Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-11-13
THE INDIAN QUESTION.

Oeneral Garfield was sent in Au
gust last, to carry into effect law @
Congress and an order of the Presi
I dent, directing the removal of tn
Flathead Indians from Bitter Roo
Valley, their ancient home, to tn,
Jocko Reservation, where two of tbt
associate tribes have been residing fo
several years. The General give
some valuable reflections as to inter
ing phases of the Indian problem
based upon his observations durinl
the performance of his duty. w
copy from last weeks IndeDendcnt
In the first place it is conceded thai
from the beginning of our intercourse
with these Flathead1 Indians, they
have been most friendly toward the
whites. 1t is justly their boast that
no Flathead ever killed a white man.
They long ago sought the friendship
OF our people and invited many fami-
lies TO settle in the Bitter Root VAL
ley. But recently the settlers have
crowded in without invitation, and
the whites in the Valley now out
number the Indians.
Savage and civilized life-the first
in its best and the second certainly
not in its highest state-have thus
been brought in close contact in that
valley. Nothing is palmer than that
the two forms of life cannot long CO.
exist in harmony. The primary con-
dition of our civilization is that we
destroy the very basis of the Indian
mode of living. Every step toward
modern agriculture is a step toward
driving out the game and destroying
the essential conditions upon which
savage communities exist. Hence
there is no hope for Indians on the
frontier except in removal to a reser-
walton exclusively their own.
1t appears to me that the religious
side of the Indian question needs a
thorough reconsideration. To build
up Christian civilization on the
ruins of barbarism, we ought to begin
at the bottom, and not at the top.
We ought to begin with the tempor-
ailties, rather than doctrinal theolo.
ey. For more than two centuries
most of our missionary effort has
been made wrong end foremost. Sir
Walter Raleigh began by comforting
titles. of nobility on Indian chiefs.
In 1887 he ordered the Chief Manito
baptized, and created him a feudal
baron, with the title Of Lord of Ro-
anoke. This was the first and perheps
the last of the American barons.
A part of the endOWments Of Har-
ward University and William and
Mary College were expressly for the
education of the Indians. One Iro-
quois graduated at Harvard. Eliot
gave whole lifetime to missionary
work among the Indians of New
Most of the Indians educated by
these efforts relapsed into barbarous |
when they again Joined their tribes. |
In many cases they had merely ac- |
1uired power for evil.
We are accustomed to say that the |
Gospel is fitted to all classes and con- |
ditions of men. And this is probably |
true when we use The word In its |
broadest sense; but it is not true in |
the narrow doctrinal sense of the |
term. There is a gospel of clothing, |
Of food, Of shelter, of work, that |
should precede the theology OF the |
pulpit. At least, this should be go in |
reference to the Indian race. It
should be remembered that We are |
dealing with a people who have not, |
by long centuries of effort, learned |
The lesson of pOral salvation. We |
are dealing with a race of whom Ban
croft has well said: "No fragment |
1f column, nor a brick, nor a single |
lewn stone large enough to be ineor-
in a wall has been diseOv-
sred."
The simplest lessons Of our every
lay life these poor people must learn,
The lesson of Work-of plowing, of /
Iowing, of reaping; the lesson of
orethOught, providence, property,
md personal responsibility. Ali /
hese, with their important temporal
advantages, should be their first steps
n learning the Gospel of Life. 1t
'annot be denied that, in respect to
hese things, the Jesuit missionaries
lave been more successful than any
'thers.
How much they understand Of the
pirit of the Christian religion, how
leeply its doctrines have penetrated
heir everyday life am unable to
ay. / cannot affirm that the labors
# the Jesuits among the three tribes
# Flatheads have accomplished much
more than to help them on in their
tudies Of the first lessons of civilized
ife. But the method pursued has
learly been a wise one.
The policy of the President is in the
anne general direction. He has called
pom the Christian churches, not to
ONE forward with their theologies,
ut to aid him in securing faithful
gents, who will honestly distribute
D the Indians the annuities and
ounties Of the Government and who
'ill do faithful work at the various
sservations.
That work insists in breaking up
inds, in putting in crops, in erecting
Onses, in building and maintaining
Hills, in teaching the simpler trades,
4 short, in laying the foundation ,
mOng the Indians of practical civil :
led living. If to this can be added a
abit of owning property in severalty; ,
having small farms well titled and
.ocked with their own cattle and
Orses; and if, above all, their reser-
ations shall be carefully and rigidly Z
against the entertainments :
the whites, there may yet be saved
remnant of this perishing race.