Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-22
GEN. sHERmAN'S INDIAN POLICY

GEN. SHiEhhAN'S INDIAN fOLlS1
A number of philanthropic gentlemen,
who are DESTROYS Of finding some better
use TO which to put the American Indian
than that of butchering him, his SUPER
animated sire, and his sick female relatives
in order to make soldiers holiday, held
a meeting in New York on the 18th inst,
10 inaugurate steps 20 carry out their
views. They extended invitations to q
number of distinguished gentlemen TO be
present and participate in the proceedings,
among them, the Secretary of the In
terror, who replied at great length and
with successful intricacy, and to Gen.
Sherman, who answered them with the
sarcastic suggestion that they should ad
journ the meeting TO some one of the
Western forts, where the General would
delight to join them. The theory upon
which Gen. Sherman acted in giving this
advice was doubtless, says the New York
World, that which Mr.. Squecrs SO sue
cessfully carried out in the formation of
the youthful mind of Dotheboys Hall.
That ingenious instructor held with Locke
that knowledge is derived solely from
sensation. When he had taught pupil
that ''bOtanyn meant a knowledge
of plants, he Immediately sent him
to weed the garden, in order that he
might know them by actual contact.
Gen. Sherman plainly intimates tina, the
members of the Indian Commission can
know nothing of the Indians unless they
proceed to the Western Territories and
scalp few specimens of each sex. Prob
ably the reversal of the process, and the
consequent scalping of the commission by
the indiscriminating aborigines, would be
equally satisfactory to the General In
either case, there would be that close and
intimate contact between the Indians and
their philanthropIc friends which, in Gen.
Sherman's opinion, would be the only
wav in which the latter could gain any
real knowledge of their protegcs. OF
course, the Gener ] anticipates that the
result of such an adjournment of
the meeting as he proposes would be
the complete conversion of the commits
sion TO the energetic method Of managing
the Indians which Gen. Sheridan SO en-
Enthusiastically practices. But has it oc-
Cured to him that the members of the
commission might possibly take the whim
TO extend their proposed Western trip TO
the field where the gallant Sheridan so
bravely beat back the fierce assault of the
bed-ridden Piegan squaws and the infuri
ated Piegan pappoosesl In spite of the
assertion which Gen. Sherman makes
elsewhere in his letter, that the Indian
Question is not one with which ''mere
feeling" is concerned, the wcak-minded
members of the commission, standing on
the ashes of the Piegan lodge, and seeing
in IMAGINATION the sick women, with their
b.lnless infants in their arms, rushing
from the blazing huts, only to be shot
down and bayoncted by a relentless
soldiery, might possibly feel some little
doubt of the desirability of the Sheridan
Svstem of indiscriminate massacre, and
might even fancy that the sneers Of the
General who shielded the pcrpetrator of
the Piegan infamy were not unanswera-
bic arguments against the future treatment
Of The red men with some degree of hu-
maniry and justice. And it is even con
ceivable that, among the gentlemen who
assembled at the Cooper Institute and
courteously invited Gen Sherman to be |
present there may be some hot-headed |
Young enthusiast who will consider the .
Generals reply as piece of imPertinence
wholly unbecoming an officer and gentle
man. but not 10 be wondered at comlngas
il does from one who has already shown
an eager haste to justify the brutality of
the rough trooper who stained the Amer
can standard with the blood of inOtt' nslyc
women and children.