The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-16
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What tho Indians ure Doing,

The Omaha correspondent OF tho Chicago Re
pablicaH gives the following sensible view of tho
present attitude OF tho Indians on tho plains:
.'Gonersl Dodge, judging from his lotter regard
ing the killing of Brown, thinks that there is
thing loft but to turn 10 and thoroughly whip tho
Indians. His oxporionce oil tho frontier is great,
and his conclusions usually aound, but possibly in
this oaao his Indignation at tile sacrifice Of Browns
liio may hnvo eolored his opinion somewhat.
However that may be, there are many ether poo
pic on this frontier who arc reluctant to como 10
that conclusion, but who say thct they fear it
must come to war. At this timo tho state OF the
case among Tho Sioux soonIs to be this: The
young men md tho young chiefs land they aro
the most nluenlinl say that there s nothing for
them t0 do but 10 fight Until the whites consent to
lot thom alone whGre thoy aro, and 10 Keep out Of
what they claim as th6r country. Tho old men
and all of tho older chiofs aro dcsirous to prcvout
q war, indeed hayo taken, in Bomo cases. oxtronc
| in war parties. Theso old mon, in times past,
! have felt and know tho power Of tho Goyorlimont,
will bo extarmilatod by tho whtos, but the cxpe-
/ riUneo OF the younger 1nns hay not taught tliom
tLio, 40 snce that time thoy have almost iuvlria-
| bly, beaten the troops. :,
parties, rarely numbering moro thnn five or siI,
! but sometimes combining for O few days sovcral
parties, whose object seems to bo simply theff.
Of courae, il white meg stand in tho way OF their
SUCCESS in that limo, nnd they fiii IL impossible,
they will kill, but they aro not Hll:'t they cell
''upon tho wnr'lath.",, Ihoy kill only whom noces-
|
foolish cmigraut puts his scalp within thcir easy
| roach whom tho temptation becomes too strong,
and ll;ey :ako it, even II they get nothing else
| with IL.
'AlaIIy OF tho people who CROSS tho plains snen,
to think that becauso Indians nr0 not seen thcrt
| nrp mono about, md eycry now md thon some
| man or woman on whom caution and advice arf
wasted, COOS out n few milcs from camp, hunting
perhaps, md presently finds moro Indians thar
| arc beneficial to his health. and AWAY goos his
Bcpip. Not improbably from this very train, in
fcw days. another ono will DO lost in tho sanlt
way, and simply b0cauHo theAe people, In thei,
solf-sulicioht ignorance scorr tho counsel o.
mon who have for y0ars travelled tho plains nni
negleat TIM sin,ploBt precautions without which
an old plansman wonld no sooner travel than III
would commit suicide. train goes into camp
mon, tired and, parhaps, lttlo lazy beside; thu
stock is driven out to grnzo. frequently milo o.
moro from tho camp, with no guard oyer it tina
amounts TO anything; slid in an hour half-lozeI
Indians who liayo, probably, for days boen follow
ing and watching, hut mover showing themselves
dnsh o,It Of tho bluffs and at ono swoop away goc
tue herd, not eyep tho simple protaution takon I.
hayo evon half doxon nbinials secured on whel
TO pursue IN such cases.
Occasionally, mon aro killed at such times
pi}d onoo In Wills tho Indians attack train tina
, is well managed and that gives them warm rc
caption. But tho faot Is that tho presont condl
ton OF things cannot bo said to DO 8tato Of gcno
ral war with them. Tho yohng mon say thoy ar
ont for stock, and Bcalps arc nurely ineidenials
J but It 10 state Of affairs which few weoka mn
! change into q widespread and determined Wa
with all thS northern tribes