, 1870-04-02
MR.. GARRISON OF THE WAR PATH


Mr.. William Lloyd Garrison comes ont
with prolonged Piegan war-whooa in tho
ln'i r'hs'tnt. in den1ncistion Of Colonel
Baker, General Sheridan, General Sher-
n.an. TIT CHICAGO Tn1nuSE, md all who
l'rGcst. TINT the savages were served right
Mr.. Garrison commences his sereed by say-
aNE that Ee is Just now recovering from an
attack Of illness which may nccount in
f"me measure for tic illness of his attack
on Colonel l,nhcs. We have seldom read
anything more bli1ldly fcrocious or more
isnorsn:ly l'rrtul We use these words ad-
visclly. We know the officer vlo went to
Montana and explored the ground before
this attack WIS made, and who advised that
Il be n-:st!e in manner md form Us it WAS
mnde. We know him to be as devout a
Christian, aud rs conscientious and humane
= gentleman in every way as a1r. Garrison.
We know him 10 be far better informed
than Mr. Garrison can bc; and. on the par
ticular subject undcrcoasidcrntion, we would
thousand times rather trust his Judgment
/, and Lis humanity than Mr.. Garrisoua.
We propose 10 review this matter briefly,
md to prove ont OF his own month that
Mr.. Garrison does not know what he is
talking about He Bays that the accusations
ats5nst the Piegnns. ''ijT true, justify no
soldiers clain,ins to be civilized and to rep
rcsen; u Christian people. in rcsorting to
Er,"h Horrible mode Of retaliation and
l." snceTs fscreely nt General Shesi-
dams remark that, ..in taking the
offensive. I hive to take the Reason when I
c'.n catch the fcnds" In further denun-
Citation of the attack, he says: ''In the
tasc of the Piegans, they were long dis
lance from our lines, unpreparci for any
rvutiict. afflicted with a loathsome disease,
nnl composed largely OF non-combatants-s "
The sun and substance OF all this is that if
Big Hur-as band Of riegans w,re murder
crs and land pirates, and if it was necessary
to take tlle offensive a3ainst them, We were
not justified in attacking them when they
wsrr rErrepared for any conflict, when they
l..l smallpox in their camp, nnl when they
w-re composed largely of non-combatan,s.
This is the average opinion Of the philo-
iieganihrorists everywhere. and We are
glad TO get it in shape aud form. where we
e:., give it A }.roadside.
To say that the Piegans, though murder
c1s and land pirates, are never 10 lie at-
tackcd except when they are prepared for
the conflict and unencnmbcrcd by non-
co1na'atants, Is to say TINT they are never to
1,s attacked at all, but are to lie allowed to
scalp, hrrn, and ravish in endless impu-
ni:y- Gtnern1 Sheridan was right in saying
tha: Il in taking the offensive I have to
select the season when I can catch The
fienda.' Supposing he had followed Mr..
Garrison programme. and waited till the
ries2ns lad got ready for him, and Ind
tiives:ad themselves of the encaml,ra,,cc of
women and children. This would hive
been i'll The epring. just after the grass was
high c,.e1sh TO support their horses. we
will suppose, then, that Colonel Baker, n;ter
sending then, notice that lie WAS Going In
1a.uish them, oud warning them to send
tlcir women and children to place OF
safety, had started on his expedition 70,
Big uorn.s camp. Arrived there, he would
L1ve found no camp, no Picgaus, nc
parooses no nothing. Getting we'll on
their tcail he would perhaps learn Of thei,
last exploit by coming upon the ashes ot
settlers cabin, and finding tho settler
himself tied to four stakcs on the ground
and lis bowels burned out while he VA
still nlive, by fire kindled on his person.
such cases are not rare, hut as III. Garrison
viii not probably believe anything bad o.
his P'egnn brothers, ne viii stick 10 ths
ic1t, ana suppose that Colonel Bake
tlEds nothing TUT peace and loveliness OF