Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-05-24
The Ina,nn. nr Wa.hins.en.

There is another Indian delegation at Wash
ineton. talking with the official "fathers" great
and small They represent the Arapahoes, Chey-
euues, and Wachitss. The chief spokesman
appears to be chief of the Arapahoes named
'Iittle Raven" In all these official interviews
three things appear constantly. One is con-
yiction on the part of the Red Men, which seems
TO pervade all Indian tribes, that the world Of
the Indians is coming to an end; the second, an
eager desire ofthe Indians to be paid" for some
thing; and the third, a persistent request to
be permitted to "trade for ammunition to kill
game with" When the delegation was received
at the interior department Monday, Little
Raven" speaking for them, complained in the
usual tone, such as was heard from Ret Cloud,
that the constant advance OF white men is civil
izing and cultivating the Indian world out of
existence. The following is taken from a re-
port Of whathe said:
"He was anxious to have a dividing line be-
tween the white and Indian blood. A long time
ago a treaty of peace was made little Raven
probably referred to Col. MitchelRs treaty in
1881 and soon afterwards rich ores were dis
covered west of them. This brought the white
man in their country. Then the railroads came
among them, and later other railroads came and
drove the Indians away from their homes. They
do not know where this is to end. The whites
are approaching them constantly, and the In
dams do not know what country they own"
He hoped the government would pay the In
dams for the gold mined in their country and
for what they were losing by this constant dis
appearance of the wilderness. The Wichita
chief, Buffalo Goad, made short speech in
the same strain, and his demand for "pay" was
based on his assumption that the lands given to
the other Indians for reservations all belong to
the Wichitas. "Now," said he, "here am, wear
ing white mans coat and pantaloons; let the
government give me greenbacks to carry around
and show for the lands" Little Raven" was
particularly in earnest to buy ammunition "to
shoot game with"
Little Raven, cred Cloud" and the others,
are not mistaken on one point. This continent
is becoming uninhabitable for wild Indians
Not many years will pass before there will be
no place for them anywhere between the two
oceans. They must change, lay aside their bar
barism, and adopt the ways of civilized life, or
disappear with the wilderness. We may be
sentimental over this fact, but we cannot with
stand the law which makes it certainty. 1t is
serve incorrigible barbarisms. The savageries
of both wilderness and Indian must vanish be-
fore its influence; and if the Indians will not be
civilized, they must inevitably become extinct.
If they will not accept the higher form of life
possible to men, destiny will pass them on with
the buffaloes, to join the extinct mammoth and
megatherium. 1t should be the policy of our
government to civilize; and this is what it aims
TO do in combining them to reservations.
The secretary, replying to Little Raven, y
told him that the Indians, TO secure their own
welfare, should ''learn habits of civilization as
soon as possible, for we cannot stop clearing
land, constructing railroads, and building cities
the Great Spirit has decreed it and it must go
on" He urged them to go quietly to the reser
walton, learn our ways, and become able to live
without the wilderness. The government will
aid them with agricultural implements, seeds,
schools, and the like. But not many of the
wild Indians can be induced to take this course.
Perhaps the policy introduced by the present
administration will have more success than has
been realized heretofore. Until this change
was made, the Indian department of
the government was controlled to a
very large extent, by INSCRIPTIONS scoun-
drelism. The Indians have been swindled
by the knavery of unprincipled agents, and cor
rupted by their morals. The best possible en-
deavor to civilize the Indians has never been
made by our government. The influences to
which they have been subjected have not been
such as to make them feel that civilization is
better than savagery, and make them feel it SO
strongly as really to desire the proposed change.
1t is to be hope that the new policy will produce
better results.