The Montana post., 1868-09-11
THE INDIAN TREATIES.

4
many of our citizens 10 invariably OPP
pose all efforts of the Government To ar
rive at n peaceable solution of the Indian
difficulties. This is not, considering the
failures that have frequently attended
such efforts in the past, much TO be
wondered at, but it is. nevertheless
founded upon neither principles of JUS
tice nor policy We have, therefore,
while denouncing in severest terms the
general Indian policy of the Governs
ment. not so tar forgotten our position
as journalists as TO neglect TO tell both
sides of the story and to refer TO the
good results which may follow from
this policy in some instances. 1t is easy
to indulge in wholesale denunciation,
tar easier, indeed, than by proper in
vestigation of fact, to discriminate be-
tween the beneficial and detrimental,
and hold fast to that which is good
And hence il is, that in many cases,
without any knowledge of the facts upon
which statements made are supposed TO
be founded, the Indian policy of the
Government and its Commissioners is
so indiscriminately condemned. The
truth of this has been forcibly brought
TO mind by a statement which recently
appeared in the Herald. 10 the effect
that it was proposed TO surrender the
Bitter Root Valley To- the Indians: a re-
port which was accompanied by, and
interlarded with, quantity OF abuse OF
the Commissioners. The assertion that
one OF the most beautiful and produc-
tive vallies in the Territory was to be
relinquished to band of Indians with
whom we have been long at peace, and
from whom we had nothing to fear,
seemed highly improbable. but we chose
not 10 deny it until after a thorough in
vestigation of the subject should justify
US in so doing. We san now state that
the assertions made in the Herald, and
which were purported 10 have been re>s
ceived from citizen of Missoula county,
are false. 1t is not proposed by the Com.
missioners TO give up the Bitter Root
Valley TO the Indians, as charged: but.
on the contrary, il is contemplated to
surrender il entirely TO the whites and
remove the Indians from it, and such
proceeding they have recommended to
the Government in their report. A com
pliance with this recommendation by
Congress will secure the extinction of
the Indian title TO that extent of coun-
try. the beauties of which furnish such
a theme of expatiation to the Herald,
and will rebound greatly to the benefit
of the settlers We are not aware that
there are any complaints TO be made
against the peaceable Flat Heads, and we
presume, therefore, that no one would,
in their case, urge a war of extermina-
ton. What better, then, can be done
than that which is contemplated, the
removal of the tribe from those lands
which are of most value to the whites,
thus giving an opportunity to the set
tiers TO obtain government titles TO their
farms and mines. We are convinced
that the Commissioners are using their
best efforts to- promote the welfare of
the Territory and its people. In all the
treaties made, it has been strictly provi-
ded that all stolen property shall be re-
turned or paid for from annuities, and
relinquishment of all lands occupied
by the whites or which are desirable
for their use, has been insisted upon
Those who would strive TO defeat the
ends of those treaties by attempting to
prevent their ratification, or by stirring
up the whites to unproyoked outrages
upon the Indians, are doing a great in
jury to the people of the Territory. and
should be looked upon as enemies of the
public good. If these Indians fail to
voluntarily observe the provisions of
these treaties, we are in favor of CON-
Pulsion to any necessary degree of Sc
verify, even though a war of extermi,
nation should be the result, but we
must first obtain an agreement from the
savages upon which TO base punish
ment tor offences. In accordance with
the demands of civilization, the Conn
missioners are now endeavoring to ex>
tinguish the Indian title to a great por-
ton of the Territory, and to crowd far
ther back the boundaries of savage en-
pire. Let us first fix those boundaries,
and then talk of war upon those that
overstep them.
Objection is made down this way to