The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-04-29

policy Fostering Idlsness and crime---The
rrd,an,s Regeneration to be Found in Work.
70 IN, Editor OF The New York Tribune,
Srp In the Spring 1862, when the Sioux
s,t In council to consider the question OF
sofa the exterminators urged the policy OF
embracing that opportunity Of Kidding
themselves of their hated neighbors and
taking possession OF their much-eoveted
goods, because a recent call for troops
must drain the State OF her defenders.
The General Government, having al 1t
could do in trying TO crush the Rebellion,
could not interfere. That was the time
Then or never But the more timld Tear,
ed the consequences and held back, until
Little Grow, who was wise old BIRD and
had studied the Indian policy OF the ma
ton. assured them there was no danger. |
white man, he said, mot like Indian (; |
white mans heart soft; white man kill
Indian Indian catch him, scalp him, kill |
him: Indian kill white man white man !
catch Indian, feed him, give him blankets /
On this hint they acted, and with the full
expectation OF being rewarded with food !
and blankets. The worst came They
murdered nearly, or quite, Loco people, !
principally WOultu tliu DdbiCe
they shut up in the ovens OF cook stoves,
built fires in the fire chambers and roasted
them. Some they tied, two and two, by
one wrist hung them across a fence, and
left them % die In one place they hung
eight in row. They collected small
children and shut them up in rooms 10
staryc, then MANNED the parents and
bound them 70 trees where they might
tl,nsa L.
10 them They cut off the feet of several
little boys, unjointing them cuuningly and
leaving the sufferers to die. They violat-
ed the persons of women and girls less
then nine years OF age, in presence Of hus-
bands fathers, and mothers They com
mitted every enormity possible. many
utterly inconceivable to any but Indians.
The parties first attacked were generally
those with whom they had been on the
most friendly terms. Houses in which
they had been most Hospitality entertained
were sacked among the earliest. The
Chippewasi who had intended TO join them,
were deferred by the non-arrival Of their
ammunition and the precipitancy Of their
allies, who were hurried on 10 the decisive
blow by the drunken zeal of two Of their
number, who murdered a family before
the appointed time.
REPRIsALs BY THE WHITES.
Two days after the main massacre, two
companies Of new recruits marched out of
ST Cloud a. join their regiment at Fort
Smelling leaving with their wives such
arms as they could spare. They had wait
ed until the last moment, hoping for an
order cOuntermanding that which required
them 90 move, and so had not time 10 walk.
Their departure nearly drained the town
Of means OF transportation as well ms men
Those women and children who wanted TO
20 with them were left behind for lack of
wagons and horses. Next day, Holein-
the,day sent us word that he would re
strain his young warriors certain number
Of days waiting for Commissioner Dole.
IL he did not arrive at Chippewa head
quarters by that time, he would no longer
he answerable for them The st. Cloud
men intercepted wagon load OF ammuni
ton on Its way a. his young warriors, and
got ready o. give them a warm welcome
They therefore postponed their visit
Next year he went 10 Washington got
$1,000 as a reward OF merit, took a sew
enth wife, and came home in a blaze Of glory |
Minnesota men and volunteers from neigh. .
boring States went after the Sioux. captur
ed 400 or 500 warriors and brought them .
IN As prisoners. They organized court. /
tired them, found 300 guilty of murder in |
the first degree and sentenced them t0 be I
hanged. The General Government inter /
icred and would not permit the execution
Of any but those found guilty of murder
and rape As they had left but few wit F.
nesses alive, only 80 were convicted on
this double charge These were hanged |
while the others were paid, got their /
blankets, according TO the Little Grow |
plan, and were turned loose, wellarmed /
and equipped for more massacres.
In the heat Of public Indignation lust |.
now, Gen Sherman talks Of exterminat |
ing the NlodOcs Two weeks will probably |
modify the order. and, IN about two
months, public sentiment will no doubt
demand that these noble red men of the
forest shall get their food and their blank /
cts and Government will add a Spencer
rifle apiece and Richard will be himself
again
Why not Are the lives of Gen. Can /
by and two Peace Commissioners of more
Importance than the thousands of good .
and true men and women who have gone to /
carry civilization 10 the far West. and have
fallen victims TO the cruelty and treacherv .
OF these Government petsP
THE SECRET OF THE CONTINUANCE OF THE
POLICY.
Eastern philantrophy has not hesitated
to hand over the frontier settler, bound, as
the sacrifcial Offering, whose death shall
atone for the wrongs inflicted on the poor
Indian by the General Government. The |
same Philantrophy will surely not grudge
a Brlgadier General and couple of Peace
commissioners as a further compensation
Tor his injuries To be sure it was very
naughty Of Capt. Jack and Boston Char
lie 10 shoot the Peace Commissioners but
then the poor fellows are savages Say
ages love TO shoot folks; why should we
Interfere with their favorite amusement?
Catch them by all means for this will af- .
ford such fine opportunity for talking to
them about the unpleasantness of their
ways, 1t will be the best way to get them
INTO prayer meeting, and supply each
one with another photograph Of Gen.
Howard OF somebody else They can have
a good rest, with plenty of pork and beans.
supply them with -four, at : per pound, TO
feed their ponies Give them improyed .
guns, with good supply Of powder and .
lead. and few tracts If you can get them
u accept them; add an abundance of good 4
advice, and bid them fearful adieu. Then
take it for granted that they viii never do .
wrong any more unless these horrid from
tier settlers provoke them beyond endu-
rance
This has been the Government policy.
dictated by that same class Of men who |
insist upon capital punishment for white 4
murderers Ii will continue TO be its policy \
Tor sometime 10 come, notwithstanding the
present excitement There is money in it.
The Indian Bureau gives unparalleled op-
portunlties for peculation The cunning
raseals who use the poor Indians az a pre2
text tor rohbing the Government will not
permit the interests Of philantrophists 10
lag Through their ignorant conniyanee,
the robbers carry on a thriving trade and
If need be will furnish cart load of afIida-
wits proving that the Modocs are the in
jured party Instead Of cxterminntinp
them, there will be a special appropriation
for their benefit, and another set Of Com
missioners appointed who will be quite Ger
tain that the two who are gone fen victims
tu their own imprudence.