New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-02-12
THE PROPOSED CONCENIRATION OF
THE INDIANS,
A PROTEST.

To "a. Edt, Of Tie N. Y. Tribsns
SIR: The proposition made by Nj. 4. Wa,tles, n
a meeting held in your city, 20 remove the remnants
Of the semi-eyized Indian ribes Of Kansas ard Ne
b.aska into the Indian Territory south Of Kansas,
with a view Of consolidating them into ono Indian
Nation. hss been he subject Of MY thoughts most OF
the time since read an account Of the meeting held
in your CITY ON behalf of the Indians. The more
think on the plan, the more opposed am to 1t, IoI
the following reasons
First, By removing the Indians int the Indian
Territory they will be brought into proximity with
Slavery, the Southern lndsns being Shareholders.
We all know how demoraziug Slaveryis % the
white man, and am told by those who have
resided among Indians who are Stockholders that It
Is much more so 10 them. lie IL prde and not laA-
uess that keeps the Indian lron work, and pace
Linn where the work Is done by toe Negro 2no be
viii never learn to Y ork and therefore sill reysr
be civilized.
Secondly. / object 70 this plan becspse II VIII s
removing lie Indians from the ciyilnug influences
Of the refined and cultivated society which Il DOW
taking the place Of tie ou.laIs and sayages f91es
whose concentrating influence they have been since
they were removed from their homes M Tue ocee
States There is 10 moral power 10 GOOD OF evil,
equal % association and example. - II you remove
the Indian from the neigbbor hood Of ihe y i'e n.n
he will not progress in the arts OF ci'lnzeq lie as no
would # lefl beside him, where, by witnessing
the oxcrtions of his white neighbor 20 have
a nice comfortable house, wel-lurrishei,
we-caltiyated and welk-tocked fam, with
AL The appliances Of civilized lie. be Viii
be mated 10 like exertions, with Ike ends IN view
For the same reasons would have the lGciAn
children kept in the same neil rhoOd, aud sent to
the same school with white children | know, for
have taught them, that Indian children have too.
much pride 10 be LEFT behind white children ia Lc.l
studies and that So soon 90 t-ey learn English suf
H. H.. 81. 4 J. L.
can learn the language more RAPIDLY by associa.i 2
with white children than in any other WAY.
they will soon compete with the white children IA
their stnies and in some branches OF SCIENCES, gar-
ticulary the natural sciences, sarpass them. And
could lye instances to prove lie assertion bal
space. And the white parent need rot fear thai lis
children will be degraded by such association, bus
rather hope that, by witnessing " 80 much of calm
courage, 70 much Of native eloquence 80 much y
true nobility, 30 much of unsefsh friendship as
they will be elevated by an association with lie
noble sons Of tie forest. Il is lac. that there X
more dignity in Indiau children, aad that they are
more quiet aud easily managed in school, than any
other children have ever taught or seen IN school.
Thrdly Iobect Othe plan proposed, because tie
removal will prevent the Indians from learning En-
glish. IL ia supposed that because their languages
are 50 dis iniar and few persons IN every nation
speak little English, that they VIII necessarily
make that their common tongue. Bat the expert
mcnt has been tried AT the large Mission
Schools, where children Of several different na,ols
have been taught together, without success. They
would all Learn the ludau language most preyaleuty
spoken, or, rather, that SPOKEN by The be who hlt
| the mOet children there, though the missionary,
teachers and lshorers spoke Engish. True, they da
learn some English, but il WAS very imperfect. Aud
unless the Indians learn English, Is folly 10 alS
about educating them.
/ forthiy: object TO this proposition because the
removing The Indians from the vicinity Of the white
D ia N &C. them. 4
to associate with u, and therefore must be colonec
in "A body by yourselves" The Indians are oeserv-
/ ing, sensitive, and proud, and have already been
retarded in civilization. and prejudceda sinst Cnis-
anity, by this prejudice against them manifested IN
the past action OF the Government in depnyine them
Of their old homes, where were the graves OF tnet
fathers IN negscng TO fulfill treaty stipnliiions,
and IN sending them had men rs agents, who have
lorded over them as so many tyrnts, aud have con-
nived with traders, and sometimes with missionaries,
10 cheat them. Has our Government become so
much purer lately that this exclusive policy proposed
for tue Indian can lie sdopied with more safety &c
the Indian than heretofore Ii il has, we have no
evidence of it ont here, and protest against Ihe
whols scheme. In The name Of philanthropy ie.,
that there is "A speculation Gio2t, which WIZ ens,n
rhe poor, deceived Indian In utter ruin. II WE We
" Indian Territory 10 which az Were r,nloIso 70
25 and so years ago, with the same Pr9le sseu u'o
tiyes. Our numbers were diminished ~ ;I s'nn,.
ton, and no doubt the same rcfuis VIII iV'io"
The only valid reason Mr.. Watiles gives fer Gle
propoped confederation Of the tribes iato one NGIlo
l. tfst n viii eron tho expenses of the Government
! Inv reducing the number OF Government agents.
This seems plausible at irst sight bat when we re-
member that n Che Indian IA allowed To remain III
the neighborhood OF the white man q lew years
longer he must necessarily become fitted for citizen
ship aud thus the Agency system will be abohsnedJ
while with Mr. Wallless systen, which is the oic
Government system slightly mooled, there must
some Indian agents while there Are any Indians "
seems doubtful retrenohment -,
! must ,sy that this reason Of Mr.. Wat'Ies osks
like Dishonesty IL almost all the treaties, We ma
an agent promised TO the Indians as part OF ipe
equivalent they received for their lands they "s'e'
lon 10 leave The inference IL easily drawn.
YARAHBONEh1A
! WIsHa.ils, Esaa, isp, ,13.