New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-07-10
INDIAN SLAVERY II CALIFORNIA.

upon the whites who are passing from the Atlantic 20 the
Pacific; but you hear nothing OF the condition Of tho
Indians I'm the settled portions Of California where they
are submissive exactly in proportion TO the power that
the whites have over them is not too much TO
say that they absolutely slaves The whites claim
and exercise absolute ownership over them: and, while
there law To invest them with ownership no legal
remedy is offered the Indian 70 right the wrongs TO
which he is subjected He is daily bought and sold by
his white masters; he s logged BY them whenever they
choose and he has no protection The females are chosen
by the white for mistesses and when found 10 I've
unfaltful they almost always OF course are),
hOgged severely and sometimes put 20 death They are
hired out in gangs az SO much per head under the super
ntendence OF an overseer They fed food
and sometimes on scant allowance OF that They ire
poorly clad and in sickness they must generally take
care of themselves best they may. When wanted they
work. and the nursing mother must carry bel
infant into the field and work with lying in It's basket
the ground or strapped on her back while she works
OF course there Is a great variety Of treatment Ths
moro humane among the masters often speak with in
dgnatOn the cruel treatment Of brutal owners and
overseers but almost without exception those who have
lived among them for a year more, will the
conner against too great kindness toward them, ana as
sure him that only will they be uHgrdtW for IT, but
that they will deem the humane man kind only from
cOwardce, and will seek the first opportunity 10 destroy
his property and, If possible, his life And am inclined
To believe they right numerous the proofs %
cases where Of comparative humanity have suffered
from them, either in property life, while the harsh
and keep them liza such complete that their In
dians seldom dare attempt an injury.
have used the word u'lgrdfiH because suen Is the
expression OF the whites who control them. Yet inast
confess have been able to what they should
be grateful for days LEISURE cup OF coffee, guam,
tty Of sugar abundant meal OF bread aud meat all
pleasant luxuries TO them but cannot any great
gratitude such ndugences could inspire toward those
who reduced them seryitude quite ajeet as
that the negro endured in any portion of the late Slave
Its but fair however TO state the given by
the whites for keeping them IN their present state OK
bondage The Californian who has known them for years
will tell you that they have the least possible ameunt OF
paerna feeling that they constantly destroy portion
OF their offspring rather than take te Trouble OF pr9g1
ing for them, when such provision costs but hte
labor that their gluttoLy and the amount OF food they
consume il absolutely snfpring that teir lazess
is excessive that they have such mania for gambling
that they Will risk everything they have even Gnto tns
that female chastity is so rare amons them rs 70 oe nSt
paid white lahorers II Is only when the overseer
treats them With severity II hot with harshness Even
then it somewhat doubtful whether their careessness
and desrucuyeneSs do not cause more loss than the diff
ference between their support though unpaid, and the
support and payment Of intelligent white laborers Their
food costs much more; for however you may Testrct
them. they will steal and waste lot from their owner.
from ether whites.
One Will win the clothing OF hafa-dozen Others IN
night and will probably destroy In few days haf OF
what he has Parental affection, too is certainly az
a very low ebb, for have known woman, house
servant who feared her husband might Kill her child
even though that child fed and clad IN the house,
and he had 70 fear would ever come TO want
That the females not chaste certain but whether
whether 10 is mainly the fault Of the white man HIMSELF
is a questan shall not pretend 10 decide
The whites also that unless they kept under the
absolute dominion OF the civilized inhabitants there VIII
be safety settlers In their vicinity That the In
dams viii form themselves into bands aud rob- burn and
murder; and there be little doubt that TINS Is true
There time when they were very dangerous TO the
whites and settler could pass along the beach or near
thicket without danger OF being shot by some Indian
from his place Of conceslment
Their and desructvenessi is also very great In
deed. They will not work without fear OF punishment
and they will destroy tools household utensils ana eY
have yet to learn hathe white man would be more in
dustrous II placed in their position or that he would be
extremely careful Of the property of employer who
would keep him in such state OF subsection, wlthOut
hope for himself or his descendants.
ufl.aFr v1fgt. anAg
ing dare relate the feats have seen Indians per-
form in the way of eating much less the stories have
heard from Others but from what have seen lend
more creduous stories that at first thought pur-
As slaves the Indians do often seek the lives Of the
whites though every now and then we near OF Whto
man killed by them Ihere was ilne. however, soa
that the settlers banded together and waged fierce war
against every Indian they could hnd Inc Government
of the Union took the matter up and an attempt was
made collect and govern the natives In reservations,
where they should be cared for by officers placed
them These reservations abandoned before came
here and the whites declare the Indians were worse on
say that funds provided by Government we're stolen
by In Government employ, that the Indians were
not well fed, clad cared for and were treated with
quite as much severity as at present
All this may be- but IL does not follow thatlt must nave
coonzed and made live more independently and less
miserably than The experiment was not tuIly
risS then nor do know that there was any chance
its success in the then proposed II Is certain
however that interference on the part OF the Govern
ment loudly called for IL is certain that the white
who fakes an IndaI-wlfe. he sometimes calls her
mistress is considered as almost lost by the whites them
selves He raise her To his level and he d0es
not reduce himself her. he feels himself after little,
and is felt by others, 10 be very much degraded bef
natural wasefuness, and his own earelessness sperh-
duced by his low position often Dilhs nm 10 "na' nc
considers want almost awaystO lntemperahce' ana the
ofspriug are unfrequenty sold ny the latlei saw
one little halfbreed boy myself just bought from MS
father for small debt, aud Oh the way To his new nome
Nor need Won be astonished at this. Indian slavery
does not differ from black slavery in ITS effect on the
White man Ali slavery debaslng to the STAKEHOLDER,
Vhe Roman
into ms spOuds TO be devOucd by his fatening eelst
or the American stakeholder who sells his own half ln'
dian or half negro offspring. 80,
You may perhaps ask how the whites claim uue 10
their Indians Slavesi don't know that they claim
legal title although some OF them. believe pretend TO-
inc the Indians might resort 10 war with the Whites
distributed them among those lnhaOIihls theE CONSUL
cred the most intelligent that they msnt DC IN sle
manner cared Tor. Otnef lhuldns "io Pi"o""s N'iSu
by right OF conquest. 800 . - =, -. ~. 49,. -,
But they title TO these Indians as slaves they
have the power at present TO hold them as such 80
England claimed the right 10 furnish America with
slaves Inv virtue OF the Asseuto treaty but II never IN
0red what right Spain had, even backed by all Eu'
rome the Pope the Preender aud The Devil 70 cedo tho
men OF Africa slaves. sui England bad the power
10 take and sell them, and to force them III many
cases unwilling colonies few dared 10 say that might
Here in California is the same feeling. The have
Got the Indians and none will dispute their right TO hod
Them II you inquire into the right the answer D the
question "What To do with them y hald ques-
ton, indeed, but answer 10 the inquiry Se1PresetNa
ton will allow the whites TO return the Indians 20 ne
mountain Businesses TO murder not only the us
one another and yet something must be done Win ana
No one fears that Slavery will be permanent here,
man III we throw away all thoughts OF the rights ana
happiness OF the INDIAN at least IN Justice 10 ths
whites ought to see that either py force Or
have stated what facts; let more aple men use
their power make them at as early DAY a. posS'o