The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-03
why We Are warning with savnges

From the World. r..rs.f.rr. --.Ir.
The hostility of the Indians on the plains
viii increase in measure exactly proper
tionate to the direct and uncompromising hos
tility against them of the resident whites and
the United States military forces. A decisive
contest with these people must necessarily
be sc, barbarous, SO long continued and so
costly, that it would be relief to hear that
General Sherman was successfully try
ing to inaugurate such pacific policy as
would bring about another series of unmis-
taxable treaties with them before the oO-ope-
rative measures of defense and offense which
they are now perfeeting are matured. The
difficulties in the way of dealing with the
Indians now are chiefly these;- ''i''
l. The Government treaties with most of the
tribes, whereby regular annuities of money
and goods were to be paid to them, have been
shamefully broken by several Government
agents and commissioners who withheld for
years, through various cheating devices for
their own benefit and that of the traders with
whom they were allied, the dues to the Indians
placed in their charge. ei.to ssasars1s G
2. The troops quartered on the plains have
p repeatedly invaded the territory set apart for
the Indians, for the purpose of locating wagon
and establishing the nuclei of white settle
Elements where there was no right to establish
them. The new road to the Montana gold
mines is one of these routes. .1l t
3. Both the Pacific Railroad lines, which are
being built westward from the Missouri
directly penetrate the tracts belonging to the
Indians, and the building parties employed
have been, from the first, accustomed to have
arms in racks attached to the ceilings of the
cars, to defend themselves against the very
naturally expected resistance of the savages.
a. The overland and several branch routes
intrude likewise upon Indian territory; so that
it is customary for the officials and ostlers
employed at the different stations, and the
drivers of stages and wagons, to keep small
armories OF rifles, shot guns, and revolvers
handy to repel an attack.
8. Since the understanding has become
general that the Indians were to be regarded
as always hostile the settlers and frontiersmen
OF Montana, Colorado, and other territories,
the employees of the overland route and of
the overland express companies, and the work
ing parties of the two Pacific Railroads, are all
said to have assumed an attitude of deadly
enmity towards the Indians; to have formed
themselves into parties for scalp-hunting; to
have, in fact, resolved upon and pursued
the policy of shooting all Indians at sight,
and holding no peaceful communication with
them. ll4 a3saa
8. The United States Military Commanders
and the agents of the Department of the Inte-
rior, at the late council held with Satanta and
other chiefs, did not suggest or intimate any
desire or intention on the part of the Govern
ment to revalidate the treaties with, and
restore the heretofore existing rights Of the
several tribes; but, on the contrary, dealt
merely in vague assurances that other terri
tories would be set apart for them at the
discretion of the Government, coupled with
irritating threats against them in case they
should not behave themselves as the Govern
ment and their white neighbors desired them
to behave. z.
These are the facts. It is probable, also,
that the railroad companies and the Territorial
officials would rather prefer, than otherwise,
an exterminating Indian war. The former
would have great deal of profitable transpor-
tation to do, and are, besides, anxious to real
ize upon their immense grants of land before
the Indian title to them is extinguished in the
ordinary way. The latter would have an indi-
rect interest in the benefit which would accrue
to contractors, traders, and speculators in the
Government debt incurred, in the Territories.
With the Indian business in such a muddle;
with feeling of incorporating hostility
among the Western people and officials
aroused to oppose any peaceful solution of the
ditaculties, it is not very surprising that we
are being brought nearer every day to bar
barons war Of determination, which would cost
the Federal Treasury hundreds of millions OF
| dollars IT..