The New York herald., 1873-10-05

4
full and complete telegraphic accounts Of the
scenes at Fort Klamath, where the cloud OF
doom was settling around the Modocs who
were executed on Friday morning. To-day we
publish an interesting relation of the final
scene, graphically depicting the tragedy that
calls back with the voice of Nemesis to the
dark crime committed in the peace conference
so many months ago. As an event differing
so widely from the executions of civilized
beings, which are, unfortunately, too common
with us, we have taken especial pains to lay it
in all its actual and suggestive features before
the public. The extraordinary character of
the war of the United States on the ragged
Modoc tribe has attracted the attention of the
civilized world. From their volcanic fastness,
where the forces of Nature in the hoary ages
gone by had prepared grim and awful refuge
for the hunted, fighting remnant of people, the
Modoc skill in war challenged the admiration
even of their enemies Staining their success
with diabolical massacre, the world lent a
still more attentive ear to the story of the
bitter struggle which ended in the capture of
| the entire tribe and their removal to Fort
Klamath for a farcical trial The hanging of
| Captain Jack and his three fellow murderers
has reawakened the public interest in the fate
of this strange tribe, and has given to the
| thoughtful mind many sober second thought
upon the course which may somewhat redeem
us yet from the great wrongs done in the past
to the Indian race, by making the passing
away Of the red man from the earth more
decent, more really humane in its inevitable
accomplishment The astonishing success
of the HERALD in procuring at the
earliest instant the news concerning
| the Modoc war. down to the last
tragedy in its train, is only an episode in the
continued exhibition of journalistic vital
energy. The value of the events as news and
the deep significance of their character to
| civilization were enough to decide that the
story should be promptly obtained at whatever
cost. Our success in chronicling this portea-
tous narrative has, indeed, startled many who
should be better acquainted with the posi-
bilities of enterprising journalism-so much
so that some have not been ashamed to admit
that they deem the authenticity of our pub
reason to regard this as high compliment,
for it shows how far behind in the race
of progress those are left who only wonder
and doubt by turns while others act up to the
full possibilities of this enlightened age with
all their powers applied to the task. AS we
have said, the reward of our enterprise in this
particular is only an episode in our advance,
and we are content SO to rest it with the public.
What will excite for the moment the greatest
comment is the bearing of the condemned
wretches who died SO ignobly on Friday.
Death on the gallows is of all forms that most
repugnant to the red savage, who, though
trained and accustomed to look fearlessly at
death in bloody, sudden and horrible shapes,
turns with shndder from the awful ceremony
and the degrading exhibition of ife-sacrifce
to the law of our civilization. To him the gal
| lows has all the responsiveness Of constraining
| civilization, concentrated in the strangulating
| act which shuts off light and air and life
together. Between exultant savage life in the
broad, breezy reaches of the wild and death
| upon the gallows there stretches every stage
and degree whereon civilization triumphs and
barbarism combats. The shipwrecked
waif, who knew that the land on
which the storm had hurled him
was not peopled by barbarians because
there was gallows on the hill above him, had
judged as truly as if a cross-crowned church
rose heavenward in its stead The Modoc
chief, canking his fetters two days before his
execution, as he querulously wished that he
might be let die like a warrior with knife
wound or a bullet hole in his breast, points
all that we have said. In yesterdays HERALD
we printed the report of q meeting unique Of
its kind. We have seen the civilized murderer
listening to the ministrations Of parson or
| priest and we have heard time and time again
their boastful reliance on the mercy God had
in store for them but that group Of six
savages listening through double interpre-
tation to the comforting words of clergy
man, whom they can only speak of as
s'spirit-man," is o novel scene for the world
to ponder over. They heard his sentences
translated into Modoc jargon and then rem
dered into pure Modoc, but their speeches
afterward betrayed how little the thoughts of
the preacher had sunk into their savage souls
They spoke in turn, and the strange offer Of
Captain Jack, that Scar-faced Charley should
suffer in his stead, was made In neither
his nor Sconchin's speeches dfd the calm,
impassive, unshaken stoicism appear which we
have insensibly connected with the Indian when
facing his DOOM From Captain Jack looking
wistfully round with his searching, glittering
eyes, and saying, 'It is terrible to think !
have to die, because whenever l look at my
heart see a desire to live," we recall the
famous figure Of the Virginia Indian, "Lo-
gan," when, as a prisoner after bloody war
in which he was ever towering spirit he
said, LOGAN would not turn npon his
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