The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-29
THE NEW YORK PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT ToP1os-CoMPnED EVERY
DAY FOR TBR EVENING TELEGRAPH.
How to Treat Indians.

family OF nations nave ever SHOWN bheH-
selves eminently cruel and INSCRIPTIONS in
their treatment Of conquered and inferior
races. They have shown themselves no ex-
Ception, assuredly; but we cannot allow that
4hey are any worse than the Latin races
that BOnaparte made so frantic an attempt
40 rehabilitate in their superiority over the
Northern barbarians on this continent, and
which poor Max. has paid so dearly for.
We rather think that even our own conduct
towards the Indians and the Africans would
make a very good show alongside that OF
Spain towards her slaves and the aborgines
of Mexico, South America, and the Antilles
But this is no excuse for us or our fathers.
The founders of New England contemplated
nothing other than the civilization and con-
version of the Indian tribes. Even down to
the end of the seventeenth century it was
supposed that the two races would continue
70 possess the earth together, and live side
by side to the end of time. 1t may be
doubted when John Eliot, the apostle, would
have performed that linguistic miracle, the
translation of the Bible into the Indian ver-
nacular, if he had supposed it was so soon
to become a mere literary rarity. Still, the
fathers of New England were hard enough
on their unpleasant neighbors, and were
0uite ready enough to regard themselves as
the chosen people to whom the new Canaan
had been appointed for an inheritance, aud
the Indians as the Canaanites who were to be
rooted out. But, however scarlet may have
been the souls of our fathers in this regard,
they were white as wool compared with those
of their descendants within the last half CEN
fury or so. The wars of General Jackson, the
wholesale removal of whole tribes from their
ancient hunting grounds that they might be
turned by negro slaves into cotton fields, the
Seminole war in Florida, and all the cruelty
and injustice attending and following these
national crimes, make very black page
in our national history. For a good
, many years our civilization had not
begun to encroach on the vast domain
of the Indian country, and we knew
not much about its rowing inhabitants,
excepting an occasional big talk at Washing
ton, or the sketches of Catlin or Parkman.
But our outgrowth has at last reached that
distant region, a path must be opened for
the iron horse across those plains where
only the buffalo and the Indian have ranged
for centuries, and the white man once again
stands face to face with the red. And, as has
always happened, the contact has produced
combustion and explosion. The question now
is, how far the conhagration thus begun is to
spread, and whether it can be checked and
extnguished? This Indian war will be on a
very different scale from any that has pre-
ceded it; and it is a matter to be most wisely
considered and conducted, or it may devour
up as much of our substance as the Rebellion
itself.
In all former conflicts with Indians, the
tribes have been comparatively small, and
their territory relatively contracted; and YET
how many years and how much blood and
money it cost to conquer them Now they
are in large numbers with a continent behind
them into which they can fly from before oul
troops, and where they can dart on weak con
VOWS or isolated forts. Indeed our military
expeditions against them have been well com.
pared to going duck-shooting with full brass
band. The fowling-piece, as well as the
snare, is vain in the sight of such wary
birds as they. The attempt to extirpatt
them by force of arms must extend over
many years, and involve frightful, per
haps a ruinous expense. And this danger
is to be incurred, by the testimony o
officers who have seen the most Indian service
for the especial benefit of the traders who
would cheat the Indians and the contractors
who would cheat the Government We
humbly submit that we are not called upon tt
pay the <'bummers'' of the advancing army o
civilization so ruinous price for services we
can we'll dispense with. 1t is demohstrabl'
that it would be vastly cheaper for the United
States Government to supply the Indian tribes
gratuitously with every article the traders
furnish them with exorbitantly, from this tim
forth, than to go to war to protect these last il
their thieveries.
We are not disposed to exalt the Hnobl
SAVAGE into a model for admiration a
Rousseau and his school used to do. w
know his vices, and prOpinquity has dis
persed most of the enchantment that dis
lance formerly lent to his image. But still
he is the image of God, though oraved il
copper, and is entitled to treatment as
human being, and an unfortunate one
Violence and treachery and cheating hav
exhausted their utmost in dealing witt
re ftidiafN spQQcae we now try the varfet
of iusteeA nd humanity, and see hoy
they viii osK Let the Indian countr.
be put ander these command OF brave, sensl
ble, humane snihtafY officers. Let no In
dian trader be permite within hundre
miles of the fr0qtier, Lst the GOYernmer
anpoint competent sala Eied agents, furnishes
Ty the nation with all lthe merchandise tn
indians need, whose bi pess it shall be t
supply them at fair psiet Iet this be done
and a TT military oli s6l to see that it
done Justly, and the q llolqn outrage
~vonlS disappea,, IN 5talation would pay Il
Stselt and ciyiliaat on md Christianity woul
have a way openett fof lhem by justice. "
affirm that theroik nothing illusory or impra
4icabIe about this scheme. 1t would be addiI
a novel function 4o our Go rernment; but the
our relations "a the III r1ians are entire
anomalous, and u ust be exceptional. If Il
Indians be secuted aDsp ate justice in the
trading affairs and prof Jted from white nj
with the same impartiltity that white m'
are protected FROM th m, We believe th
Indian wars vi be finp impossiblities.
Fuaars lFoii,ical Issues.
DPte NatiqaA
ione can doubs tia the political issues
II