Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-11-01

Tho Hon. James A. Garfield has an article
In this weeks number Of the HtdPsRient on
the Indian question and our Indian policy.
His remarks in regard to the religious tide Of
the controversy are worthy Of consideration.
He says.
at appears to me that the religious side Of
the Indian question needs q thorough rtoonsld-
GRAFTON. To build up Christian civilization
on the ruins OF barbaflsm, We ought 10 begin az
the bottom, and not at the top. We iught to
begin with the temporalltlCs rather Tim doc.
trinal theology. For more than two olnturies
most Of our missionary effort has BEEN made
wrong end foremost Sir Winter RAklgh be.
gan BY eonferTtng titles Of nobility on Indian
chleis In 1881 he ordered the chief Mantle
baptiEed, and created him feudal BARN with
the title Of Lord OF Roanoke. This WAS kho nrIt
and perhaps the last Of the American barSna
"a part Of the endoWments Of HArvan Uni.
verbity and William and Mary College VSro ex.
pressIy for the education OF tho Indiana One
1roquOls graduated at Harvard. Eliot kave a
whole lifetime % missionary work amng tho
Indians Of New England. There Is now hut one
man living, and he IL q white man, who ctn read
Ellors Indian Bible.
"Niost OF the Indians educated by thes efforts
relapsed into baTbarOus life whom thoj again
Joined their tribes. In many eAses tiny had
merely acquired power for evil.
I'VE arc accustomed TO say that the gospel is
this 10 probably true when we use the word In
IL broadcast sense; but It Ia not true In the mar.
row dOotrinal sense OF the term. There Is Cos
pol Of clothing, Of food OF shelter, Of work that
should preoedo tho theology Of tho pulpit. At
least, this should be 80 In reference 70 the In
Ilan race. II should DO remembered tha We
arc dealing with a people who have not by
long centuries q enSTt learned the lessn Of
Of whom Bancroft has we'll said No fragment
OF . column, not brick, nor a single hOWn tons
large enough 70 be Incorporated In wall has
"Tho SimplsSi Lessons ofour everyday llfetheso
poor people must learn. Tho lesson OF woIk-Ot
ploWing, o. sowing, Of teaplng tho lesson Of
responsibility. All these, With their impsrtant
temporal advantages, should be their hrsi steps
"a learning the gospel Of lie, II eannot be
dehled that In respect TO these thinst, the
jesuit missionaries have been more successful
than any otheTs-
More than forty years ago the Flathoads sent
4 delegation Of their own numbCI> to 20 TO ST
Louis and bring back some men who eould tell
perlshed Al the hands OF hostile Indians before
they reached their destination. Another was
sent but failed o. success. A third suceeeded IN
reaching 81. Louis, where they found Jesuit
missionary and made known their request
,"Whilo In the FlAthead camp, saw an In
dlAn nearly ninety years Of age, named Aeneas
who was one Of tho successful messengers. The
Jesuits did not respond 70 this call BY sending
q missionary 70 teach the formal doctrine Of
relgloni bat instead, they sent out devoted
ny ppfother, an ACCOM- pilshed surgeon, Who went
panied their warriors % battle, cared for their
NnI hoS ,bnh SS ,Pe ~ h ne ~
black gown" would come. Then they sent other
Ky Ky SIU IE o1 70 Ply eP tma t !? osEn
and, in short, 70 lay the foundation Tor civ.
hihsg ne: ,.,,,
that al a later date Father Do Smet and his a.
soeiateS, In short time, had baptized almost
deTstahd Of he snirit al The ubriStiSn rsliiion,
how deeply Il. doctrines have Penetratet thelr
Ann ytSat the isboTa az shs !" Jss1,,. a%anS ~
three tribes Of Flatheads have GoeOmp iiShsd
az IN mare a than 70 ne thsm on ~ theiT udios
method pursued has clearly been a wise one.
v.n ahe pSiey o. the resident y 10 me sane me
christian churches, not 70 come forward with
tholr theologisa, but 70 aid him 10 securing
tho Indians he a51uities and bSuntiea 'of me
Government, and who will do faithful work at
q ThRI WoTS eonSiits IN brsaking nm lana, IN
putting in crops, in erecting houses, 10 building
trSdsS In ShSrt n IRHing " tSs W.
the Indians OF practical eiVillIed living. II 70
ms eAn 90 91aSd haDiL o. oNning properly N
stocked with their own cattle and horses and IA
above AZ, their reservations shan DO carefully
Of he wbitss there NAV yot b. saySd a IemnSnt
Of this perlshinS race"