The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-06-19
.I.a THE INDIAN PROBLEM.
I'D g'n3n FFT57 lu 6aaI q
WHAT HAS BEEN THE POLICY OF THE
GOVERNMENT AND WHAT IT
is DESIGNED TO BE-

Our government has not, it is bell CIV :
ed, at any time, asserted civil Jurisdiction
over any of the Indian tribes. It has en-
acted no laws for their ciyel government
or for the punishment of crimes commit
ted by Indians on eac1 other, nor for the
administration of justice among the M
And whatever has been or ia nov. being
done for their education and civilization
is in pursuance of voluntary agreements
made between them and our government
as "high contracting PARTIES" and not on
account of the assumed right on our part
to legislate for them contrary to their
own wishes, As result of this policy
which we and our British ancestors
have pursued for more than two hundred
years, the Indians, as rule, have made
but little advancement in the artsapd
science or In eivilzatlor; few Of them
have become citizens of the Uniled
States. The most ofthem have already
perished, and the remnants of the exist
ing tribes are rapidly vanishing from
the face OF the earth In the light of
these facts it is amusing that our old In
dians policy should be continued. Have
we not tried it'long enough' Is not its
utter failure sufficiently glering' Are
not its defects perfectly potent And is
not the remedy sufficiently obvious? AS
it seems to us,a statesman must be totally
lind who is not able to perceive the fatal
evils of the. system, as we'll as the practi,
cal remedies.
Looking at the subject in the light of
the disastrous failure of our1policy, many
good men have come to regard the ex
tinction of the Indion race as an unavoid-
able necessity. They seem to think that
the Indians must vanish at the approach |
of the footsteps of white men as the wild
beasts disappear before the onward tic
of emigration, but insist nevertheless,
that it is our duty as Christian people
to ameliorate their condition as much as
possible, just as we would administer to
the wants, allay the rains, and soften the
sorrows or dying man whose recovery
is known to be be hopeless; but such con-
c,usions must result from lack of
information and phllosophic refec-
tion.
A few of the Indian tribes in this
country have made commendable ad-
vancement in civilization, knowledge,
and wealth. The remnants Of tribes re.
naming in New England, New York,
Indiana Michigan, several of the large
tribes in the Indian Territory, and some
Of the smaller bands might be mentioned
az successful examples in our own coun-
try. But for triumphant illustration of
the foregoing error we have only to look
population in Mexico and the State of
Central and South America. In these
O'""Co WV Aho'@h POPuldIlOA udS uOI per-
ished, deteriorated, or even diminished in
numbers. They have commingled with
the European emigrants, intermarricd
with them, and advanced IN knowledge
and civilization. They now far outnum
Der the white population, and ofen sur
pass them in wealth, power and influence,
not unfrequentlv rise to high positions in
the civil and military service or their re-
spective countries; frequently comma nd.
ing armies, taking leading part in leg
islation, and filling with distinction the
hief executive Offices.
How shall we account for this marked
ference in results? BY little inquiry
it Will be found that the Indian policy
of the Latin nation has been broadly
different from our policy, which, as we
have seen, is perpetuation of the Eng
| lish SYSTEM The Latin nations have
treated their colonial emigrant and native
population precisely alike. They have
extended over them the same laws, treated
them all as subjects, given them all the
same protection and the same judicial
tribunals for the trial of causes and the
peaceful settlement of disputes.
Under our system the bulk OF the
Indian population has persisted, and
the remnants of the tribe, with few
exceptions, are pelishing. Under the ir
system they have increased in mum bers,
in knowledge, intelligence, wealth, in