Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-06-14
6 Now. capnot- a policy be adopted which

volving the disasters above enumerated?
l.think such a policy could be devised!'-
And then he proceeded to suggest policy
such as justice and humanity would die
tate ;abat it met with no support, and the
army proceeded to usurp authority in the
premises, wholly ignoring the Indian
Bureau and its officers. This plan of Gen.
Sherman's has been the policy since in the
regions referred to, and the effect has been
precisely what Commissioner Bogy pre-
dicted.
To-day there are troops sufficient in the
Indian country to cost the Government
probably forty millions of dollars per an
mum to supply them; and If the telegraph
is to be accredited, the "vigorous"s prep
arations of, and sending forward more
troops, the filling out of cavalry regiments,
&C., now going on, will soon throw suf-
ticient troops into the Indian country to
absorb double that sum per year to support
them And this humber of troops, and
this vast expenditure, will not accomplish
the object of General Sherman's plan indi-
thousand dollars annually expended, as
Commissioner Bogy proposed, would have
composed all trouble Immediately, and in
| side of eighteen months perhaps have car
ried all the Indians quietly away from the
| regions so much coveted by General Sher-
man and his esteemed friends, the owners
of the two rival Pacific railroads, and the
Montana gold spectators.
There is nothing In the attitude of the
Indians to call for such numbers of troops
and such an expenditure Of public money,
and assertions to that effect are false, abso-
tlutely and unqualifiedly false. I-s, z,
Think you that If the Indians were in
the state of hostility represented, these
railroads, or pretended railroads, for tits
an abuse of language to call them rail-
roads, could be built as is reported these
are being built We are told that one is
know in operation nearly four hundred
miles west from the Missouri river, and the
other not far behind; and that each is lay
ing some two or three miles of track per
day. And such feats performed in the
heart of a hostile Indian countryl
J, Think you that pleasure parties, such as
the one headed by Senator Wade on the
Nebraska Road, and the other by Senator
Cameron on the Kansas Road, would dare
I to venture so far out on the plains, as these
4 parties have within the past few days, if
4 the Indians were so hostile? But these ex
I teursionists will aver on their return that
there was great danger as they heard. The
Indians did not disturb them, but they
heard of much. cruelty praetised by the
! Savages. What less can they say in. con-
4 sideration of such magnificent deadhead
ride? . ,-. l.-,i....,.. 81 - 81 cd. tei. ....l.
That the Indians are disturbed there is no
| doubt; that in some cases they are posi-
lively hostile may be true, for they are
pressed on every side, and to considerable
extent cut off from their usual means of
support; and, moreover, any irresponsible
man in the Indian country feels he is
licensed by. General Sherman's order to
g summarily" deal with all Indians found
toutside of the limits referred to; to shoot
down any that may come in his way, no
matter how well disposed they may be-
And this license is, no Doubt diligently
4 Improved. So bold have men become in
this pastime of Indian killing, that one w.
H. Cotterell, the agent at Denver of the
United States Express Company, has re-
! Gently issued a war bulletin to the agents
and employees of that company, apparently
with the appreciation of General Hancock,
In which he says: "IfIndians come with
lin shooting distance, shoot them; show
them no mercy. Hold no communication
with them" And Governor Meagher, of
Montana, has issued his proclamation, call
ing on thousand freebooters to go off with
, him on an Indian killing expedition, in
! which he promises them all the pluuder
and booty they can obtain.
Gen. Sherman is responsible for such out
laws as Cotterell, Meagher and others like
them are guilty of, and if proper public
sentiment existed, commanding office r
tolerating such wicked outlawry in his de-
partment would be cashiered and deposed.
But the Administration and Congress are
both implicated in this wickedness. Cen
eral Sherman's plan was printed early in
the last session, aud laid before Con gress
= and the Department, and no objection was
3 made to 1t, except what ex-Commissioner
BOgyI made, and hisoffieial head was cut off
The fact is, Messrs. Editors of the Gazette
there is a systematic, deliberate and devil
) ish plan on foot to essay to exterminate the
! Indians. That plan was officially promul-
! gated on the 28th of December, 1856, by
5 Gen. W. T.. Sherman. In an official letter
Al of that date to Gen. Grant, and which was
: afterward laid before Congress, he utter;
f this Infamous and atrocious sentiment
: 1--WE MUST ACT WITH vINDIcTIyE EARNEST
t NESS AGAINST THE Sioux, EVEN TO THEIR EX-
a TERMINATION, MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN
S NOTHING ELSE WILL REACH THE ROOT OF
e THE CASE" and i infer that the Admins
g tration are committed to the sentiment ex'
p pressed in this note. 1t was laid before Con
: gress. Every department had knowledge o
= 1t. Neither the President nor Secretary
a of the Interior, as have learned. dissented
e Commissioned Bogy did, and he wa
b rejected. Congress took no steps to checl
; the matter and .puta stop to tue vigorous
b efforts Immediately 5-commenceds by thu
War Department inpreparing a large force
: by early spring to enter the field on an ex
!, terminating war, land General Hancocl
b was in such hurry to get about it that IN
S did not wait until the grass grew. Now
s agree with you that such war may absorl
: the revenue of the nation for generation
n and effect no good, and it would seem, a
1t You express it, that people who talk abou
y eXterminating the Indians are either Graz,
IL or naturally deficient in sense" Such be
Is ing the fact Is 1t not amazing that the pro
n position has met with no opposition in hig
o. official quarters? !? Moreover is it not doubl
e. amazing that in the month of May, 1861
!, lin all the various religious assemblies, con
q ferences, associations, &C., that were hel
el in different parts of the United States
.s1f~
s, tors of Divinity, not, SO far as know, wa
i one word of condemnation uttered in op
of position to this great crime against hu
ID manity and justice. How cold How un
70 feelingi
1T In the annual report of the Commission
lr er of Indian affairs, dated November 2:
N 1S56,the attention of Congress was calle
70 to this subject; and in view of the rapi
le expansion of our population westward
n and the certainty that railroads would b
rs built in the direction they are now goin;
y in a very brief time,l it was urged tina
}" provision should at once be made, and az
rs propriate steps be taken "to designate suit
Sc able tracts or reservations of land, i
Id proper localities, for permanent homes fC
he the Indians OF the plains, the prairies, an
IN our new States and Territories, and pre-
d, vide the means to colonize them thereon.
I'd The subject was elaborated and the impol
at tance pressed upon Congress, and yet
le this day it has not been acted upon! Ho'
ID unfaithful, how recreant to the demands {
ID duty and simple Justice!
D. In. closing this article. permit me to rt
l. peat what suggested last winter, viz: thu
DR. to make reform effective in the Indian SCI
le vice, it is indispensable that the India
I'd Bureau be made full Department., with
Secretary of equal power and authority
ce the Cabinet with any other secretary, s
b. that this important interest shall hay
q, proper representation in the Cabinet, an
to the Indians thereafter be put in positio
" beyond the reach of any further efforts