The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1870-02-25
Our Indian Policy.
A FLEA FOR THE RED MAN.

IA Il Liza tOH llED MAN.
George Catl;n, who has spent SC
many years among tho Indians, has
addressed a feeling letter to Gcner.
al Sheridan in reference to the lattcr's
treatment Of the Red Mon, from
which tho ioGowing extract arc
| made:
1ou ara commanded to "sweep the
whole country" to drive from their
habltatlons and hunting grounds, and
from the graves Of their parsnts and
children, the whole entire population
Of 1900, 900 square miles into restrict
cd and gamclcss and worthless reser-
vations, in which starvation will be
inevitable and out of the limits OF
which you arc commanded to treat
all Indians rs 'cncmics Of war"-that
is, to put them to death if they do
not surrender to your arms, and give
you their country, to be occupied by
squatters. The history Of the world
records no decree like this. Brave
soldiers and gallant officers, 1 have
been over the ground. 1 know the
people and I know tho difficulties
you will have to encounter. You go
in obedience to the government .of
your country. "Thc government
must protect the citizens" (protcct
them in possession Of another pco-
plos lands and in the robbery Of their
only means Of eXistcnce.) Recollcct
that the government of your country
Gin protecting her citizens destroys
race and gains continent. This
may be "nccessity" and it may not,
but it will be for history and not for
you to decide. For the inhuman
massacre but short time since of
500 poor Chcycnnes (massacro with
treachery) did tho government of
your country punish any one2 Had
not the Chcyennes q right to do it ?
For subsequent destruction Of Chcy-
ennc village, and the massacre of eve
ry man (102) with the capture of SO
warriors, and 900 horses, (who we are
told by the Indian agent, were friend
~, and on their way to their appoint
ed reservation,) has the government
punished any one? And had not the
Chcyennes right to ;retaliate.
The atrocities of these horrible
scenes, in this age Of GLORIOUS civili-
zation," surpass in cruelty anything
in the invasions Of Cortez, of Pizaro,
and De Soto, and the American journ-
ais tell me that you have recently
surprised a camp, (village p of the
Cheycnncs, killed fifty two warriors,
and captured 400 horses, and four
tons of dried buffalo meat, the only
and last means of their existance.
Oh, mercy. mercy! A small and
friendly tribe when I lived among
them thirty-fve years since. Where
are they going2 What have they
done2 How many Of them now ex-
ist, and who have got possession OF
their lands, their buffaloes, and wild
horsee.
God, perhaps may forgive my coun-
try for such cruel warfare, and o, for
my country's sake, that there could
be a solvent for history, to erase such
records from it's pages. The govern
ment of your country that sends you
with cannons, with sabres and revol-
vers, to "sweep" these people out OF
their country (and consequently, from
the face Of the earth) has been proud
before the civilized world, in assum.
ing and exercising "guardianship'
over these poor people, dcnominatine
them its red Children" and instruct.
ing them to call the President of the
United States their "Great Father
which they have always ard every.
whore obediently done; and, when
your, swords are drawn, forget not
that, just when the full rights o.
American citizenship have been mag
unanimously granted to 100000 o.
Africans, the blows you are dealing
are to .disfranchise IN independent
(and the only; American) race, and
show to the observing world, and re
cord, f,i in . the. pages 81, history, the sin
lgularr anomaly, Gn an any iIntfatnticida Itt
WARP of . father 'inheriting 9 who'll
continent from his dying, children
r. 81 %---ss-ss:-,s---7 !tt-------- ,:c