The Republican journal., 1872-10-03
Our Indian Policy,

OUR indian Policy.
1t is difficult to say what result the
blindlolded figure of Justice with her
poised scales would find from careful
weighing of the relations of white men
| and Indians within the borders of the
United States. The puzzle goes back to
the earliest records Of Indian history
We have always admired and properly
estimated the moral conveyed in the
school book picture of broad-brimmed
William Penn holding council with the
aborigines under the traditional oak, and
displaying the gifts of clotl, and beads.
1t was sandwiched, geographically speak
ing, between the Pocahontas rescue of
Smith, and the less romantic but more
characteristic scene of the theft of the In
dams corn by the hungry Puritans The
men of Plymouth, who never failed to
Justify their desires by some quotation
from Scripture, found that the children of
Israel were promised the heather for an
Inheritance, for which the unhappy Pc
quods suffered
The administration of Gen. Grant ap.
pears to have selected two examples from
the early history of the aborigines as its
guides in dealing with the Indian rem
| nants that have been forced ont upon the
plains. The disciples Of William Penn
| are pressed into the service, wherever they
| can be found, and are becoming familiar
figures on the frontier Even good
Father Lang is prevailed upon to leave
his quiet farms and productive intervales
| upon the kennebec, TO risk whatever of
| hair has been spared to his declining
years, in the effort to indoctrinate these
wild lshmaelites of the praires with the
simple honesty and peaceful ways of the
disciples OF Fox and Hicks. But the
Sioux, kiowas, Crows, Arrapahoes, and
the rest of the guild of the tomahawk and
scalping knife don't take kindly to broad
brims and shad-bellied coats. Not that
| they lack faith in the professions of the
QuakerS, but Indian penetration sees that
"thee and thou" is but a stalking horse.
behind which all manner Of evil intention
conceals itself. Official agents, enriching
themselves by robbing the Indians of
their annuities; land grabbers, hungry
for the Indians broad hunting grounds;
dealers in bad firearms and worse fire.
water, with eager eyes on buffalo and
beaver peltries; sanctimonious scamps
OF every kind, with rowing commissions
from Washington to destroy, plumber and
sink.
From time to time the Quaker policy
breaks out in Washington When other
eXcitements die away, when fast horses
have done their level best, when the Sc
ductive whskey pals upon the palate,
and the delectable bull dog is shorn of
his novelty, then these wild Indians of the
plains are transported in squads to Wash
ington. In all their native paint and per-
tume bedecked and bedizencd, they dawn
upon the high civilization of the capital.
The Man-that- walks -in-the water, the lit
Raven, the Great Crow, the Squatting
Bear. the Horse stealer and the Horse
eater pervade the railroads and alight to
see the Great Father Hot-ho straw
berries and delicious cream are theirs.
The best of hotel fare, palatial cars, cost
~ presents, unlimited enjoyment are be-
slowed. Fifty thousand dollars are drawn
from the treasury to pay for all this-and
the Indians 60 back to the plains to re-
sumo their DEMONSTRATING, plumber and
murder, laughing at the simplicity of the
| whites. This is General Grant PLAYING
| Quaker
| Occasionally the delightful recreation
of genuine Quakers on the frontiers and
masquerading ones at Washington is
varied by the use OF carnal weapons, as
when Bakers cavalry swooping down at
night upon the Piegans, exterminat ed the
tribe, men women and children, with
sabre and pistol. 1t is doubtless surpris-
ing that the untutored mind of Lo, the
| foo' AiNt'", 10 "httplV " dPJIC1ltbIC Ills
sudden alienation of Presidential straw
berries and cavalry bullets His broad
brimmed and shad-bellied friend, with
hand on heart, had assured him that the
gospel of peace should be the rule in fu-
ture. Well may ''the stole of the woods,
the man without a tear" exclaim-save
me- from nv Friends
There are good many things in which
we may profitahly consider the ways of
our neighbors across the Canadian Dor
der. They do things which we are not
permitted to do, other than building ships
profitably. They manage almost as many
Indians as the United States have, and do
it almost without expending q dollar,
while such thing as an Indian war or
Indian incursion is unheard OF. They
have vast territories as we have, with
large Indian populations, but such is the
just, humane and Christian policy towards
them that the races live in contact, but in
mutual peace and prosperity. There are
no marauders or murderers, no Quaker