New-York tribune., 1867-07-15
pr.cF OR WAR as WE CHOOSE

If there is any doubt of the uselessness and
folly of our Indian wars, it should certainly be
removed by the reports of Gems. Buf0rd and
Sandford, which we give to the public to-day.
These Commissioners, appointed several months
ago to investigate the causes of the war,
agree in declaring that the present war
should not be continued. 1t is not
only wrong in principle, but in policy.
War was invited by the Government when 1t
ordered the construction Of the road to Mon
tana from Fort Laramie, through country
which had been by treaty yielded to Indian
occupation We had ceded its possession to
the tribes, and reclaimed it without paying
them That they resented this interfer-
ence by attacking our frontiers is not sur
prising, for we cannot expect from Chey-
enne chief the moderation of the En-
glish Premier or a French minister The
first argument of the Cheyenne is likely to be
the scalping knife; wrOnged by the white man,
he seeks redress after the manner Of his
fathers, on the war path. 1t is idle to sup
pose that with race of savages the United
States can deal as with England or France.
If a crew of British sailors tear down the
American flag, floating above manOf-war in
British waters, the English Government must
apologize, or n war must follow. But we
have no such point of honor to maintain
with the Sioux; that their angry braves
have attacked q settlement is no reason why
we should fight the whole Indian nation,
though there is vague idea that the Govern
ment must resent such Outrages and maintain
its dignity by war. The true policy Is to pun
ish individuals, punish tribes; keep faith with
our Indian subjects to the letter, and to re-
member, when apparent occasion for war arises,
that there can be no question of national dig
nifty involved, and no worse method of settling
the real matters in dispute.
A war with the Indians is like that Napoleon
waged against the Russian Winter. The foe is
beyond the reach of our weapons he has no
cities to defend, and the vast praires for a
refuge Gen. Sandford confirms what we have
long suspected, that, to be successful, an Indian
war must be waged on women and children.
Them we can reach, the villages we may de-
stroy; but the warriors Of the tribes elude the
pursuit of our armies, and revenge their
wrongs, fancied or real, by the massacre OF
innocent settlers. What we gain by such war,
Commissioner Taylor shows. The burning OF
n Cheyenne village cost the Indians SlOO,OOO
the United States S5000,000 and hundred
lives This is too much to pay for victory which
is absolutely useless when won. Mr.. Taylor
declares that our present policy, If continued,
will result in an Indian war of gigantic pro-
portions, prolonged indefinitely, at an ap-
"palling sacrifice of life, and at cost OF
Hundreds of millions of dollars"
The moment, then, that it is conceded that the
| Of fba
secured only by long and expensive
war of determination, the necessity OF making
peace is conceded. That peace is possible
the Commissioners unanimously assert. Gen.
Buford says that but for Hancock's expedition
they could have made peace with all the tribes
TO which they were sent, and that unless re-
talation for the Fort Phil Kearney massacre
makes war necessary, there is no reason
why it should be continued. For reasonable
compensation, Commissioner Taylor says, the
Indians will agree to allow the construction Of
the road and the establishment of military
posts. "By simply retracing our wrong steps,
"and by doing right, we can have all we want
from the Indians without war" The
hostile tribes are anxious for peace;
the friendly Indians watch with regret
if it is continued, they must inevitably be
drawn We do not doubt this is the temper
of the Indians on the Plains, and know that.
whether it be or not, nothing can be gained
by barbarian war, in which the Indians
seek to strike terror by horrible massacres, and
the whites to obtain victory by offering re-
wards for Indian "scalps with the ears on"
The Commissioners recommend setting apart
so 600 miles of territory north of Nebraska and
south of the Missouri tribes for the occupation
of all the Indians not included in what
is known as the Indian Territory, and such q
plan we shall in the end be compelled to adopt
But the first step must be to stop the war.
Let it be ended the shortest way. Recall the
troops, proclaim peace; make just treaty
with the Indians, and then let the Government
not only keep it strictly itself, but make sure
that it is not broken by agents and traders. The
issue is plain-immediate peace, or savage and
fruitless war-and the Government cannot hes
itate in its choice
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