Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-10-06
THE POOR INDIAN.
The Late Pow wows--.The Eneroach-
uients Of CIviIizatiOn---His Present
Resistance and Future Fate
From the N. Y. Herald.

1 AAem bAS ~. L AASId
Another great council--another pow
WOW. Spotted Tail, Swift Bear, Turkey
Foot, walks-under-t
Pawnee Killer, and dozen other beggar,
ly, greasy and filthy Indian chiefs, have
been assembled in consultation over the
question of barbarism rs. civilization. The
pipe of peace has been smoked a lite, a
great deal of talking done, a few threats
made on both sides, and plenty of presents
distributed of arms, ammunition and cloth
ing. The friendly Indians who did not at
| tend the council expect that their poetical
brethren who did will bring them an am
pie share of good things from Uncle Sans
deposit -
The Indians appear disposed to dictate
terms to US. They demand the abandon
ment of the new road which has been
opened to Montana also of the Southern
Pacific railroad. This also requires the
giving up of Forts Laramie, Reno, Phil.
Kearney and c. F.. Smith. These are the
terms that our red men lay before us for con.
sideration. Thus they throw themselves
in the way of our westward march, and
thus they would render it impossible FOR US
to connect the Atlantic with the Pacific
OtdlCSs VIC udNG UPON our iTODbLtIs#
restless, driving population, who are con-
stantly pushed westward by the ever in
creasing food of European immigration.
There is not a day that Civilization does
not gain mile in its westward march and
at this pace it will soon meet that which,
from the Pacific States is, at restless
pace, forcing its way over the Rocky noun
tains and rolling down their eastern slope.
All along the border of Northern Mexico.
in Arizona and New Mexico, the internal
development of the nation is being pushed
ownward. From the coast of Texas it is
moving Northwest with rapid strides. No
wonder the Indian feels its contact. No
wonder he has at lenghth awakened to the
fact that he must mingle with it or sink
before it. No wonder that he now stirs
himselfto his last struggle with the fates
We admire his courage, for that is aquaIity
above all others that the American people
appreciate; but the Indians courage will
not enable him to hold our civilization at
bay. He will fight, he will boldly battle to
have is to accept the issue, and, by force of
arms, bring him to terms. 1t is useless now
to argue what might have been. Whether
the Indian can be civilized or not is not
now the question. The fact is indisputable
that we have an Indian war on hand of a
magnitude far greater than any we have yet
had. The Indian has determined to fight
rather than have his hunting ground de-
stroyed, and as there can be no reserve
hunting grounds for the benefit of that
class of humanity which expects to get
living by hunting game, we must fight.
General Sherman, in a very sensible
speech, told the Indians that civilization
must not be iuterrupted-thatt they must
look for redress in something beside war
for if they attempted this, they would be
"swept out of existence" by our soldiers
This clear, strong language must not be an
idle threat, for the Indians have grown bold
under the threats we have made, for the
reason that they have, like our treaties,
been rarely fulfilled. General Sherman,
however, is an officer in whom we have
great confidence. His campaigning
against the Indians, we hope, will prove
as successful as his warlike services
against the Rebels We may yet find that
when he refused to make a pilgrimage
to Mecca he did a good thing for the United
States All now depends on rapidity of
action. The one idea is to be kept before
the soldier is that the Indian is lightly
loaded and swift. Our soldiers must be the
same Volunteers must be raised on the
frontier, for they are the material for
Indian warfare. The money must be APP
propriated to carry on the contest, for it is
an investment which our civilization re-
quires. Our march must still be westward.
The Indian hunting ground must disap~
pear, and the tribes who inhabit it must
bow to the destiny which says they must |
march with US or sink before US.