New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-03-19

1
discretion in fulfilling the order Of Sheri-
dan, to shit them, and hit them hard. "
| If not fear, was it revenge, and was it
deemed necessary in order to retalliate for
the scalping of whites, to murder women
| and babies, merely because they CHANGED
| to be Indians? If so, then have We, who
boast of being the most Christian and
enlightened nation on the face of the
| globe, gone far back into the blackness Of
| barbarsm?
There is not, there can not be, the
| shadow OF an excuse for this cold-blooded
butchery of one hundred and forty-seven
human beings. The Chicago Tribune, which
pompoasly proclaims itself the oracle of
the great West, exults over this Piegan
massacre as a glorious achievement, and
says sneeringly that, as there are no good
Indians left now, we must get rid of the
bad as summarily as possible. and the
sooner The race is exterminated the better.
lis contemptUous remarks about the In
dams reminds US of The views the South
ern oligarchy maintained of the negro, who
has nevertheless proved himself It's equal,
notwithstanding three hundred years of
bondage.
If there are no good Indians left, who
made the remainder bad? Have the
noble Caucasians tried to make them more
yirtuous and moral Have not, rAther the
mean vices of the whites corrupted what
ever native excellence they possessed.
Has not the introduction Of Fire water"
which demoraiizes an Indian, sooner than
it does one of any other race, utterly de-
slroyed the elements of good in the char
acters OF many of this much abused race ?
Why have they not been treated as the
African has been, and as the Cinnamon will
be, if they stay here long enough2
Because they are a nomadic people,
it has been taken for granted that they
never con be civilized, and made amenable
to taxation and qualified for citizenship.
We do not know that the effort has ever
been tried, and thus they wander about
and hang upon the fringe of society
Ishmaelites indeed. Why do they not
solicit citizenship and why are they not
more docile, grateful and loving to their
pale faced brothers, instead of scalping
and tomahawking them whenever they
can? This question, 80 often asked, We
answer in the words of Major General
Stanley, who, in writing from Dakota
lately, says, 81 am ashamed any longer
to appear before the Chiefs of the
Sioux and other tribes who inquire
why we have not kept faith with them
since 1867, aud in their vigorous language
declare that we have lied to them" In
Kansas, the Oneidas complain, and Justly,
that the white settlers stepped in and took
forcible possession of their lands while
they were away on their summer hunt.
The civilized settlements are constantly
narrowing their bounds, and crowding
them out of the soil which they have, from
immemorial tradition, justly claimed as
then own.
Surely there is wisdom and humanity
enough in Congress to construct more
just and humane policy il the Indian
Bureau. The more we reflect upon the
subject, the more indignant and Inundated
we are, especially when we remember
That one Of the brightest points in Presi-
dent Grants administration has been tho
plan he early inaugurated Of placing the
Indian affairs in the hands Of the Quakers.
How deeply grieved and harrassed he
must be to iud that the very antipodes of
his intentions have been consummated by
his military subordinates. The FIRST year
of his term has just expired, 1t is glow
ing with events salutary TO the prosperity
of the nation. How sad that this indelible
stain-by no fault of bis own, however,
has been cast upon it.
Although we have condemned Colonel
Baker. if, ON full investigation, General
| Sheridan should be found to be the
| responsible officer in this outrageous mat
| ter, let him be dealt with even more
severely than the humblest private in the
army Of the republic.