The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-10
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LO, THE POOR INDIAN,

Tho United States is at peace with all neon,
save tho aboriGincs Of this Continent. With ibo
race IL Is now waSing war. 1t is several month
sncc that war was begun in carncst, and the onI
result thus far iB an appalling sum of money OK
pendctl-thc cost of tho unequal aud The uusofis
Factory contest. We can count, on our fingers
tiIn Indians that have been killed. but We uro os
touniGtl wlicn NC calculate The expenditures. No
does it rccm likely that continued and increasct
expenditures will avail i'll bringing this frishtfull,
expensive war to nm cnI at All carly tiay.
1t is easy for disciplined troops to .swhip" tho
saFaSes oven aSninst great Odds but tho difficulty
hes IN tho faet that tho savagcs will not give the
ulsciplinch troops an opportunity TO thrash tom.
ihey have no admiration for pitched battles, no
stomach for decisive cnga semcnts Thoy prefer
dividing their painted warriors into numerous
small bands anu scattering over tho vast territory
which is Tho theatre Of tho war, sudden ouaets on
wagon trains loaded with such things MS they need,
nicrclless attacks OH villngcu, hamlots. and weak
frontier forts ut the dead Of night The two par-
tics in this war directly at variance in regard
to tho manner iii Which il shall be conducted.
Tho stronger would like it decided nj once. tbo
weaker have determined to postpone tho tcrlninn-
ton to as distant period ~ possible the stronger
wants 10 fight, The weaker wants to say but moi tp
light.
ahe Indian appears to havo but iow friends.
FROM The discovery ofth continent TO- the present
ony, tho Indian hns been hunted, oycrrcachetl and
treated with all manner Of harshncss and crnelty
awaro OF determination Inns been carried ON against
INN, extending through centuries. We arc now in
tho Inst stage OF it, though it is hard To say low
long this may last.
Now md then voice is heard pleading for pity
and iorb; toward these children of the for
est, Oh the ground of Tho many fuo and nub]e
traits and qualities they possessed before tbov
were corrupted by contact with the Christian white
man. urging that just plea also on the ground that
all manner OF measures and crucltics hayo bnen
Practiscd upon them. But thcso voices have boen
ic", and their eloquent en,reatics havo only
touched heart here and there. # one of Tho
Dascr OF tho tribes, or ono, whose savage spirit
bursllng TO revenge somo foul wrong takca tho
hle OF a white 1pan, the rising pity is stilcd and
turhs 10 gall; and tho whole raco il doomed 10
destruction No discrimination is made, no inycs.
tisatlon is undertaken, tho sword il drawn and il
Is accounted Just and necessary to pursue and kill
TIC injured people, until they sue for mercy, anu
accept tho conditions wo lay down.
Candor compcls US to say that NIL notic,J mar
tics, from tho commencement OF tho Government
ncr toward the Indian. we mention = is oircum- |
stance because We SEQ in somo Of tho pers state
mcnts ayerring Tint tho Radicals hare saddIcd
this Indian war upon us. This is disiugcnuous.
It is Manifest Destiny" NOT tho Radicals We
believe should havo had this Indian war ell the
same, if tho Democrats bad been in powor, in
place of the Republicans, and probably might |
havo had hosttics with tho Indians at this timc |
even had thcro not hcen colossal war between |
the Two sections OF tho Union. There is food for
reflection and room for pity, but none for re-
criminnti?n.