, 1873-08-25
THE MODOg MURDEREn9.

At lnBt It la announced that tho findings Of tho
b1odoo Court-Martlal hn,o been approved 1,y tho
rrosidont, md that the aayage murderors will DO
hanged on tho Cd day Of October noxt. It Is
now nearly n yoar sInco tito frat efforts woro
mndo to enforce tho o1tor Of tho Government
that tho Modocs ahoull bo placed upon tho Ella
1nath Reservation. With tho events which hnvo
taken p1nco Binco that time-tho escape of tho
Afodoca from tho Ruseryation, tho disastrous do
fcnt Of Lieut.. Wheeler, tho 1ghta In tho Lava
Bods, tho muriori Of Con. Oanby and peaco-
Commissioner Thomas. tho flnal capture
OF Capt. Jack and lis fel1ow-ohiefs, and
their trinl-tho public Is already fnmiliar.
They have boon triod by the military authorities,
found guilty by them, and will DO executed by
tho1n. It has boon long, costly, aud tedious
operation to effect tho capture Of this mob Of
savages, and It has boen done at fearful OK
pongo In human life, which might have boon
partially obvlated had not tho military authorl
tics bocn hamperod ut almost evory stop by
poacc- Commissioners, Quakers, mud lndian
Agents, inspired by motives of continent and
speculation combined. There Ia cortain aogrce
Of consolation, however, that tho caso iB now fixed
so that they can l,avo no ft1rthor influence upon
it. It is not ikoly that they can bring any in-
Auenccs to boar to gave the murdoronB Wrotchcs
from their woll-moritcd doom. Thoro is an equal
dogroo of consolation in tho fact that tho Gov
ornmont in carrying out It's Indihn policy has
recognized tho necessity md tho Btriot justice Of
troating IN Indian like q white man, Whom tho
Government rccognizes that necessity undor all
circumBtancea 1t will hive lesa trouble With It's
savage wards. II q whito nun fs able ID work
and will not, ho must tnko his chances Of Btarv-
ing, Why not an Indian II white man
commits murder and Ia found guilty, ho Is hang
cd. Why not an Indian
The execution Of tho Ntodoo m,,rlerors will
have m cxcoi1ont OBJECT upon other trfbos Which
arc disposed to leave their reservations and on-
gago IL, plundoring and numbering. It will
show them that tho lawa Of tho Government, and
tho treatl,a which taoy hayo mado, cannot bo
broken w.t., inpunity. It will show thom TINT
they cannot always rely upon Quakora
and Indian Agents to ahield thom
from punishment. It will nlso aerve
to restore tic ctnidcnco Of tho frontier settlers
in tho Government, md will inspire them with
tho conviction that they have as much right to
1.-Two ~ tho Intlinn. Thoro is no punishment IN
Inann droads 30 much as hanging, nua tho
uewB of tho execution Of this Boxtctte Of MIR
derers, rs it spreads from trbe to tribe, will fill
.l,o,n with terror and will goryo to keep them at
peace upon their reservations. Tho white sot-
tlora will hereafter pursue their 1abors and seek
their reposo at night with moro perfect degree
ot security than ever bcforo.
| It Is impossible, however, to road tho orders
| for tho execution Of those aavagea without being
| struck ut onco with tho inconsistency Of tho
| Government in allowing the Texan murdorors,
satnnta and Big Treo, to bo taken from prison
and aert to thoir tribe, where they are 10 remain
until fall, aud where they will romain the rest OF
their iyos if they succeed In inducing the absent
Indians to return to their reservations. II Capt.
Jack is to 10 hanged, Why not satanta aud Big
| Tteo Whore he committed one murdor, they
| committed o dozen. His acts OF cruelty dwarf
into ineigniacance by tho side Of tho bloody
deeds of those two Texan fends. They hayo
murdered, burned ind pillagod for years. They
hnyo ravishod women, tortured 1ittlo children,
and boon the terror Of every aettlor III Northern
Texas for long timo. It Justice is to bo dono
to these Indian murdcrcra horoafter, lot It at
least 10 dono impa1tinlly.
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