Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-04-17
THE RIGHT OF A

-
Between the Eastern and Western
PORTIONS of Uncle Sans domiuions-in
the vast iutcrior-lies I'm immense tract
OF country inhabited principally by saw.
ages, yet which must some day in the
not far distant, future be occupied by tho
great American nation, whose Star OF
Empire" is both westward and eastward
taking its way, from the Atlantic aud
the Pacific, toward the Rocky Noun
tains. All that vast extent Of country
we must have, savages or no sayaSes.
The noble red nan certainly has rights
which we are bound to respect, yet the
immutable DEGREES Of fate and the record
Of the past, establish and declare the
principle in nature that the aborigihes
must retire or fade away before the ad-
vanciug footsteps Of the white man
peaceably il he will, but forcibly 1t need
be. In view Of this well established
principle, tho Indian Commissioners
should make no treaty permanently
granting to the Indians any reservation
Of country which manifestly is or will
be required in the Onward march Of civ
iliza,iou on any Of the main highways
Of travel. Such treaties will only lead
to more Indian atrocities, retaliation
and continued aggression. Yet, such
tracts are thus unwisely appropriated,
rs for instance the Black Hills region
which by the recent treaties concluded
BY the Indian Commission has been no
served to tho sole use and benefit Of the
savages forever, the terms Of tue con
tract debarriug the white man from
evermore interfering with or eucroach'
ing upon that sacred domain. From
tho Cheyenne Stdr we extract the follow
ing, descriptive Of the Black Hills coun'
try:
"These Hills are a part Of the Eastern
chain Of the Rocky Mountains and lie be-
tween the 4sd aud 45.h degrees Of north
latitude, and the l03d aud lO5th degrees oI
longitude west from London, They cross
the northeast boundary Of Wyoming Terri
tory, and lie partly in Dakota. They cover
an area Of about one hundred miles in length
and about sixty in width. On the north and
south sides Of the hills flow the north aud
south forks Of Big Cheyenne-she most i'm
portant stream in this region. The north
branch passes along the north side OF the
range, receiving very many OF its tributaries
and most Of the waters from it, but takes ii
rise far to the westward OF the rangc, neal
the sources Of the Powder River, in the
divide between the waters OF the yellow
Stone and those OF the Missouri. The South
fork also rises in the same divide, flowing
along the southern base Of this range, ane
also receives numerous tributaries which
have their sources in It. These wo man
branches unite about thirty miles cast Of The
Black Hills, forming the Big Cheyenne,
which flows into the Missouri river a6ou,
sixty miles above old Fort Pierre. The
country has 4 superficial area OF about l.,
100000 acres, and abounds in the fines
quality Of pine timber"
Even should this region not become
important for its mineral or other valu'
able developments, a highway for emf
grafton will sooner or later be demanded
directly through it, creating new Indian
difficulties, for the right Of way through
an Indian country is a natural principle
recognized and established as far as The
progressive American nation is con
cerned., IL reservations are to be Sc,
apart for the use and benefit ofthe Indian
tribes, they should DO away from tho
range OF public travel and the natura
routes Of emigration, and even then thu
right Of way through them should
invariably be reserved, for no one may
sec at the present time what the proba
BILE contingencies Of our national future
may require in that respect. 1t were
better to reserve the right Of way to be
gin with, than to forcibly take it after
ward, as in the n instance we coult
claim it rs a stipulated right, while il
the other il would be an aggression, o.
at least so considered by tho savagss
On the score Of humanity alone, thi'
poiut should be considered. Wbil,
providing for our, Indians, w must o
the same time provide for ourselves
| The world moves so does the Ameri
q nation, and we must have the RICH
Of way.