, 1872-12-07

dc., &c.-real1y know nothing Of Indians, excop
enough to mako them the butt Of very stal
3okes and very stupid slanders, and, in thei
ceAtors we're, and the evil that white men are do
] Ing every hour Of every day Of every year, ant
assume to be able to "settle the problem OF tn.
] Indian question" On the speculative basis O.
manifest destiny, By the application Of NANTES
depraVity Of the Indian,-for these men, Let u.
! quote from
TEE CoMtnBs1oEEhs REPonT FOB 1870.
While it cannot be denied that the United State.
legislation, has e!inced desire to deal justly with tht
Indians 1t must be admitted that the actual treateu
they have received has been unjust and 1niquious BE-
yond the power Of words to express.
SAYS BISHOP WHIPPLE. OF MINNESOTA:
ea7e travelled On foot, or In the saddle, every
foot Of my diocese know every Indian zett1emeni
VIII STEAL and they Of race for they have tht
sa1ne vices; but in every difficulty that has occurred
II thsse I t7s years Of ny resdence between ths
aiTs5a been "7ong and the 1ndinn has always beer
6A1s GENERAL WILLIAM 8. HARVEY,
who went to the frontier when he was only IL
years OF age, and ia now old:
ineyer hoew an Indian Chief to break his word
and in no instance in which broke out with tho
tribes, that the tribes we're not IN the right.
SAYS THOMAS W1sTAB, OF PHILADELPHIA;
During AZ intercourse of forty years with the tribes
on our frontiers have invariably received from them
generous and confding treatment, and haye had no
occasion to regret misplaced confidence except in one
instance.
The writer has had slight acquaintance with
the Indians, from the mississippi to the Pacific
mot always faTorable), and has been personally
cognizant Of unproyoked ontrageB against de-
fenceless Indians by white men, faat would
shame any savage, and yet such 3 thing as re-
dress wAs not possible, or thought Of.
NOW, WHAT Is THE REMEDY?
To reyile the President? Not at al, for he has
manifested q disposition to deal Justly, il en-
powered and supported.
Does, then, the blame all rest With Congress?
Not al, for the questions involved now come be-
fore them in a false Light, and the reasons for
Legislation asked Of them are based on false
PROMISES, the true ones being obaoured by love
OF plundez, demagoguism: and hypocrisy.
TIE REMEDY Is,
to respect the faith Of treaties, and deal with
the Indians With tho same regard for Justice and
honor that VIC would it they had at their COM
appointed army Of two millions of men; lest it
come to pass that the Au-PoWerful One, who so
iealouBly guarded the
RESERVATION OF EsAu,
and warned the wandering Israelites, centuries
after his death, against the slightest intrusion
upon it, under the Beverest penalties,-
their mother, centuries before having been told,
ere Jacob and Esau were born, that they were
to be two distinct nations, with different desti-
n1ssmmay ad5ndgH our 7aunted humanity,
sham; and that, when the case Of the poor In
dian, and his pitiful, diminished reservations,
and violated treaties, finally comes before this
mighty tribunal, this Court of last resort, it may
prove anew to the world the truth Of the words
history it ia written, God reigns;" and that
forces slumbering now in the mighty bosom Of
Nature will be arrayed against us for it's exc
cution, compared with which q trained army OF
q nm nm of uan yFnu1d ha h.,f az 1nrf
and locomotives, land-grants, ETC., but as atoms,
Weighing nothing, in the great scale Of Gods
eternal Justice, against which all the plans Of
all the pettifogging politicians, and spccu1ntorB
within the circle Of the sun, would avail moth
The old pleas OF
CONQUEST AND NECESSITY
We will not consider; they are no longer before
US; we have passed them by; borne On the
mighty current Of Times great river, no have
left them far behind US. For most Of the Indi-
ans are practically conquered, and at our mercy,
and We. after leaving them all the lands they
want, would have enough for three times our
population, and now, at least can afford to be
Just to the remnant that is left of them and leave
them free, with fair indemnity, and they will ad-
vance Us the Cherokees and Five Nations have,
if left to themselves, absolutely secure in their
lands and homes, kindly and firmly treated, and
the hand Of military power, stcadied by justice,
kept between them and the whites OF the border,
who both do and suffer wrong, and need to be
guarded from the eSil-disposea OF both races,
the crimes Of both being usually charged to the
Indian.
But the Indians cannot trade with the white
sharper, and no tricky trader should be allowed
to set foot on their soil, or wrong them in the
slightest in any way, or under any pretext what
ever.
Above all, let it be borne in mind that the In
dian is an Indian, and not white man.
He W1sHEs TO REMAIN DISTINCT,
and the wish is most laudable and proper one,
in harmony with nature. Let him keep his
own Government, and let white men going
among Indians Except as agents Of the United
States Government) be subject to their tribal
governments.
Nature has done much for the Indian intellec-
tually, and he has now gained some desire for
the white mans knowledge, and this fostered
and encouraged Obut not forced, and the native
preserved intact and feeling Of
real respect and regard for the white man eatab-
lished, on the basis Of justice, and sincere kind
ness, will ultimately lead to the best results ever
Jet Eeen. This wild people, too,
ARE NATURALLY RELIGIOUS,
and one OF the few On the whole earth that never
lapsed into iGo1atry. The Indian believes in
Supreme Being, Great Spirit, governing the
universe, and an immortal future for the just
and brave. And, when justice has brought
peace, and peace good will, perhaps they will
prove q people well fitted as any for the high
spiritual religion Of OUT Savior and the 1ahors !
Of such men as Whipple, Wistar, and others will
not be lost,-1abors Of love IS they have been.