New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-06-17
GEN SHERMAN AND THE IYDIANS.

The Indian troubles are on the increase, and
Gen. sherman is likely 10 have his hands full
for some time to come According to Gov
Hunt of Colorado, the war has attained to
formidable proportions, for in dispatch to
Gen. Sherman he states that II now exists over
country 1900 by 1000 miles in extent. In
telegram recently sent by the Government
officers of Colorado Territory to President
Johnson, asking for the adoption of prompt and
vigorous measures against the Indians, "A sad
picture is drawn of the state of the Territory
owing TO the active hostility of the red men,
who are making depredations and killing the
white settlers on every side. Ranches are
burned coaches and emgrant teams are
attacked; stock run Off and numerous muir
ders committed Our special correspond
ent says dispatches swarm in daily from
Montana, Dakota, and Colorado, announcing
new depredations and murlerous outrages. IL Is
easy to conceive the effect Of all this upon the
spirit Of the people in the more remote and un-
protected settlements. We are not at all sur
prised to learn that the arts of peace are
suspended, and the people suffering from .
"feeling of insecurity, which paralyzes every
"branch of industry
In sneh n state Of things vigorous measures
are imperatively called for, and these will
certainly be adopted by Gen. sherman. pro-
yided, of course, the means of doing so are
placed at his disposal by the Government. The
General says that he has not a sufficient
number of troops to protect all the exposed
points, and that the people must, for the
present, fight the Indians themselves Under
the circumstances, they certainly have no choice
left them but to shoulder the rifle and meet the
enemy. Still, it is a hard and cruel case that
this dire necessity should be forced upon them
and no time ought to be lost in sending on re-
Inducements of troops to enable Gen. Sher-
man to make short, sharp, and decisive work
of the campaign which has been commenced.
With man like Sherman in command, il is
not being too sanguine TO expect that such
will be the character of the operations against
the Indians. We have had enough OF Terri
torial wars conducted by irresponsible men.
This time it is satisfaction to know that one
of our ablest and most experienced generals will
direct the movements of the forces, which will
be composed in great part of United States
| troops.
But while a vigorous prosecution of the war
| is necessary, in order that h0stilites might be
brought to as speedy termination as possible,
and the Territories thereby delivered from Q
blighting calamity, that spirit is to be de-
nounced which urges that the Indians should
be treated as devils, whom we arc mercilessly TO
sweep from off the face of the earth in retaliation
for their merciless deeds Now that the war is up
on us, it must be fought out as such war ought
| to be prosecuted; and in view of the atrocities
which the Indians have been committing in the
| Territories, we can make some allowance for the
language employed by Gov Hunt and his as
sociate officers, in their dispatch to President
Johnson, when they call for terrible meas
ures of retaliation. But ought the provo
| cations the Indians have received to be
| lost sight off Has Encouragement, has
bad faith on the part Of Agents, has persist
ence in policy calculated to ALLEVIATE the In
dian rather than attach him TO us, nothing to do
with these frequently recurring wars, so costly
to the country, and so miserably barren in their
results9 Why, only in the year 1865 it cost the
Governments large portion of which money
went into the pockets of Government thieves
$25,OOO00O to carry on an Indian war; and
now in 1867 we have another similar war on
! our hands, which will involve q further large
expenditure of money, 1t is easy to talk of ex-
terminating the Indian, but the task of getting
rid of him in that way would not be found so
practicable as some suppose; and it is
by no means an economical mode of
disposing of him, as we have seen, The
present hostilities show that the race have
some vigor in them still. Let another plan be
tried, more c0nsonant with the principles of
humanity, and more becoming great nation,
Let policy of wise Cancellation be adopted,
and well organized and properly sustained eff
forts be made to bring the Indian within the
reach Qf eiyiliziAg Influences, Until wa have