Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-05-16
A Christian Peace or an Indian War.

We know that Cooper's "Uncas, Last
of the Mohicans' is not the type of Indian
manhood we have to deal with to-day, just
as We know that the average freedman OF the
South to-day has neither the moral or men
tai makeup of Touissaint L'Ouyerture,
Just as we know that the average emlgrant
from the "Green Isle of the Sea- but family
suggests the existence of''mute, VICTORIOUS
O'Connells. Grattans and Currans. Yet
this fact need not make Us forget that the
negro was. when slave, frequently treated
with horrid barbarity, that the Irish peas
ant has for more than seven hundred years
been outrageously oppressed by his English
masters. Nor need it make US forget that
brutality and rascality has usually been
the white man 5 rule of conduct in ali his
dealings with the red man the one ex-
ception in our past history being VIM.
Penn, who fairly and honestly, and conse-
quently successfully, tried 1.-THE peace
policy ofhumane and just treatment. No
intelligent reader of history can believe that
All lhNldu hGNilSto nave no oNHtl tApidud-
ton than an unprovoked ebullition of pecu-
liar and distinctive natural ferocity and de-
prayity. \ few facts like the following
tell the simple, dispassionate, desenti-
mentalized story Of our Indian troubles
The battle cry of the Florida war with
the SeminoleS, was exile or extermina-
ton" The struggle lasted seven years,
and cost Us hundreds Of lives and 100000
COO. An act Of shameful treachery on the
part of an army officer converted Cochise,
the Apache chief, from steady friend to
an nyetcrate l'e. and in 4 twelve years
WHr With him in Arizona ten whites have |
born killed hir every Indian slain. The
A,udpc war thus far i about as extrayagant. |
Ia lsj2 writes an eyewitness oftho masSa-
rrr, to the Chicago Tribune, Capt. Ben
Wright killed in cold blood a number of
Mojrc>, including some twenty women and |
children. At the Camp Grant" massacre,
April 36th. ISL, Sixty-three Indians, old |
women and Young children, were murdered
an q rcserratou While the government has
been nominally hiring the Indian to keep
the peace, the L. 5. Agents" have regular
u cheated him out Of the pay.
Oar Washington correspondent, in a
letter before Us, says: 1.-TWO men dash
around Washington to-day, enjoying i'll
gotten wealth obtained in robbing the In
dianS, and in stirring up wars that opened
10 them fresh fields and pastures new
for plumber I heard a conversation the
otLer evening between Capt. Morris of the
L. ). Navy, whose heroism was notable
even among a whole crew of gallant spirits
that fought and sank with the Inflated
Cumberland, and a Mr.. Crosby, a lawyer,
and years ago, member of the Cover
nor's council in Washington Territory.
Both had been for years eyewitness Of,
and actors in, many important occurrences
on the Pacific coast, and both agreed that
these Indians had been most cruelty treated
and most bitterly provoked, and both re-
membered when Governor Isaac j. Stevens.
.itGwards General Stevens, killed with
General Kearney while CALAMITY repclling
the rebels at Chantilly, Va, used to pay
money for Indian heads delivered to HIM in
sacks. after the manner and method Of Tur-
kish despots. And this is the lesson of evil
lied warfare that We have taught the In
dian by precept and example. Truly our
pretence Of having ever honestly tried to
govern the Indian with even the imperfect
justice of the British government (which Is :
successfully. Is a falsehood 50 {
impudent that nothing equals it except our I
old cry, that negro slavery was blessed l
means Of ciyilizing and Outstanding the i
African race - :