Santa Fe weekly gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1864-1869, 1868-06-20
Number 3.

AhA NJ
again disturbing tbs equanimity and the
digestons of Congress, 1t is one Of the
most troublesome questions that Congress-
men have to deal with, and we do not
believe that they would be more stagger.
ed by the appearance of real Indian
coming up through the floor Of the Capt.
tol, in full war dress, brandishing his to-
mahawk and shrleking his whoop than
they now are at the occasional popping up
of the old interrogatory--'What shall bo
done with tho indians?" The only membres
Of Congress who seem able to grapple with
thislquestion with earnestness are tho do.
legates from the Indian territories. Their
remedy for the Indian troubles is.yery
simple: 1t is determination. They would
have the government wage war upon the
Indians until they are all killed Oft. Said
Mr.. Cavanaugh, ofMontana, on Thursday,
putting the point facetiously-"He had
seen some good Indians, but only when
they were dead. He bsloyed in the In
dian policy thatwas taught by tho great
cheftain of Massachusetts, long ago, the
policy which exterminates tho Indians,
which drives them outside of civilization,
because you cannot civilize them" Mr..
Clever, of New Mexico, remarked that "lf
the government Of the United States did
not take care Of the Indians the citizens
Of New Mexico would bo compelled to
protect themselves, and that self proteo.
tion might result rather disastrously 10
tho Indians" Further discussion took
place, in tho course Of which slaughter"
several times occurred, the House evideht-
ly being bent upon extracting all the fun
they could from so dry and tiresome
subject-and then tho Indian Appropria-
ton bill, which had supplied tho occasion
for the debate, WIS gladly dropped for AL.
other day. ...-.af
The sentiments Of these territorial de-
legates are very shocking. 10 persons who
are only familiar BY hearsay with tho
fendish atrocities Of Indian warfare il
would seem that mon who could delibc-
rately advocate the determination Of hu-
man beings on principle, as If they were
wolves, grizzly bears or rattlosnakes, must
be totally devoid of Christianity--must
themselves bc more heathenish, in all that
pertains to morality. than the wretchad
creatures whom the would destroy without
mercy. But, as wo wish to do Justice to
the Indians, SO wo omean to do justice to
tho men who stand up in Congress and
petition for the Wholesale slaughter Of tho
quarrelsome tribes. Nlessrs. Cavanaugh,
Clever, and the others represent the pro-
yailing opinion Of their constituents, ar;
rived at deliberately after long actual
familiarity with the subject. Between the
hardy pioneers Of tho far West and tho
Indians there isa natural, apparently On
incurable, antipalhy. The S4ua!ter ana
the savage shoot each other at sight Inc
squatter, when he first enters the territory
is eompunctious abott shedding human
blood But, after his cattle ana horaes
have been run off once or twice, his barn'
burnt, his nearest neighbor, or MS nelsh'
boris wife, or some member Of his own
family has been slowly tortured to aeath'
scalped and lung to the carrlon crows,
any milk Of human kindness that he fet
, for Indians is curdled. Ever thereafter no
shoots them as he would wildcat or q
prowling coyote or any other nox'ous
y creature. This is sahorrlblo state o. to'ngss.
! 1t is q foul blot upon our civilization. IL
y is totally unjustticablc upon any ethical
h ground. But, much as we may dsplore
y md condemn it, nothing is more certain
than that tho barbarism will continue
until our government radically changes
its Indian policy. A., 'i,,H
# However great is tho blomo attaching
Ia to the white settlers, for their retaliatoiy
IA treatment of tho Indians, wo hold this
government to DO tho chief cause oftho
" difficulties. Tho Indian question, like
every other question but one, has boon
overlooked Of late yeurs; apparently bee.
W ause there has been no political capital
to be extracted from 1t. II has been upon
tho South, not upon tho West, that tho
: gaze of parties has been fixed. Nobody has
known and nobody has cared how affairs
were getting on among the Indians; aud,
as n natural consequence, everything has
been badly managed. While tho nation
was houndering through blood.red sea