Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-05-08
WHIPPED AeAIN-wHAT NEXT?


Finely the Modoc war goes on.
Before those simple telegraphic mes
sages sent from the scene of action
within twenty four hours the history
of Bonaparte's Russian expedition
or of the more famous fight of old in
the pass of Thermoplya, seems tame
and insipid. Fifty-seven Modocs
have defied our Government, mur-
dered its emissaries, and then
whipped three times in succession,
the troops sent out to chastise them.
The details of the latest battle
place the situation in such serious
light that people will at length begin
to scan it with anxiety. When we
censured the Government for its
shilly-shallying course toward the
Modocs it was not so much because
of the direct results among that
tribe as for the indirect results
among other and more powerful
tribes. The case was simple of So
luton. These Indians were murder
ers; they should have been treated
as such. Instead they were honored
by the extension to them, after a
fashion, of be,ligerent rights. The
fair and allegorical Columbia seek
ing cut-throats and robbers in their
den, not to hang them, not to I'M
prison them, not to punish them in
any measure ever so slight, but to
make fine little Sunday school adj
dresses to red reprobates and WOO
them away from their baunts with
all the gentleness of sucking dove
was truly a touching tableau, one
calculated to impress all Christen-
dom with a sense of the philanthro-
ply that permeates our national adj
ministration. Hoping that the good
gentlemen to humor whose whims it
was allowed, have enjoyed it, let us
now see where it leaves US.
A. general Indian war is rapidly
becoming certain. Every tribe in
the country has been watching keen
ly the proceedings at Thule Lake.
What have they seen? Why, fifty
seven Modocs keeping the Govern
ment forces at bay for months, and
then shooting them down in battle
like frightened deer. The spirits of
prophesy come once more rolling
through the Indian atmosphere.
Does it not seem to their ignorant
and superstitious minds, as though
the Great Father had at length full
filed the promises of thtir wise men,
and brought about that day of final
retribution when the pale faces shall
be driven from the terrestrial hunt
ing grounds of their tribes? Are
they not up and in arms already
the Black feet, the Klamaths, and a
portion Of the Sioux?
And to come down to a plain mat
ter of fact, the present United States
army is not sufficient to begin a gen
eraf Indian war-much less to carry
it on to a successful climax. Hos
tile tribes, acting in concert, can
murder and plunder the white set
tiers through many of the Western
States and Territories, at their will,
before our troops could be brought
to bear against them. This is the
eliminating possibility of the Peace
Policy. Whether the Cabinet will
now attempt to arrange terms with
the fifty-s seven Modocs, guaranteeing
them few Western provinces and
a compile of million dollars indem
nifty, or call for volunteers and re-
ceive the oldtime response,
ave are coming Father Abram,
Three hundred thousand more" .t-
is precisely the question to be deter
mined. Anyway something must be
done, and done quickly. Several of
the most powerful tribes are putting
on their war paint. Others will
paint up, no doubt; as soon as
the white lead and yellow ochre vo-
ted among the supplies by the Indian
Commissioners at New York, last
-. .oo,.,al 80 4bo;r o--o,