The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-04-16

Tar Republican press bois over al tte az
;,,,;on Of General CASBv, and While
claiming great credit for Gcncias 'RASr '''
~. b,napc policy demands Il clean sweep
of IN. Nodocs because they were so VICIOUS
,,d in:ractablc Notwithstanding the KIND
MOSS and gcntlcneSs manifested towards
them.
ON the other hand, the opposition press cri-
,;.;.c. very sharply General GRANTS policy,
and while il advises very summary punish
mca of The Indians it declares that the
poicv OF General GRANT has been the cause
OF the bloody and trcachcrouS conduct Of
the Indians, and heaps unqualified censure
on him for it.
We agree with neither party altogether
We do not think General GRANT deserves
much credit for his policy. He has lived
long enough to know that Sarages arc not to
he Won by gifts and sweet and p'olls talk.
They arc but children, easily spoiled, and
though they may not cry for "SnERMAS'>
cotl-h ozcngeS,' they very much need SuER-
MANS bayonets and bullets when they get re-
frac;orv. SHES!pAN's policy OF prompt and
rigid rule and quick punishment for outrage
i far better than the "pcace policy; but
even that policy should be administered by
some one less british than SHERIDAN.
Yet we have not doubt that General
GEAHT thought, or at least hoped, that the
miii-lnanncred Quaker and the specious and
hvnocrtical Northern Methodist political
preacher might tame the widest savage, and
therefore determined to give them chance.
He was under the dcluSion that the country
wanted them TO have it. His intc.-
tons, we say, were good; but his saga
city was not great. He involved him
sell still further in error by allowing hlm>clt
10 he whecdled by such bIgots and shallow
lased monomaniacs as the latter-day philan-
,hropistS, OF whom General HOWARD, who
runs the negro university of Washington, is
atype In any and everything in which be
l,,S allowed such people to warp his policy
h has involved himself in trouble. If they
are 10: misIcd hy malice they are sure to err
in applying their ilnpracticable theories con-
corning politico sociological philosophy to
the measures for preserving order and peace
and promoting the prosperity of the coun-
try.
We, therefore, would throw the mantle of
charity over General GRANTS policy on ac-
count OF the goodness Of his intentions.
But we certainly consider that his attempt
10 luclicatc the Indians has only increased
the work of their final subsection. DiScon-
tent. malice, and resistance are showing
themselves in nearly all the tribes; and, like
animals in show, the Indians are all greatly
excited by The show Of blood and look and
hope for general conflict along the whole
line.
But while we feel charity for the intcn-
tons of General GRANT we must complain
of hinf for not profiting by the lessons OF
the past. Each generation is prone to for
yrt the teachings in the history OF that
which preceded it; but while this may be
said of the masses of the people it is no cX.
cu,e for the leading public men. Whatever
may lee said of the people, Il man who is sui.
cic,tly prominent to be thought worthy of
hcuy President of the United States ought
to know enough Of the history of Indian af-
fairs 10 know that the savage can only be
governed by force and the fear il inspires.
The examples to prove this arc 50 numerous
iiial no prominent man can be we'll excused
foG Ignorance Of them.
General GRANT has been mslcd. lie ought
not to lave been. And though he has cred
itably 10 his heart inclined to humanity, to
t!lc di>crcdlt Of his head he has di>regardcd
the teachings of Eistory-we may say every
day li>tory-in Il manner that must be fatal.
IL" was al gentlcness in policy, and finding
that the Indians upon very natural grounds
did rot appreciate his motives and have MUIR
dgTcd the public officers, be swings to the
other extreme and orders or approves the
annih!lation CT the ModocS.
Military statesmen seldom appear on this
earth, julius CESAR was one, NAPOLEON !.
another, WASHINGTON one, WELLINGTON an
other, and ANDREW JACKSON still another.
LEE hi .ht have proved himself one. But
wc have none now. We believe GRANT tries
but he is too blind in lis self-wil, too much
pfc}udiccl TO listen to sources of information
not liked by him, and his judgments are too
often onc-sided, and as often wrong. His IN
dian policy, well meant, is Il fearful ilIustn-
ton Of this. We shall not speak specifically
"i like errors in his southern policy, where
tarbal'an element has led him into plumbers
Verse in their consequences than any Of the
errors in his Indian policy. We have no eX-
rccia1ion that lie will be as readily convinced
OF his error in his administration of southern
affairs as lie has been of those of his Indian
policy; but il he should be, we hope he will
not suddenly rush into an opposite course, is
he has in the matter of the Modoys, and we
suppose the Indians generally.
Nanhaninc, IITnnor