The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-03
MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 1868.
The Indian Question.


THE Senate ratified, short time before its ad-
iournment, number of new treaties with the
Indians of the Far West, and there is at pre-
sent comparatively little danger Of a general
outbreak of any of the dangerous tribes.
There are, however, occasional reports OF
massacres of white men who expose them
selves too freely to the tender mercies of "the
gentle savages' on the one hand, and Of the
merciless slaughter Of rowing bands OF Indians
who happen to be in the vicinity of American
camps or settlements when white men are
seeking revenge for recent Indian outrage.
There is as irrepressible q conflict between
civilization and barbarism as between freedom
and slavery, and in spite OF all the treaties
that are framed, this hostile feeling is con-
stantly displayed in forms more or less dan
gerous and destructive. With all the cor
ruption and faithlessness which characterize
many of the treaties with the Indians, they
frequently serve at least one useful purpose
they pacify a portion of the tribes with
whom they are formed, and holding
in check the main body of their warriors, pre-
vent the wholesale destruction of the lives and
property of white settlers, which result from
the fixed determination of tribe of any con-
siderable importance to make war after the
most approved and merciless Indian fashion.
Terrible illustrations of the extent of such
depredations are given in the Minnesota
massacre of 1863, by the Sioux, and in the
slaughter of the settlers along the Platte route
in 1854, by the contederated Cheyennes, Ara
pahoes, and Sioux. The best, and, perhaps,
the only defense Of the existing temporizing
Indian policy is, when proper efforts are made
TO enforce it, it generally affords a sufficient
degree Of protection against such unrelenting
raids as we have referred to, to stimulate and
strengthen settlements, and thus to gain time,
which proves more fatal to the aborigines
after they are brought into contact with
the vices of civilization than the most formi-
dable military expeditions organized to attack
them. Meanwhile, however, no treaty can
change the natural instincts OF the Indian nor
prevent the murders which are constantly
reported. The young warrior is trained from
his infancy to regard scalps as the most vslua-
BILE of earthly possessions, and the ability to
slay any member Of the human family who
does not enjoy the high honor of belonging
TO his particular tribe as the greatest OF
earthly accomplishments. The Thugs of
India do not strive more earnestly to elevate
murder to the dignity of one of the fine arts
than many of the American aborigines. When
they 60 forth upon the war-path in their un-
oeasing conflicts with each other, a failure to
accomplish the particular object of their expe-
dition is an amply sufficient reason, in their
judgment, for killing any struggling white
man whom they may happen to encounter.
Scalps being the objects aimed at, it mat
ters comparatively little, according to
Indian logic, from whose heads
these desirable trophies are obtained. Adven-
turous pioneers having often suffered the loss
of friends or companions by Indian bsrbarity,
become in turn scarcely less scrupulous than
the red men, and when opportunity offers
they do not hesitate to wreak terrible revenge
upon hated race; sometimes committing
outrages as merciless and unjustifable as
those which disgrace the annals of the abort
gines. These outrages provoke in turn re-
taliation, and there can be, at best, under the
pIueonb Sy Vniy q SOAAOo Va eohAPuiot J
truces while Indians, who live near white
settlements or lines Of travel, are numerou:
and vigorous enough to become formidable
enemies. AS it is utterly impossible tha
civilization shall succumb to barbarism, thu
conflict, which, in some form, is constantly
continued, inevitably results in the rapiC
destruction Of the Indians. They gain tenn
porary respite, occasionally, by being removes
to distant reservation, but as it, in turn, i
speedily approached by the advancing tide G
civilization, old difficulties are renewed, and
becomes more and more apparent that tn
Indian must either adopt the habits Of tn
white race and gain increased power to resis
the Establishments Of vice, or speedily becom
extinct. Efforts to elevate and enlighten ther
have not been wanting nor have they bee
entirely fruitless; but one of the greatest oil
stacles which jealous missionaries have had I
encounter is their fatal fondness for arden
spirits, and their innate proclivity to imitat
the vices of the worst white men with whoI
they are brought into contact.
CONSERVATIVE men Of all parties will rt
member that the Democratic candidate for tn
Presidency, HoratiO Seymour, is partisan i
the strictest sense of the word and of th