The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-09-07

Deen III Lue euIHe ulRn btate OF CIVIL
zation and christian attainments, had
the same cheap, simple means been
used with them with an hundredth
part of the expense in money and
life it will now cost the American
people TO exterminate them. The
same, undoubtedly, should be said of
all the Indian tribes who are at war
with Americans The two tribes
Nez Perces and Snakes-inhabit coun-
tries adjoining. The contrast is a fair
and overwhelming one. The Ameri-
cans took the Snake tribe-the better
of the two-perfectly honest, peaca-
bic and kind-heartcd (Sec Lewis &
Clark with powder and the lasso rope,
but no Bible or Sabbath, aud they
now have the satisfaction Of knowing
that they have made that tribe what
they are. The christian world have
the satisfaction Of knowing that the
Bible and the Sabbath have made the
Ncz Perces what they are. If have
learned anything in this world have
learned what the Bible can do for the
Indian when honestly and affection.
ately given to him in his own Ian
guage. | do not want those mush-
room moralists, who never spent two
days in an Indian school, who never
saw nm Indian reading the words of
Christ in his own language, and who
knows nothing of what Christ meant
when he said, "Thou shalt love thy
ncighbor rs thyself," 10 undertake to
tell me what can be and what cannot
be done for the Indian. Ny opinion
is formed, not from passing through
the Indian country, but from an expe-
ricnce and close observation of thirty
ycars-most ofthc time making known
To them the contents of the Bible.
There Is an editorial in the y. Y.
Tribune of May goth so entirely true
in every word and letter, that I will
extract it. Mr.. Grcclcy's structures
are the more valuable ON this subject
as he was a particular friend of Presi-
dent Lincoln and is friend to Pres't
Johnson, both of whom have person
ally sanctioned the most unjust,
shameful, cruel, fanatical outrage prac-
ticed upon the highly civilized and
pcaceable Nez Perces. The Tribune
says:
1--WE beg our Government at Wash
ington TO understand that the Amcri-
can people do not choose TO soil their
hands with an Indian war. We beg
them to reflect that the time has come
when the nation demands n summary
reform in the incilable wickcdness
which has been dignified by the name
of 'our Indian policy Everybody
knows what that policy is /: to swindle
the savages, first in making orr treat
les, and then in the execution ofthem;
TO molest them pcrpetually, even on
the lands We have formally set apart
for their use; to plumber their lodges;
TO rayish their women To turn loose
among them lot of thieving agents /;
To hunt them like wild game when
they get impatient under our en-
croachments, and then to proclaim an
Indian war and raise "A howl of ex-
termination. We fay them alive and
expect them to smile under it. We
put upon them the cruclest provoca-
tion by burning them alive, by drag
ging them to death with the lass.rope,
by ravishing their young women and
then strangling them and pIling five
dead bodies together, and then won
der that they feel it. We cxasperate
them and grumble if they get angry.
The best of our from
tier officers, who have passed the
greater part of their lives among the
savages, are nearly unanimous in their
opinion that we have brought all our
1 Indian troubles on ourselves.
We are told that every In
dian found in certain belt of coun-
try, whether friend or foe, is to be
shot. This is TO way for a Christian
Government to avenge the wrongs
provoked by its own injustice"
But TO return to Fort Hall, which,
according to Fremont, is in lat. 43 10
and long. 1929, and 800 feet above
the sea width ofLewis river $40 feet
distance from Fort Vancouver, $50,
and ], l,223 miles from Council Bluffs.
Tit stands six miles above the mouth
of Portneuff, in a plain 20 miles long
and 4 wide, with the "Three Buttes''
As miles to the north, famous land.
marks in the "Great Lava plain
snow peaks to the west aud south. and
the Salmon River Mountains far away
to the north, like white clouds hang.
ling away in the horizon, calling to our
anxious minds the terrible sutferings
by starvation Eof several of the strong
men of the parties of Hunt, Stewart,
Ashley and Bonneville, in the "great
, and terrible wilderness" that lay be.
tween us now and those distant noun,
tains. Whether our dear wives were
TO leave their bones also to bleach in
the sands of the great desert, was yet
to be determined.
Far away to the northeast can be
seen the "Three Teatons," $50 miles
distant, with their snow white sum
mits ever shining in the sunbeams
! conspicuous landmarks for a great
distance both east and west of tn,
: Rocky Mountains. Oft and again il
/ days past has their sight cheered the
( lone mountain trapper, telling hin
f where he was and what course to take
j to reach the main camp, or the long
: sought beaver ground, or to escape |
t hostile camp. For five weeks thes'
: Teatons have been in sight from th'
> high points of our route, and they
j will probably be seen for four week.
: more. Rising from the midst of th,
; Rocky Mountains, their everlasting
t SHOWS furnish at once the living waters
Iof the Columbia and Colorado. RISING