New-York tribune., 1871-05-15
COL STONENANS REPORT.

Col Stoneman's letter, lately published,
con tanning his report from Camp Pinal illus
trates the average feeling of whites toward
the Indians and also the lOng-established
mode of dealing with them. One band, he
states, of over 400 Arequipas, and another of
1000 ArrapahOes, have gone into camp and
virtually surrendered expressing a desire to
become good Indians. They are in a
deplorably destitute condition, with but
rags for clothes, and absolutely without
food. The Colonel suggests, dilfidently, the
expedency of relieving theirwants, and then, as
if ashamed of his compassion or afraid of
prompt snubbing by the Government, he
hastens to apologize for it. "Their deer" he
tells us, "are nearly gone. You may travel
"for days and not see a head of game. What
little they planted last year has all been
"destroyed by drouth or the troops. They
Give" he adds, "by stealing horses, cattle,
"and mules. Driven by hunger they will run
"any risk, undergo any fatigue, in order to
"satisfy the cravings of appetite and procure
Covering for their bodies.n Which course
appears to us highly natural if not praise
worthy. "They are Indians, be it remem-
"bered,r says the Colonel, "with all the bad
Gratis of the most savage of the sayages."
To be an Indian, he does not apparently re-
member, implies a man born to distinct con-
yicton of one fact-that his Inheritance has
been robbed from him by white men,-his
clearest conception of the Christian virtues,
theft, whisky drinking, and cheating. If starv
ing their crops destroyed by the troops, they
help themselves to horses OF cattle whenever
they can they act with an energy which we
fear we or the Colonel would initiate in their
place. "Indians," says the gallant commander,
thoughtfully, "need bread and salt Indians
" are controllable through the medium of their
stOmachs.n
There is something in the whole letter
which reminds us ludicrously of the old max
inns which used to be household words
regarding our other colored brethren, whose
bodies stole for our aggrandizement, as we
are stealing year by year the land of this
people. We were wont to stand on our
comfortable nights and survey them far off,
as we might race of gorillas. "Niggers are
"niggers," There was never a niger yet
"who would MT steal,n were our charitable
modes of regarding their peculiarties. We
affably supposed the poor creatures had a
"sOrt of natural feeling resembling ours"
when we saw husbands agony at being torn
from his wife, or looked at the mothers
face when the babe was taken from her
breast, never to return. We have learned by
this time that negroes are human beings, and
to Judge their feelings and actions from pre-
cisely the same plane as our own. The lesson
was sharp one, and cost us dear. How soon
we shall learn the same truth about the hun
cry savages whom Col. Stoneman is almost
ashamed of plying, remains to be proved.
God has swift, decisive way of righting
great wrongs in nations as in individuals, and
of bringing the, wrong-doer and his victim face
TO face so closely that they are not apt to mis-
take the human features in each other again.
There are great currents Of eternal order and
justice under all our political economics and
expediencies.
We heartily join in Col Stoneman's wish