, 1870-03-03
MR. 10 AID BIB FHlEND8.

Bakers lato nffair With the Plegan branch
Of the Iso family has not been published, if
it has reached headquarters. The public
have not, therefore, the means Of knoElnE
xhat truth thera is in the story, aa told in
the telegram from Washington to the AS
sociated Press Bome days Hince. That ac-
count states the number, sez, and age OF the
Indians killed, without mentioning whether
their death WAS incidental to the attack
made upon the male savagee, or was an in~
tantional slaughter of captured women and
children. As, however, Colonel Baker lib
Grated ono hundred women and children, -
a fact which seems to have been overlooked |
in The Associated Press telegram 1t would |
seem That that officer did not especially de- !
sign the destruction Of women and ehll-
dren. This failure to tell the whole story
looks as if there we're purpose in the pub
location, No doubt time will develop what
that purpose is, and We ahall be surprised
if it does pot show that the old Indian
ring has fpger in the pie. It is s1ngu-
lar coincidence that just at this time the
transfer Of the Indian Department 10 ths
Military is in agitation, it being one OF tho
provisions Of General Logan'a new bill. Il
the Indian enthusiasts can be worked upon
to assist the ring, it has strong coadiu
Tho appeal to the feelings Of the public is
! stirrip9 one; and the combination OF
| Qunkeriam, humanitarinnisn, and ring spec
ulation and swindling may carry the day.
| The authentic papers which We published
Soma weeks ago show that the Indian Bu~
reau formally requested military aid to Sc
cure the lives and property Of settlers OF
a1ontana against the Plegan Indians, and
that thereupon General Sheridan was
directed to take The proper action. He
proposed to General Sherman mode Of
dealing with these Indians, which, he
thought, would afford the required security
AN attack on their camps in the winter
season, when they could not get away.
That mode was sanctioned by General sher-
man, who directed the execution Of the
plan. Of course, the correspondence must
/. have been furnished to the Indian Depart
ment; but We do not hear Of any protest OF
objection from that quarter. After sending
an officer Of rank to the spot to assure him
self if it WIS really true that the Indians
had been stealing and numbering, as report.
!, ed, and that their impunitv had encouraged
!, them in their raids on the settlements
: 50 that the safety Of the frontie1
,, could not be secured except b.
tho punishment Of the maranders
!, General Sheridan gave instructions for th'
I contemplated blow. 1t was certainly I
telling one, and one which entities all tht
officers and soldiers concerned IN 1t to th'
lasting gratitude of the country. If hos
!, tile camp is to be surprised at daybrea'
and fred into by soldiers, it Is not pracfica
bic, perhaps, to avoid killing some non
combatants. It is not sn easy thing t
! distinguish in full daylight, at short dls
;. tauce, male from female 1ndlan. I
t. the twilight Of early morning it would b
:, much more difficult to do so. We car
= therefore, readily perceive how some wome
: and children may have been killed witho1
Ia design. As for tile smallpox being anon
- the Indians, that fact does not do ava
"a with the necessity Of Furnishing them.
~ The citizens OF Montana now feel seer
- rity for their lives and property ngain
~ Indian outrages, for the present, at leas
~ y, They have not felt that Indian blood h
~ been unnecessarily split. Reports have r
w Gently been received TINT the Indians q
"a submissive aud humbled, and ask to
~ permitted to come in and behave ther
NJ ,,t selves properly. "Good Indians are mt
NJ, M vellouEly plenty in Montana Just now.
~ few more Lessons like this will 70 fartf
10 toward ciyilizing nlt, Lo and his !
;lr merous progeny than al the efforts Of h
III Vincent Co!yer in the next thonsa
.a years. We sre no advocates Of unnecesss
nd bloodshed; but when We recall the hell
IN atrocities that have been, and are, per
y. trated upon white men and white WON
+ha by these saTages, We say that such punr
49,. mept rs that which Colonel Baker in1ict
~, upon the Piegans is humanity in its bro
j., est scope, md entities him and his fellt
~ soldiers % the thanks Of the ciSilu
-. world,