Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1870-07-15

/ WonaI's opinion on the Indian question
Mary Clemmer Ames writes from Washington
to the \. Y. Indepcndent as follows
For Mr. Spotted Tail So I have the deepest
disgust. I an sorry the Lord ever made him,
oc any Of his hind. would respectfully advise
al who have an unfeignel desire to see the
% Poor Indian 50 as he IS to visit - the land OF
the Dacotahs, the land Of falling waters" Il
Longfellow had cultivated him there, he would
never have written the song of '' IiaWatha.' - Ii
there is anything on the face Of the earth mali
c.ous, cruel filthy, and dreadful. it is a Sioux
Indian. " Mr. Spotted Tail 50 ami Mr.. " Red
Cloud ~ are no better. Their ncver-cnding pas
time is the outrage ard slaughter Of innocent wo-
men and children. They are as craven as they
are cruel in their warfare. The horror Of their
doing is a shame to human nature, a terror tc
the exposed and helpless. Il has been SO long
the sentimental fashion % cry " Lo the poor
Indian, - and to lay the blame Of his long de-
c-des Of une1amped trelchery and butchery to
the treatment of the white man, that all just
perception of the true Indian character has been
l1s,. Doubtless be has been wr5ugCd many
tines. For every wrong he has endured most
horribly has he avenged himself How horribly
the half filed graves on the far Of plains, the
long tresscs OF many bleeding scalp, the cage
feathers on his own heniisa head, 10 well attest.
For atrocities rerpctratei in retaliation FOR wrong
done himself there is et least some excuse. But
his upsrlonabe deeds Of cruelty have been
committed lanI by some Of bic very haud)
against the weak AMI the Innocent within
q very few years, and while everything possible
vas being hone by the government for the pro-
lection @. the lulian. ~ less would have ab
sI. o. Cd
have done could Justify white men iu descending
10 their level of rapact-. But "I dc object 50
to- the maujlu sent neut which make e Logan
Of every D-cotlh. We might JUS; as well accept
the fact that the indian Of the Imagination exists
only in CooPer's novels AMI the Third Reader.
Nevertheless. these Wretches are s.rutting up
aud down the Avenue as If they hal ECyer mur-
derei lovely women and pouncel on poor emf
giants in their lonely wagons. They gib5er and
1sunt when the " Great Mother, as they cal
A-t'e Mrs. Grant, gives them tobacco and tho
" Great Father her husband, with "a touch Of
fellow feeling, gives them pipes. And the dip.o-
matte corps put on tLe.r court rega.ia the other
evening, and came 20 tie " hi-e House 90 meet
these luI1us ia theirs
'ihe elite o, Europe and the Boa g.. Of lar
hsrisr Mei ~ and IL !, difficult TO tel which
looked tIe most rIi,sul.us. ID the c.lts hal eve,
seen the '9H t11 sitting nasei iu Minnesota
L.lrous,y painted. eltu- lecayiug cutri.l-, iu-
ter.persci wi'h Uae4rth yel- and wh.0rs, a'
y9lr .uscr.tiuc friend has, perhaps they would
have concluded shat th,y were not astonishing
even with European gold lace. Is Dc is Vcss.h.,
Cor the Government o. elr.- iI.a some compact
with Nr Spotted Tail AND Mr. Rod toul anal
their clmTeer- which Wl insure ileu 70. the.r
aa'ive ri-4rs, ard 01r cdzaus their lives ir