The Potter journal and news item. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1872-1874, 1873-06-20

the value of this possessory right has
been paid. Ahab may covet and take
Naboth's vineyard, but such transfers
have never been profitable to the posses
Sor. We come now to the bargain.
The parties are christian nation and
heather people. Most of our treaties
have been shameless frauds. The par
ties who were most interested did not
know each others wishes. Their heads
were on the interpreters shoulders. If
the treaty is made there is always a loop
hole for another. The tribe is takensto
a reservation. The land is under the
care of the United States. 1t is not
subject to territorial or state laws.
The old tribal relations which made the
chief the leader of clan are broken up.
The chiefs power for good has been
weakened. No laws are made for the
Indian. No judicial officer resides on
the reservation. No one is appointed
to execute law. There is no other pro-
lection to property, person or life than
the goodwill of the Indians to one an
other.
The theory seems to be that a savage
people, emerging from heathenism, are
such models of propriety they can get
on without government while white
men cannot live without law-society
with them would become chaos. Man
hood cannot be preserved without indi-
vidual rights of property. The absence
of law fosters savage modes of life 1t
leaves the industrious helpless. An In
dian gives up the war path, he has his
hair cut, he builds a house, he tills the
land and plants crop; a savage insults
his wife, destroys his crop OF kills his
cow. He has no redress. He can fall
back on his old savage hatred and kill
the transgressor, but we have taught
him this is wrong. The law does not
regard an Indian as a man. An Indian
kills another Indian, lit has happened
again and again in Minnesota mo ques-
tiOns are asked. fla foreigner had killed
another foreigner we would hang him
for killing human being. "HoIe-in-
the-H!'@9yy, tne mead chief of the Chippe-
was, was an American citizen. He was
murdered in broad day; the murderers
were known to hundreds but not the
| slightest effort was made to arrest TIE
guilty. AS the government does not
protect the Indians white men have 70
respect for their rights; so license, rob
berry and murder go unpuni3hed. The
cause which lies back of all Indian mas
sacre is some story of wrong. 4 mob
hung two Indians at Brainari for tie
alleged murder Of a white woman. but
| few remember that within a stones
| throw of the alleged scene of that MUIR
| der an Indian woman died by the bru-
tai violence of white men. l can recall
many instances of such unprovOked
murder. The government has pledged
to give to each civilized Indian one hun
dred and sixty acres OF land. No pa
tents which convey the title IL fee SIM
pie are issued. As titles the certificates
granted are useless. They leave the
title SO that greed and cupidity may
clamOr for the Indians removal
The remedy is simple: In every trea-
| ty the just value of the Indians posses
sorry right ought to be paid; the govern
ment should hold this as a sacred trust
for its wards. The sum will in every
case be ample to care for him until able
to care for himself. The Indian must
| be placed under law; these laws must
be plain and, at whatever cost, must be
enforced. a judicial officer-a stipen-
diary magistrate-Ought to reside on
on every reservation, and with such
cOnstabulary force as is necessary to
| execute the law. In most cases the In
dians could be appointed as such COZ
stables. But at whatever cost we must
have law and enforce it. The friends
of the Indians have always pleaded for
this, and they ask swift punishment on
those who commit crimes. The present
agents plead for this. For six months
one of The best agents in The country
has warned us that an Indian war was
imminent because of the ineficiency of
our system, and that the lawlCss and
turbulent were allowed to roam ct viii
and commit crimes without fear of
punishment.
The Indian question will not be silent.
Thoughtful men arc beginning to feel
that we must meet it in the fear of God.
If you place ten white men and women
in row with an Indian and tell the
American people we must kill the In
dian, but we shall have to kill the ten
of our own race first and Il will cost us
one hundred thousand dollars, we shall
hesitate as to the wisdom Of the act.
1t is exactly what we have done for a
score of years. We cannot go on. In
Canada they have Eeyer had an Indian
war; we have seldom passed a year
without one. The secret is in claw. :"
The good are protected; the bad are
punished. We should aim at three
things:
First. We must break up their wan