Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-07-12
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Vol .9.XXXIVlj.. "
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The Indian QuestiOn-Facts and
dANSgures--The Policy of Commits
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Especial Correspondence of the Cincinnati Gszettel
y,,. III, si6,s5 ~ WASHINGTON, July s. q
The Indian war has just begun. Accord
ing to the estimates a5 Gen. Grants head
quarters, the five orsix thousand men now
engaged. are waging it at weekly expense
TO the Government of $l,000,000. If the
determination is reached to prosecute tho
eamapign vigorously, at least twenty, five
thousand men will be required, and the ex-
pense, at the lowest calculation, will reach
$5,000,O00 a week. So say those officials
here. whose, duties make it necessary to
study the question of cost.
With a less sum than this it will be inn
possible to keep a force in the field that
will enable us to deal blows which the In
dians will feel. When taxpayers come to
look five millions week in the face the
question assumes very practical shape.
considerations of right justice, national
honor, and maintaining laws and treaties,
may be thrust aside, because we have the
power to ignore them. But five millions a
week, or even one million week in taxes
brings the question home to every man in
the land e4ez an -,--, 5---s--vsr -.-.s--r
which operations have been in progress,
may be summed up, as follows: Fifteen to
twenty Indians killed at a cost to the Gov
efnment of over million dollars each, be-
sides the lives of ten white men for the
life of every Indian. And this without
one step of progress toward settlement,
but ON the contrary, every step has led to
greater difficulties. General Sherman to-
day, with his half dozen regiments, is ut
terly helpless on the plains. He cannot
defend the posts, and at the same time as
sumo the aggressive. Military operations
are virtually at stand still. But the exe
penditure of million week is constant.
Volunteers are being enlisted among the
border men, and the call of military men
is for large increase in the regular force.
The fact is, we have reached a point where
even to stand still costs at the rate of. fifty
millions year, where to advance with the
means to make an impression. and reap
any beneficial results, will involve an ad-
dition to our debt of at least two hundred
millions within year. sl53A va
And even supposing that we wage sue
cessful warfare, and bring the Indians to
terms, unless our policy toward them be
wholly changed, we are then precisely
where we were when the war began. and
in due time, through the. operations of the
same issues which brought about the pres
ent troubles, we should soon be Involved
again. ssSlE7e T5E zzsHtt1
To say nothing of right, the nation can
not afford to settle the Indian difficulty by
war. Let bondholders and taxpayers con-
template the addition of two or three hum
dred millions to our debt, and they will
have the practical side of the question in
viewJ
ek CAUSES OF THE WAR.
Every right minded man who will take
pains to study this question, will approach
this branch of it with feelings of shame,
and deep sense of dishonor. The testi-
mony will show, beyond doubt, that the
Indians have been more faithful to all
treaty stipulations than the Government,
through the administration OF its agents,
has been. 1t will show a system of organ
lied swindling, robbery and plumber,
through which the Indians have been goad-
ed to desperation and to acts of violence.
The nation hears only of the retaliatory
deeds of the Indians. 1t hears nothing of
the disgraceful conduct on the part of tra-
ders and agents, which was the direct cause
of trouble. The Indians have not been
swift to avenge their wrongs. On
the contrary they have been long
suffering and wonderfully patient un-
der the infiiction of grievous out
rage. And when at last, despairing
of protection, or just treatment, they
take their affair into their own hands and
make war on the whites, then come the ter
rible stories of Indian atrocities. Those
who were active to bring on the troubles
should have thought'of that. The Indians
have their own well known methods of
warfare. If they are driven to fight, with
what force can any one complain that they
\ lie in ambush. use treachery, and always
scalp their victims /? THESE to them are
legitimate methods of fighting. And the
border men. while condemning the Indi-
ans, are clamorous for authority TO take
4 scalps, and 'scalps with the ears on" and
i proposals have even been made on the floor
\ OF the United States Senate, by Mr.. Upton,
to pay bounty for scalps, and to urge a
war of extermiuation. And that in a land
\ which boasts of its civilization and calls it.
self Christianl sfI o
The Indians are not blameless, but their
conduct is innocence itself when compared
with Che treatment they have received at
our hands, and all the testimony will bear
out this statement in its broadeSt extent
, Every sentiment of justice and national
honor, and least of all, the grave question
of cost, call for complete change in oul
Indian policy. At present the system main
tained at such enormous expenses is little
|, else than a vast machine to enrich contrac-
tors, traders, agents and political ''rings.'
OF course there are honest men in all these
classes, unless it be the last-but speaking
l OF. each in the aggregate, it contains suf
: tieient population of thieves and scoun
drels, to account for all the trouble, with
out imputing great blame to the Indians
and the record of their acts will show thi
: to be unyarnished truth. ~ SEAa
The whole pay and emoluments to whicl
an Indian Agent is entitled, is abou
. eighteen hundred dollars year; and yet
as a class, they acquire great wealth. Sal,
n an agent from Ohio, here in Washington
: about a year ago, on the day he reoeiver
:, his commission: 81 would never thinl
: of taking this Office at eighteen hundred
year, if did not feel certain could clea
|, thirty or forty thousand year, and settl
: an estate upon my father.' And yet
e paragraph is going the rounds of Wester
q papers, extolling that mans honesty. An,
= if the truth were known, in very man
cases there would be found the same dill
ference between the surface show and tn
reality. ....-
THE FEELING ON THE BORDER.
TIE only sentiments tolerated on the boz
u der are such as the black flag indicates
To certain extent this feeling is natura
II if men only look at the present acts of tn
i Indians, and leave out of view the treat
d ment which has driven them to dig up tn
) hatchet. Saying nothing of right, an
ofI speaking only of interest, there are man
IL classes who will hail the war with delight
II Settlers and spectators want the India
lands. Merchants are pleased at tn
amount of money which army operation
bring into the country. Contractors rea
fortunes in transporting army stores
l., Agents are prevented from deliverin
r. goods, and it is easier to turn them to pri
IL vate account than in time of peace.
II nearly all the controlling interests of socie
- =. ty in these regions are in favor of war.
70 Those who decide the election are th
20 men who favor scalping and extermins
tion, and so politicians, to keep their seat
. pander to the barbarism and talk loudly
determination. The people On the bordt
should be amply protected, but the natio
cannot afford to carry on war at enOl
,e nous cost simply to advance the interest
- the classes named.
DETERMINATION.
y Admitting that the moral sense of II
= nation is so utterly debased as to rende
q the raising of the black flag possible, I'll
y absurdity OF the policy is astounding.
. u The Indian population is about 300, 90
bs / TA- l., na0