The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-05-31
MOdOckiSm.


ing purposes.
MOdOckism.
If a dw,ller of another planet should read
the papers that most reflect the average pop
ular sentiment he would come to the conclu-
sion that with the extinction Of the last Mo-
doc, the wickedness and cruelty of the Uni
ted States and its territories would be eradi-
Gated. We have made his name synonym
for depravity. General comment would lead
one to conclude that the exit of the last of
Capt. Jacks band will be the signal for the
advent of the millennium. Consequently
we, the good, have become very indignant at
the apparent hardness of our soldiers and
their Indian allies in bringing the last of these
very wicked braves to chant his death song.
Nota few of us have censured our troops.
Some have intimated that they were coward
ly. There has been deal of ridicule ex-
pended on fighting Capt Jack with mortars
and others would have the lava beds stormed
in sohd columns. Not few have had their
moral perceptions shocked because our lead
ers could not tell the precise locality that Capt.
jacks party desecrated by their occupation.
Others again, and particularly that newspaper
that announces the affairs of The world to
three million rea iers, are declaring the high
character of their civilization by Demanding
that the fifteen Modocs that recently surren-
dered to Gen. Davis be put to death. Some
would favor the use of mortars and teach our
detestation of bad savages by using them as
bombs, as did the English the Sepoys.
But the little experience the most of us
have of the world will cause us to confess
that all of Modockism is not confined to Capt.
Jack and his forty odd followers. There is a
deal of it scattered here and there in varicus
forms and before we denounce that small ar
my out about the lava beds and alkali plains
let us see if there is not fair field for us to
contend vala lily against Modocs. 1t may be
assumed that whatever makes war on the
highest interests of humanity, is in spirit es.
sentially Modoc.
Thieving is Modoc trait; but recently one
hundred and three men elected by the people
to care for their interests in Congress, raided
uponthe treasury and took $1,000 each. They
even did worse than the savage Modoc for he
had never taken oath TO protect the peoples
interests and the congressional Modoc has.
The!s is class of Modocs that the country
should attend to as soon as it comes to
them; and though Gen. Butler as the Capt.
Jack OF the party would not literally yield
scalp with that capillary luxuriance
that would crafty a Warm Spring
brave, it is to be hoped that the honor of
Massachusetts, will be indicated in his dis
placement from honorable position.
There is a traffic carried oil in the country
that sends tens OF thousands to un.imely
graves of infamy and shame, and involves
hundreds of thousands in poverty and suffer
ing. In this traffic more money is squander-
ed than is spent fer schools. churches and
asylums. Those who detest it are compelled
to pay as taxes, large sums to support its
paupers and criminals. No one will attempt
to assert that the traffic that fills the country
with intemperance and its train of vices and
suffering is not inirlical to the best interests
OF society, and consequently those engaged in
1t, so far as they make war upon society,
should be classed with Capt. Jack and Gen.
Butler. 1t is quite possible that those who
are troubling themselves about the inefficien-
cy ofGen. Davis and his army because they
have caused murders, win find enou h of
Modockism in this one great evil of intemper-
ance to command their best services and
time.
There are men in New York and other large
places who have grown wealthy by the ruin
of hundreds, and at the cost of the demoral-
cation of the business interests of the coun-
try. They are the Daniel Drews, the Jay
Goulds and the Vanderbilts. They seize
upon railroads, and make food and fuel high,
Cypress and rob both the producer and
the consumer. They buy mean-spirited law
makers who iegalze their thefts and outrages.
All OF this class are ess' ntiaIly Modoc..
Then there is multitude of human beings
who have grown up to mans estate with
out being taught to do any useful labor, but
rather to abhor it. They p oceed on the
principle that for some reason, society owes
them a living, and to that end they are
pointing. The westspirited part are
known as "bunmers," and the more
courageous as bank robbers. The Modcc
lives upon the result of other mems toil--in
what respect is this class his superior2
inere is also class who make great pro-
l1oslohs OF goodness, but do little beyond.
laver. e P'
, @s large numbers paid homage to
'ne Na'lon dead. lis their due; and thew
were good citizens to be tbus thomDhts,i
But the men they honored have Wv, San ';a;
them old ana helpless parents, denendent
wives and defenceless orphans Thara ano
those, too, manned to helplessness. or hro,.os
by disease, in the same field ofdevotiop. Tho
Modoc has forgotten the kindness of tbos.
who would care for hi'u-may not we be fair
ly condemned for displaying the spirit of Mo-
dockism by forgetting those suffering wards
of wha' should be .rateful countryP
There are other Modocs in society, upon
which good men and women should urge re-
ientless war; but above all things, let us be
individually careful that we are not found I'M
der the leadership of Capt. Jack.
The most reliable intelligence from Piscata.
quis County,s to the effect that it will 20 SOL