, 1870-05-04
TIE WAR WITH TIE SIOUX,

'oI an interview VIII GaQefA fhIEG~, the
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, from
which we learn that he anticipates the most
serious difficulty with the Indians, the COM
ing summer, that the country has ever yet
had to meet He thinks the Indians can
bring into the field about l., 600 warriors,
and that there are only about 5000 United
States cavalry troops in the field to cope
with this formidable fo1ce, which will be
scattered, IN bands OF from 600 to /, 900,
over Montana, Wyoming. Colorado, and
Dakota. Should these bands really enter
upon the war- path, we shall have, unques-
tionably, terrible accounts of barbarous u,as-
sacres Of the unprotected settlers through
all hoss Territories. The starting Of the
Big Horn expedition, General Parker
thinks, will be the signal for hostilities, for
tho Indians will not believe that this e1pe-
dition does not mean to encroach upon their
reservations. Tho situation, then, would Seem
IL be thi-that the Government of tho
United States must not permit any attempt
at settlements or mining in the vast unoc-
cupied lands Of the West, if the Indians
choose to take it into their heads that their
own lands are ultimately to be invaded In
other words, the Indian reservations are to
be held, practically, as covering all the
public lands in the Western Territories,
or an Indian war is the alternative.
War is by no means good thing, OF
thing to be. desired, but there is, neverthe-
less, something worse than war. A chronic
condition of hostiities, in which the coz
tending parties are, On one side, roaming
bands of unnamed and cruel sayages, and, on
the other side, the hardy pioneers who
would be peaceful if they could, but
who may be awakened any night
by the war-whoop to find their houses in
flames and to Bee, presently, their women
ravished aud their children Drained, is
far wozse thing than open war between the
Government of the United States and L, 900
unleashed Sioux and Cheyennes And, if
these Indians are determined to force ths
alternative, either of war OF the abandon
ment Of the whole Western territory to
them, the sooner il comes the better, and,
not only that, the sooner and more effectu-
ally it is ended the better. Something
more is wanted than the "lesson" Of an
occasional punishment of some iso1sted
band. II the Is, 900 warriors are to divide
themselves up into small bands, they. should
be met by similar, but larger, bands Of eff-
cient cavalry to follow them wherever they
go, ind e1te1ninnte them wherever they
are found. We believe, with, all our
heart, in the civliziing process, but, to
get at that, we must first accept the fact of
the Indian, as two centuries OF contact and
contest with white men, added to his natural
savagery, have 1oade him, and 1ocalize him
at place where the civilizing process can
begin It is quite possible that that may
necessitate the killing Of every grown male
fighting Indian in the country, leaving
women and children only to be brought
under the saving grace Of the gospel Of
peace, and the amelioraEng influence Of the
white mans nineteenth century. But, OBJ
vious1y, this red warrior, with his ten po-
MES, his toznahawk, his rifle, his whiskey,
nineteenth centuzy, who believes that the
natural end Of white settler is to be
scalped and burned at the stake, the natural
end of his wife to be ravished
and then put to death BY torture, the nat
ural end of q white baby to have its brains
beaten out against obviously this
attractive and admirable specimen Of child
of nnture is not to be easily brought to our
way of looking at the, responsibilities and
purposes Of civilized life, and the only
method Of converting him to auseful fellow
creature is to put him aud hold him where
he can do no more mischief. :. Possibly, his
sqanv and his papoose, relieved of his pres
ence, and put upon reservations where they
can do no harm, and can' be taught
to hoe, and to plow, and to
read, and to put on petticoats
and trousers, and not to drink Indian
Agents whiskey, may, in time, become
good ndians" But IS to those other
1000, with their ten ponies apiece, who
are about to inaugurnte q war upon the set
tiers. of the Territories. because their
drunken brains have conceived that mining
expedition is to take away all their 1ands,
if they begin such war let it be so con-
Quoted on the part Of the United States, if
necessary, that there shall be nothing left
but oands Of from 5000 to 10000 ponies
without riders.