St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-05-31
Our Indian Troubles.

In a recent conference between Gen.
Hancock and Satanta, the leading chief
tain of the kiowa Indians, the latter de-
clared that he and his tribe were deSir-
OILS of peace and would do nothing 10
promote war. Satanic added. however,
and there Is pertinence in the remark.
that the Great Father at Washington
ought not TO send out a Indian agents
men who would steal half of the goods
intrusted TO them for the payment of the
Indian annuities He also said that
other chiefs who were rich and had been
able 10 make presents to the Indian
agent, Col. Lcavenworth, had received
their annultles promptly, while he, who
was poor and unable TO make the agent
any presents, had received nothing at
all The burden of Satantas speech
was an accusation of Col. Leavenworlh,
and full reports OF all that TRANSFERRED at
this council are TO be sent TO Washington
for investigation. Satanta sand he did
not think the great men at Washington
knew what goings OH there were among
the Indian agents. and he implied his
confidence that there would be a change
for the better when the authorities at
Washington heard of Col. Lcavenworth's
proceedings.
The question OF the proper manage
mcnt OF orr Indian affairs is every wear
growing grayer and graver. These In
dian wars are very costly, and they are
not only costly but they do not seem TO
bring any practical benefit We have
paid millions of dollars for the expenses
OF our Indian campaigns, and there is
still a. much need as ever OF further
campaigns or of some other way OF SET
tlin@ the ve1ing question. We strongly
suspect that the really great cause of In
dian hostiIities is the rascality of the
AGENTS. The Indians are savages TO be
sure, but that is no reason why we
should not keep the promises we volun-
tarily make to them. If we agree to
give them a certain amount of goods
every year, and the goods are not forth
coming the Indians naturally vent their
Indignation 10y scalping the first white
man they come across. The pale faces
have cheated them, and therefore they
will scalp the pale faces. We get indig.
nant at their outrages and put some
troops ON the war path The troops &C
and burn some Indian villages, render
the Indians poorer and madder Than be,
fore, and then report that "all is quicI
OH the plains
! This is substantially the way our In
dian affairs are managed, and it is yer,
evident that it is not the way III whicl
they ous hit TO be conducted. The In
dams revenge the abuse and nee lect o
the Indian agents upon parties of emf
grants and frontier settlers, and the dis
honest agents are the real occasion of al
the trouble. The government owes it Il
IFS own dignity and to the safety of it
citizens TO see that there is radical re
form in this matter. If the Indians hav,
been defrauded and rendered discontente,
10y the agents, the agents should b
promptly dismissed. We have grav
doubts about the expediency of maxim!
the Indians annual presents of powder
shot and balls as an inducement to keel
the peace, but whatever agreements tn
government makes with them ought t
be scrupulously kept. If we break on
promises we must not expect the Indian
to keep theirs but if we keep ours, W
can demand the observance of theirs
And if we are faithful and they ar,
talthleSs, we must resort to force. Blu
the Indians ought not to be punished 70
the rascality of covetous white men, an
we want it officially and definitely set
tied whether our Indian agents are guilt
of the charges made against them by tn
leading chief of the Kiowas. Boslo
! ,JOWRdL