The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1873-07-02
Captain Jack.
,v,IAT HISTORY WILL SAY OF TIE MODOC
CHIEF.

eDitIleG I'LL HIS oppOHouo' Anu SO 4
weak evening newspaper concern of
the city dismisses Captain Jack as a
1cowardly cur"
If Captain Jack was a "cowardly
.ur,n what breed of dogs were the sew
oral hundred blue coated soldiers whom
he has held at bay for several months,
and whom he soundly tlrashed upon
NO less than three occasions 7
When all the blackguards of cheap
Journalism have had their say on this
matter, when the ferocious advocates
If determination have secured the
hanging of Captain Jack and his COM
nanions, when the blatherskites have
tuned and fretted over this matter,
then will history take hold of these
events, and posterity will learn some
facts which this age will not listen to.
We want the lands OF these Indians
We want the privilege of trading with
them and cheating them; we want
their women to be always willing to
become the lemans of any bearded ruff
fan who may choose to demand the
sacrifice; We want the right to shoot
an Indian if he steals a pony but we
want immunity for the white who may
rob or murder an Indian-and wanting
all these things, like free-born Ameri-
cans and true democrats, as we are, we
riu have them. And so long as we
will have them, so long will there rage
a carnival of riot, robbery, blood and
determination along our Indian from
tiers; and so long will the tongues and
pens of all, save the partisans of slangh-
ter, be quiet, and so will the historian
fad no listening auditory. But when
determination has done it's work; when
an equality and negro-loying people
shall have secured the last pony, the
last acre and valuable belonging to the
Indian, and have forwarded the last of
the race to the happy hunting grounds,
then will there be o disposition to lis.
ten to the truth.
In such a case we fancy that any one
calmly reviewing the events of the
Modoc war and surrender, will need to
be NANCY cur himself before he will
proceed to dismiss that Modoc leader
with degrading epithet.
Let Us see what are some of the facts
in the case which the future historian
will build his work on.
For six months savage, wholly un-
taught in the science or art of war,
naked to the breecll. clOut, has held at
bay the entire available military force
ola people who, if the ruling be left to
themselves, are brave enoug h to whip
all creation. He, at the head of sixty
warriors, and without cavalry or artil-
lery, has soundIy whipped his oppo-
neuts in three battles; he has done
this, although he was outnumbered
forty to one by force commanded by
the best Generals of the nation, and
equipped with all the best appliances
Of offense known to modern times. 1t
is for tho future historian to decide
whether such a record proves the Mo-
doc chief "cOwardly cur" or a leader
who has developed qualities which are
worthy the highest admiration of mill
tary minds.
Again, in the shooting of Candy, the
historian will have to deal, not with
Canby's excellent aud generous quail
ties, but with the naked facts. He will
find upon dispassionate investiga-
ton, that, at the very time Candy was
negotiating under flag of truce, he
was gradually bringing his men into
position, and was, in short, violating
one of the best.known and most i'm
peratiye rules of honorable warfare
that forbidding the pushing of military
operations under the protection of ?
flag of truce. The historian will not
Justify the killing of the Federal leader
under these circumstances; but we may
be sure he will take much moro len ;
lent view of the act, and will not hold ,
the slain man wholly guiltless in ;
bringing upon himself his own des- /:
truction. t
When the historian of the future
shall reach the surrender of the Modoc
leader it is doubtful that he will greet =
the fact with a contemptuous gutfaw,
OF that he will find in it anything that
will induce him-unless plain black +:
guard in place of a historian--to char {
acterize the prime actor in it as "cow- 4:
ardly cur" On the contrary, he will s
md much that is dignifed, much that
will provoke an admiration not un- G
mixed with saddess. He fought until
there remained to him but two war
rlors. His forces had all left him; he 1
was entirely out of supplies, and con- :
mauation Of the fight was impossible =