New-York tribune., 1871-11-29
THE INDIANS.
VIEWS OF AN ARlZONlAN.

VIEWS OF AN ARIZONIAN.
rHOcArHE LEGIsLATION-TiE ORIGIN OF THE
TroI'nEs-TllR APACHES AND THEIR CONDI-
rION-TIIE CAMP GRANT AfFAlR-MR. COL
yrp ,ND THE PEOPLE OF THE PACIFIC COAST.
,gRoM rHR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TR'BrSEl
WASHINGTON, ID. G., Nov. 23-COngress will
Ia called upon during the coming session to give to the
Indian question than ordinary attention The pco-
ME OF Arizona and New Mexico, feeling that great mus
ice ha, done them by the late report OF Mr. vincent
Coyer will send TO Washington mass of testimony tY
prove the white seers OF those Territories are not
entirely blame for the chronic state Of war thai has 80
long existed between them and the wild Apaches ana
will ask Congress- before taking action to give the mat
ter full investigation In long conversation yesterday,
with q prominent gentleman from Arizona l learned
something OF the nature Of the as 1t will be brought
10 the attention Of Congress- and seems hut fair since
MIR Coycr by the circulation Of bis report and by nu
merous paragraphs tecgraphed from this city, has had
so wide u hearing that those who differ with him, AMI
who Will most va,ly affected by any action that may
bc taken should also he heard
zone Of the greatest mistakes which the people Of the
East made considering the Indian question In Arizona
and New Mexico" said the gentleman above referred to.
to suppose that troubles with the Apaches Of
recent origin. Why dear Sir there never was time
IN the history Of that country when the Apachcs did not
trouble. The spaniard OF Mexico were always at
war with them. and before the white men came into
their country at ALL their hand was always against that
D! every Indian tribe"
But" remarked !. "haye not the Apaches some cx-
.usc for wasing the constantly aggressive which
sou accuse them Of carrying ONT 1t is said that the
white people really have right to the land IN those two
Territories Indian titles having never been cxtin
gushcd
INDIAN TITLES NOT TO BE RECOGNIZED.
"Now. that has nothing to do with present trou
blrs continued the gentleman nor would the people
of the Territories be at all responsible for IT, II 1t had
The United States you know acquired the territory
of which Arizona and New-Mcxico form u part from
Old Mcxco. and we had to take with it all Of
ITS Incumbranoes, including the enormous Mexican
and grants; the other hand. neither the
spaniards nor tho Mcxicans conceded
that the Indians had any legal right to the lands they
occupied and the United states has invariably held 10
the doctrine with regard to lands acquired from
either of those nations. But if this was the prime caSc
nj the hostility of the Apachcs not the people OF the
Territories but the United States Government Is
responsible for the consequences II the United States
t people will not object TO the ymcnt Of tie
Indians, by the General Government for any lands OF
which the Apachcs claim the ownership but Senator
Harlan Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian
Affairs has said in his speeches that the United states
never intends recognize Indian titles to lands acquired
from Mexico"
How many Apachcs are there 2" asked
about 5000; Of these lOoO friendly, 1000 doubt
fn and hostile. And here let me tell YOU what few
people to understand that there is much
ii crcncc the different tribes of Indians as there
e. between the most cultivated aud refined people OF
Washington and New York AMI an ordinary Chinese Ia
boicr the Apachcs have always been wild, without It
trace OF a tradition Of civilization They never live i'll
Villages like of the other tribes but roam about
from place place game. pundcr or war tempt them;
they have OF gratitude or honor they will re
Cvo many presents as any one Will give them, hut
they would he just likely to cut the throat Of thir
lcncfr;ur the next day. If they found him alone and
unprotected, as to murder perfect stranger"
WHY CoLYER WAS NOT M0Li,ILD.
"But Mr.. Colyer says that he Travelled extensively
rhroush the Apache country and WAS not molescd that
oil of the Indians whom he saw were friendly, and that
although there many of them in his camp al
article was stolen and no person molc>tcd"
"Of course" was the reply; and he might stay there
twenty years with his escort Of ten or dozen cavalry
men and never hostile Indian The Indians
do attack armed body Of men; five soldiers, we'll
armed from end of their country to the other
without mutestaton But If Mr.. CVlSer had travelled
with a small company, unarned-as the people of the
Territories Obliged to do every day-hc would havo
Lad different story tell; If. indeed he had hved TO
tell any story at all. Mr.. Coyer with his pockets full
Of presents and force of cavalry at his back. was let
clone but doubt II even he w"nd have found II pleas
ant to go the country in the mail stage with only
two or three passcngcrs The Apaches come out
into the open field fight and they attack an armed
force But they pick OF the poor farmer the unprO-
tcctcd mail rider or the lonely traveller
Iu, the Chiefs whom MI. Colyer met complained bit
tcry the treatment which they had received from the
white scttlcr-, and Mr. Coycr says that he found them
naked and almost starved" continued.
wei, now. such stories have the effect TO rouse the
.ympathics Of the people here: but the truth is The
Apachc, have no need Of clothing. The climate is so
warm that they can go almost Throughout the Whole
year without clothing. don't doubt that If Mr. Colycr
gave clothing they would put on and wear it, but
IL would he for ornament and not for comfort To
illustrate: at about the close OF the few Indian
troops recruited in Arizona, and the War Depart
ipent scnt out lot OF heavy overcOats for them Well
I'm the hottest OF the weather when the thermometer was
ranging about 1902 those Indian troops would persist in
wearing the heavy coats butOned to their chns. AS
to their starving don't know anything about that but
do know, at times when these Indians were receiv
ing rations they have left the military rescr
walton and plundered and murdered the settlers"
The Camp Grant affair has caused much ndignation;
Is the current version of 1t the correct oneT'
ARIzoNIAN VERSION OF THE CAMP GRANT MASSACRE.
No." said the gentleman, " far from it. There is no
indian Reservation at Camp Grant. Many Apaches
came In at that post; and Lieut. Whitman finding 1t
easier feed them than to be constantly pursuing the
allowed them remain prisoners OF war; and served
raons to them He that he called the roll twice
week but 1t has also been proved that he had no way
OF identifying the Indians he had there and that C. fast
A the Bucks s warriors caed had received the
benefit Of Government ratiOns, they gave up their
places Others and went the warpath At length
pome OF them attacked farmers residence and mur
dered the family. Some Of the citizens Of Tucson traced
these murderers to Camp Grant. and COM
pany was formed which attacked the In
dams there and killed igreat many Of them The fact
that 40 many women and children were killed has been
cited to prove the atrocity Of the deed but believe
that proves. what the people OF Tucson all the time
Serted that the at that very time away
the path If they had been there, more OF them
would have been killed Our people generally regretted
the occurrence and the Grand Jury has indicted those
engaged In the affair who have been recognized They
also indicted Of the Indians who were known to
have participated In raids upon the white settlers and