Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-11-05
Our Indian Policy.

Our Indian Po'icy.
The Indian policy of this country,
humanely planned though it was,
was all wrong for more than half
century. Manyoof the evils of the
original error, which was an error of
principle, linger to this time.
Recognizing the Indians as its
wards, for whom it was bound to
care, the government dealt with
them as its equals, with whom it was
to negotiate. 1t came to grief, pre-
cisely as any father or mother comes
to grief, who, with like quality of no.
lion, negotiates with ignorant ehildr
rem.
Then, while every one knew that
he nomad condition of these Indians
vas barbarian, and that no nation of
neOple ever was civilized till it came
% the notion of personal property,
4till, till lately, it has never enoour-
4ged the idea OF separate property,
nut always dealt with the tribes as
tribes. 1t has paid its tributes, which
IL called presents, to the chiefs, who
worked with them their own
-weet will. In this way the govern
ment of the United States has, since
he time of Washington. given away
millions, probably hundreds of mill>
IONS, of treasure to the Indians, in
he hope of civiizing them, at least
IN the wish to be kind to them; and
this treasure has been spent on prin-
riples so false, that the Indians would
have been happier and better this
day had the generous appropriations
for their benefit been annually car
ried down the Potomac 10 a grand
ceremonial, and poured into the sea.
Somebody asked Mr.. Sumner once,
in the middle of the war, why, with
purposes as lofty as the government
had then, all this could not be chang
I'd.
%Oh u said he, "have we not ev-
cry thing else to do? and, when we
attack this, everything we have ever
done must be uDdone."
That statement was correct, and
indicates the true policy.
|. In the true policy, the govern
ment will, eventually, no more deal
with the Indians as tribes than does
he State of Massachusetts deal with
he Macdonalds or Campbells within
its borders as being members of the
proud tribes which once bore those
honOTed names. To all the Indians
at the West the government will hold
out the same privileges and encour-
hgements.
2. 1t is probable that these privi-
leges and encouragements would first
look TO lifting them from the hunter
condition to the pastoral condition
They are hunters; our efforts shall be
to make them shepherds and herds
men. ln the whole history of civii-
cation, such has been the first step
upward.
3. So far as the government can
persuade individuals among them to
enter upon government land, and
make their own established homes,
precisely as Norwegian, Bohemi-
an, vi noGIontOI, may 40, III ne on
~ come from the other side of the
sea, the government should do so;
and any individual seeking their well
fare must do this when he can. Land
IS your true civilizer.
Gen. Grant is the first president
who has attacked this terrible prob
lem with any personal knowledge of
is difficulties, or With any adequate
appreciation of the true principles in.
volved in its solution. Thwarted at
every step by a horde of hucksters
and spectators on the frontier, still
his policy has attained a success
which no enc could have dared to
hope Req. &. H. Hale, in "OLD AND
NEW" for November