The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-05-23
From the Saturday Review.l
AMERICANS AND THE INDIANS.

! Thei9 is no help Tor 1t, the IndlaI
must he improved out Of the wa
when civilization is moving steadily
across a continent rich in its soil anC
richer still in its minerals. We sup
pose that even the supreme tribuna
of equity which We have iancieC
could suggest no system Of legIsla
lation that would do impartial justic,
between the aborigonies and the in
trudeTs. Yet not the less melancholy
is the Indians fate, regarding it from
the IGdisn point Of view, and By the
light of the hereditary instincts that
dominate Indian nature. The fate OF
the Modocs, at best but an insignificant
and feeble sept, keeping within reach
of the mountains for the sake OF pro-
lection, is but a reflection OF the
fate of the great and powerful tribes
that have almost disappeared in the
last twenty years, and left little but a
name and memory behind them.
Can we imagine the Indians doubt
ing that they bad all the rights CT the
quarrel, when the white man first
came to disturb the forests that had
belonged to their fathers from time
immemorial The silent twang
of the bowstring scarcely disturbed
the game, as the hunter glIded stealth
lily through the underwood. The
noisy firearms Of the newcomers
soon drove the elk and deer out OF
the woods, spreading starvation round
wigwams where there used to be
more than plenty. So it was beyond
the Missouri and Mississippi when
the white strangers with their i'll
omened color first made their appear
arce from the great settlements. The
herds of buffalo that were the wealth
Of the wild man were scared away at
orc, md forever. Any casuists in tn e
world would have told the original
occur ants Of the land which was be-
ing steadily wrested from them, that
nothing was more just than to wage
a patriotic war, defensive and ofens-
i've. nd kill down sil those invaders
who came preceded by famine and
desol.tion. All is fair in Indian war
fare. The braves surprised their en-
enies when and where they could,
and tu;chered then by households
when i. was not convenient to reserve
them f,r torture. To Indian ideas,
all their practices were perfectly non
orsble and legitimate. IL was equsl-
" nstur raj that the pioneers OF the
white advance should pay them back
in kind, and show just as little mercy /;
and Sd the Government, IL the inter
est Of rs subjects, had the option OF
extern, ins,Dg or reclaiming these er-
ratio scourges Of white society. There
was 6 great deal OF extermia4tiOa, no
doubt all the mere thG. Tie IEClzH
instincts were absolutely antIpalnet-
ical to reclamation. There are isola-
ted instances OF Indian settle,nrnts,
it Is rue, where the red men nave
been s;cght To till their ielis III The
week 9i 20 to the meeting 1ou-e un
Sunday But these excep,luns Only
prove lie. rule that the Indian, gen
orally eakine, is ROT TO be reclaimed.
In d de- nesJic state his wild rOyIEg
incilnatIon remains with hin, and
whcH Ell, debarred from tine war
trsiI or a.; chase ne exhibits Won
derfui aptitude for turning loafer. lie
is a. u,a1iY fond of the fre-"a.er as
The I.e traders found him Ia bis
savage state, and when he takes Ia
lourging about the white settlements
ne hes FAR more frequent opportIIi-
ties q obtaining it. The rough back
Ioodsmen and miners only know hial
in one or two aspects elmer nc =
the savage prowler, IS bloodthlrs'y
as ;he wolf or bear, and Isr noiS S
crafty, or else he IL their degrsueu
and despised hanger-on, more given
over TO drink and low deoauchely
thar themselves. They detess or usI
spise him, or they do both one -Iu
the O. her. How can the GoVelnHt
interyose to much purpose In the cir
cp,,stances, even il it is sctuated Oy
The best and most philsnthroPic IN
te,tions? The circumstances are II
exorsble, and the inveterste habits %
the Iudisn's nature play INTO I'e
bs,ds of his enemies. So this MO
a. massacre can hardly fail to give
an ;mpulse to the course OF events
s;ah seened inevitable in any case,
and, however much we may regret
ths % imminent extinction OF the In
5isps we confess we can hardly see
80 the American authorities are to
avert it.