for the indians
to steal, as they had done, but they
soon discovered that the force obtained
was only able to watch and protect, in.
stead Of being able to pursue and punish,
and at noon day, came within sight Of this
city aod deliberately shot two of our prom
inent citizens, while engaged upon their
farm, and rode off the horses. Though
the Indians who committed the murder
are well known at the Agency, yet no
punishment whatever was inflicted for
fear, we suppose now in the language Of
the Commissioners letter, of begettng "a
bitter feeling Of revenge, which though it
may be smothered, will never be ex.
tinguished. Does any one wonder at the
result? Would you expect anything else,
q IA