The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-23
How to Treat the Indians.

Mr.. Bowles, of the Springfield (Mass.) Repub-
Hcdn. in a letter from Denver, devotes much
space to the Indian question. We quote a few
passages:-
The wild clamor of the border for the indis-
crminate determination of the savages, as of
wolves or other wild beasts and vermin, is as
unntelligent and bsrbarous as the long domi-
mating thought of the country against the use of
force and its incident policy of treating with the
Indian as an equal OF the white man is unrn-
teligent and lnlpracticable. The conflict be-
tween them, with the varying supremacy of
each, has brought us nothing but disaster and
disgrace; we have alternately treated these va
grant children OF the wilderness as It we were
worse barbarans than themselves, or downright
fools. 1t is time we respected ourselves and
commanded their respect. Now we do neither.
In the first place, the care of the Indians
ington. It's division between the War and
Interior Secretaries is the cause of half our
woes. The War Office, as representing force,
which is the first element in any successful
dealing with ignorance and dependence, should
monopoliZe their care. Then we should stop
making treaties with tribes, cease putting them
on par with ourselves. We know they are
not our equals; we know that our right to the
soil, as q race capable of its superior improve
ment, is above theirs, and let us act openly and
directly faith. The earth is the Lords; it is
given by Him to the Saints for its i'm provement
and development; aud we, are the Saints. This
old Puritan premise and conclusion are the
faith aud practice OF our people; let us hesitate
no longer to avow it and act 1T to the Indian.
Let us say to him, You ward
child, the victim of our destiny, ours to dis.
place, ours also 10 protect. We want your
huntin grounds to dig gold from, to raise grain
on, and you must move on Here is home
for you, more limited than you have had; hither
you must 60, here you must stay; in place OF
your game, we will give you horses, cattle, and
sheep and flour; do what you can to multiply
them and support yourselves; for the rest, IT is
our business 10 keep you from starving. You
must not leave this home We have assigned you;
the white man must not come hither; we will
in when march
our empire demands this reservation OF yours,
we will assign you another; but so long as we
choose, this is your home your prison. your
Say and act all this as if we meant it, and
mean it. If the tribes would go and submit
peaceably, we'll and good; II they would not,
use the force necessary to make them. Treat
them just as a father would treat an ignorant,
undeveloped child. If necessary to punish,
punish; subject any way; and then use the
| kindness and consideration that are consistent
| with the circumstances. Use the best of these
! white men OF the border-these Indian agents
many of whom are most capable and intelligent
| and useful men, to carry on and maintain this
| policy so far as possible. Use the army, SO far
as is necessary to enforce it, but withhold the
| soldiers whenever IL is not-tor their presence
| on an Indian reservation Is demoraliZing to
| both parties-but let all authority proceed from
| a single head, and that head represent single
Above all, stop the treaty-making humbug. It
| is the direct parent of all our Indian woes and
l0SlrS 100. N6lLHST party Keeps IuC DurSalus
The Indian is cheated; the Senate changes the
| provisions; quibbling Secretary of the Interior
| or Indian Commission refuses to carry ii out;
| and from Secretary down through contractor
| and agents something is taken off the promise
| to the ear by each, till 1t is thoroughly broken
! to the hope of the poor savage. What the In
dian wants is TO be ted and clothed; the treaty
| and those who fulfil ii on our part may or may
not do this Tor HIM, oitenest not; ne cannot tell
| what or how much he wants beforehand for
these ends, and il he did, and bargained for it,
the chances are ten to that he fails to Get
| or getting it seuanders it at once, and hungry
| and nsked he goes forth to seek relief, and
| hence his excuse and the excuse of his white
| sympathizers for war. But establish force for
bargain respons bility for equality; parentage
for antagonism; see that he is put apart aud
! kept apart from the tide of settlement aud
civilization; that he has food and clothing, sup
plying hlm the means to help himself in the
simplest forms possible-stock raising is
practicable to all the tribes, aud tilling the soil
possible to most-and furnishing the rest from
! day to day: add such education as he will take,
such elevation as he will be awakened TO- and
then let him die die he is doing, and die he
must-under his changed life.
This is the best and all we can do; his game
flies before the white man; we cannot restore il
to him if we would: we wouldn't ii we could; II
is his destiny to die; we cannot continue to
him his original, pure barbar1c life; he cannot
mount to that of civilization; the mongrel mar
riage of the two that he embraces aud must
submit to- is killing him-and all we can dc
is TO smooth and make decent the pathway 10
his grave. All this is possible; II need not cost
so much as the mixed state of war and bargain.
ing that we have heretofore pursued: in the
beginning there must be the display and the use
OF power TO unlearn in the Indians the false
ideas our alternately cowardly bargaining anC
cowaTdly bullying policy toward them has
simple and successful-it will give us peace, anC
them an easy path to the grave than lies before