The national Republican., 1867-08-08
OUR INDIAN TRIBES.

The question what is TO become OF the
Indians in this country has long puzzled
the best thinkers and the wisest men Of
the nation. The knavish trader who goes
among the Indians for purposes Of specu-
laton, that be may rob them Of what
Justly belongs to them, and the western |
pioneer who has felt the terrible cruelties |
which the cxpsperated red men have in
Hicted upon himself, his family, and his
neighbors, will tell you to exterminate
them. They can never be civilized nor
Christianized. They never can mingle
with nor become o part Of our body
polite. They have no principles in com.
mon with us, nor never can have. Socially,
politically, and in every aspect Of the
case in which the subject may be viewed,
they hold nothing in common with us.
Our paths are divergent, and there can
be no coalescing or any afinities between
us In short that manifest destiny teaches
plainly this lesson: the Indian must de-
crease, decay, and very shortly pass away;
and can be known only in future history
as an extinct race. There seem to be some
inklings Of truth in this theory, but it will
not do to adopt it as whole. There is
plenty Of room and much reason for ac-
cepting this theory in modified sense.
In the first place, we reject that portion
of the programme which proposes exter'
mination by FIRE and sword. We don't
believe the method adopted by some, and
reduced to practice by many, that the true
policy is to first rob the Indians, and then
when they resent it, proclaim an open war
against all their tribes, on the plea that
they are cruel, and must be dealt with as
savages, to whom no mercy is to be shown
To set up the plea that God intends tc
exterminate this people, does not relieve
our purpose to wage war Of extermina
ton against them Of its odious and diabol
cal intent and cruelty. 1t may be that
God intends to let these people die Gu
and fade away from the face Of the earth
still, we must not argue from these prem
ises that war Of determination, waged b!
our people against these children OF tn
western wilds, is, therefore, just; or that i
is iustifable in the sight Of Heaven.
God will choose His own agencies an
instrumentaltes in effecting His purpose
in the earth. There is the pestilence "tha
walketh in darkness and wasteth at noon
day :" there is dearth and famine; there
is war, to be sure, another of the scourge!
of Almighty God and these combined, o.
separately, may do His bidding in desolat
ing the nations and the tribes Of men.
Some of our Indian wars have been ur
avoidable, and therefore just, as they wer
forced upon us by the savages themselves
It is not so with all, however. Neithe
does the conduct Of one or more tribe
Justify war Of universal determination, a
some advise. No such unrelenting an
universal slaughter Of Indi ms can find just
ficaton behind the pleas or upon tn
bypothcsis that God is intending the eS
termination 1 OF the entire Indian rae,
What God intends to do, and what w
His erring creatures, may do, Of our ow
yolition, are two very distinct things, an
they should never be confounded in thei
nature, nor in their results.
In speaking of the decadence Of the II
dians, we, in illustration Of our subjec
take the following interesting particular
from the .Morav'an. which contains muc
that is interesting respecting the Cher
KEGS. The Morav'an says:
"The tribe numbers l4000 The female
outnulnbcr the males more than l, 80
Ten wears ago the tribe numbered 25,OO
but the ravages Of war, the exposure
the refugees in the northern climates wh'
they are driven out from their homes du
ing the rebellion, and other causes, r.
operated to produce this wonderful u
mutton of numbers. The Cherokees nc
own in fee simple about 100000 acres
land and the United States Governme
hold in trust for them 81 100000, Il
Cberokees are the most enlightened tri
of Indians in the West. They have ma
most commendable progress in civiliz
tion. Many Of them are finely educate
and are men of culture and refinemer
Before the war they had number OF got
schools and academies, and the children
The more intelligent and wealthy were ed
Gated in Eastern colleges. They have
Legislative form OF government with
Senate and House OF Assembly; a go
ernor and head chief elected by the Pc
ple: courts and justice officers Inc
conntrv is divided into different count'
They held slaves; but in our Weste
proyincialism, that is played out I'M
former slaves are now treated with cons
nration and respect, and will soon becor
the principal men Of the tribe, as they .
industrious, and seem to have grea'
desire to accumulate property than I
native Indians. In proportion 10 tn,
numbers the Cherokees previous 70 :. y
war were the wealthlest people on the Ia
of the globe. They owned immense nsr Nht
Of cattle, horses and hogs. Large sh
ments of cattle were annually made
them to New Orleans and other marhe
One man owned 10000 head Of cat ~,
another $4,000. There were many "
owned 10, 600, 5000, 1000, l'ooo ana D