The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-09-20
Government for Indians.

In applying the principles Of republican
government, then, to the Indians, let our
Government in the first instance, break up
the tribal and communistic system of govern
ment. Congress has the right to secure all
the people OF the States and Territories o
republican form of government, which the
Indian tribal system is not. 1t is the very
worst form OF aristocracy. At any cost and
expense it must be broken up. and the Indi-
an people, and women, and children released
from the despotism of the Chiefs Let the
supremacy of law take the place of Indian
customs, and let every Indian know that if
he tomahawks his squaw he will be hanged
as surely as White man. Let the author
ity of the Government be extended over
every Indian in the United States; and let
every man in arms against tho United
States be dealt with as traitor and mur-
derer. Let this miserable farce of recog
nizing the Indians right to rebellion and
murder cease, and let us tolerate no private
war; permit no unlawful combinations Of
Indians to wage war against the United
States, or to give aid and comfort to their
enemies. Let every Indian be completely
disarmed and compelled to keep the peace,
and let the whole power of the Government
be directed to breaking up the entire tribal
and savage system, and to raising the Indi-
ans to the level of citizens.
The very first agency to be used with
evll-doers who refuse submission to the law
is force. 1t is the only argument which
selfish natures can be made to understand.
Gods own way of dealing with sinners to
bring them to repentance is by sending af-
| fiction. Whom the Lord loveth He
chasteneth." And Gods lieutenant, the
President, is to proceed with evil-deers in
the same way. After sufficient proelama-
ton of the law, and offers of pardon upon
submission, he is to proceed to enforce obe-
dience with the instrument which God puts
into his hand. And this instrument is not,
in the first place, a blanket, nor a Bible,
nor pipe OF peace, nor pension for good
behavior. 1t is the sword the instrument
of death. God gives him this tremendous
weapon, not for an ornament of state, but
for actual use and commands him not to
bear the sword in vain, but to become Gods
revenger, to execute wrath upon him that
doeth evil, so effectually that he shall be a
terror to evil-doers. Revenge against mur-
derers and oppressors is part of the noble,
unselfish character of God, implanted in
man created in His own image, and inds-
pensable to the safety of society. Its exer-
else against evil-doers is delegated to Gods
representative. 1t is an instinct of human
nature as irrepressible as hunger, and one
which, if deprived of its divinely instituted
weapon-the sword of the ruer-will arm
itself with the knife of the assassin, or the
clubs and firebrands of the mob, to execute
wrath upon the murderer. The penalty of
death must be executed upon all men-In-
dians as well as Whites-who will not ceas
from rapine and murder.
1t may be said that there are some tribes
so savage that they will perish rather than
submit to be governed by the laws of the
United States. If that be the case, then We
must submit to the inevitable judgment of
God, that every nation and people which
will not submit to just laws must perish.
1t is sad that any individual, much more
any tribe Of men, should perish. But if the
conditions of their existence be a life of dan
ger to their peaceable neighbors aud of mis-
cry to themselves and their children, then
it is better they should perish than contin-
ue to exist, and hinder other better men
| from existing. For the destruction of such
evil-doers the Supreme Governor puts the
sword-the weapon of death--into the hand
of the ruler, commanding him not to bear it
in vain, nor by mistaken lenity encourage
those guilty Of wrong.-OrerLand Monthly
for September.