, 1873-04-14
THE MQDcU MASSACRE,

| THE M0O0U MASSACRE.
Ono yoar ago yostortay, tho Government Of
tho Unitod States ordered tito a1oloo Indians,
Or, moro truly, robolliouB frHgn,ont of tint
tribe, to bo ro1novod to a reservation whiol, It
had Designated In Southern Oregon. A yoar Inns
olapaod, and tint order Ia not yot oboyel. A
whole year l1na boon wasted In tho diily-aallying
Of Ponce Commissions, md III interviews ar-
ranged by sroculators aud 1ndian tradors, a,1
to-day tho n1odocs aro no poarer thoir roscrya-
tfon than thoy wore year ngo. For whole
yoar, tho remarkable spectacle 1ias boon present.
oil oi a great aud powerful Government nogo-
tiating with a moro handful of pnnpcrs and
1nurdorors, and sooking to mako torms Of rcace
with thom as II thoy woro milton Of equal dig
nifty; negotiating nl1 tho moro frequently
nnd zoalously after its troops had beon
trated upon tho dcfonso1osa sottlers Of Oregon.
Tho wrelchod farce Inns now culminntod In tho
brutal murder OF two Of tho poaco Commission
ora and ono Of tho nob1est and highest officers Of
tho army, WHO, II llo had been loft to follow Ills
own counHols, would long ngo have sottlod tho
Modoo question. Tho inane Indian policy Of
which wo have hoard 30 much sontin,ontaliBm
has at last borno bIttor fruits: It romaius now
to DO soen whether tho Administration ia Eatis.
fled with tho working Of ita policy, or whether It
must furnish more victims to Modoo savagory
boforo It will enforce itB own orders.
In the light Of the mournful intelligence which
has como from tho Lawn bed d,-for tho donth Of
such IN otlcor Us Con. Canby, who was soldier
and q mnn without fear and without reproaoll, is
o national calamity slight akotch Of tho Mo-
doc troubles will not only bo of current interest,
but will also Indicate tho only policy whiohcan DO
safely adopted in tho settlement Of this qucs-
tion.
which yoar combination WAS formed among the
Indians Of California, Oregon, and Washington
Territory against tho Government. Tho
war Ind no definite result, aud, at it's
close, tho Indians still held thoir territory
upmoleBtod. from that time until 1866,
the h1uuv>,s ,cre unfriendly to tho Government.
In tho 1atter year, troaty was submitted to
them, and it was discussed until 1871, III which
yoar reservation WIS aet apart for tAom with
tho Klamaths, in tho southern part of Oregon.
A portion Of the tribe aottled on the reservation,
but tue romaindor, undor tho leadership Of Capt
Jack, the murderer Of Con. Candy, refused to
move. subsequently,, the troaty Was submitted
to Capt. Jack for ratification, md ho WIS ill.,
duced to go to the reservation. Ho Ind not
beon thore long before trouble arose between
hia band and tho Kla1nnths, and tho Modocs
were BOON of again, plundering and
numbering far and wide. On the
18th Of lust April, Superintendent
Odonea1 WAS ordered to romovo them to tlloir
reservation, peacoably if lo could, but to remove
them in any event. Upon the receipt Of Ills
orders, the Superintendent directed Agent Dyar,
of the K1amath Reservation, and lyon D. Apple
gate, CommisHary In charge Of tho camp at tho
reservation, to have an intorviow with tho Mo-
doc Chiofs, and sec il tuby could not persuade
them to rcmove. This interview was had On
May ID, 1879, but it was fruitloss in rosulta. Tho
Superintendent onco moro aont messengers to
Capt. Jack, ordering him aud his braves to
come to Sink River on tho 9th Of Doccm-
ber last, and in the meantime ordered
Col. Wheaton to be in roadiness with his troops
to assist in removing them. As might Aayo
boon expected, Capt. Jack refused to come.
Tho whole business was then entrusted to Mai.
John aroen, commanding at Camp klamath,
who sont Capt. jackson with thirty men to CO.
operate with Col. Wheaton, instructiug them to
reach Capt. Jacks camp AS Boon as possible,
with the expectation TINT tho Moloca would BUR-
render ut onco. On Tho othor hnnd, however,
tho Modoca attacked tho troops, tho battle last
ing two hours: without serious result to either
Rldo. After tho battle, tho 1lolocB retroated
without Interference, and took up their position
] in tho Lava Bod, noar Lake Tulo, on tho soutl,-
orn boundary of Oregon, the topography Of which
isshown III our map elsewhere in this iBsuo. From
thoirnow position they sailed out at evory oppor-
t1nity, and perpotrated fresh outrageB, numbering
many aettlcrs, and plundoring every white man
whom they could find. ReinforcemontB wero
sont for, and, on tic 17th Of January last, Col
Whoaton made an attack upon them, in which
tho Modocs came Off victorious, driving back
tho troops with heavy loss. from that time to
this, although nearly 1000 troops have been on
camped about tho Lava Bod, and tho Indians
number only flfty-threo, the Government las
not advanced step towards enforcngita orders
or Furnishing tho murdorers, but has on
trusted tho business to Qualsers md tho
Peaco Commissioners. Tor three mouths,
almost duly intorviews lnve beon lad through
the medium OF aquaws and friendly Indians but
every overture of the pcace Commiasionara boa