The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-04-23

coon become the richest people 10 the
Southwest; but this they have not dope,
and lit looks ne though they
never will And the question will surely
arise, and that very soon, how
long must the Government continue to
clothe and feed them without any as
surance OF self support?-The pressure
of white settlements on the borders OF
Indian reservations is nothing new. 1t
has gone on for two hundred years, and
must 70 on. and the In1isn must con,
form. In some instances they will do
it without resistance, IN Others they will
resist, and in some cases injustice will
be done; but surely our Government
caa never admit to practice the princi-
pie that one wrong justifies another ;
and greater, that because the soldiers
in New Mexico chase and kill a few
Cheyennes near Fort Bsscom, who are
more than q hundred miles of their
reservation to steal horses, they can 60
and kill the surveyors near Camp Sup
ply engaged in lawful survey; and
because "Whistler" has been killed by
some murderer on the Republican, they
must demand OF the Government an
indemnity in ponies. else bis death
must be avenged on any stranger
These are not suggestions cases, but
cases absolutely pending and illustrate
how far we have thus far progressed 10
the great work of civilization.
The affair with the Modocs is not an
exceptional case, nor has it any corr
pection whatever with the affairs OF Il
Apaches, Sioux, Cheyennes, Arapshoes
and Kiowas, that wander over region
Of country four or FIVE times as great a.
the whole State OF California. The
Modocs are small remnant Of what
used to be called Pitt River Indians or
Rogue River Indians, with whom there
have been several wars. They are IA
miliar with the habits and customs OF
the whites, have seen gold dug from the
canyons OF their mountains and have
participated in it have seen the wild
valleys where they used to hunt and
fsh converted into prosperous farms
and ranches, but in this they seem not
TO have initiated their white neighhors
Whether they have sustained wrongs
or not is not in question, but they have
taken refuge in natural fortress, have
defied the civil and military
agents, and lastly, under flag
OF truce. killed General CANDY,
who was their best friend; and this
was not an isolated fact, for about the
same time they decoyed Lieutenant
Sherwood within reach of their rifles at
another and distant part, and also
stealthily attacked Colonel Mason's
camp on the opposite side from that
where General Candy and the Peace
Commissioners were shot. All the
Modocs are involved, and 10 not pre-
tend that the murder OF General Candy
was the indlvidua! act OF Captain Jack.
Therefore the order to attack is against
the whole, and if sill he swept rom the
face OF the earth themselves have in-
vlted it.
The place is like fortress, and DUR
ing an assault the soldier cannot pause
TO distinguish between male aud emale,
or even discriminate as to age; as long /,
as resistance is made death must be
melted out, but the moment all resist
ance ceases the firing will stop and the
survivors turned over to the proper In
dian agents. This whole matter must
be left to the officers on the spot, and
these must be sheltered against the
howl such "a followed Major Baker
after the Piegau attack, as also General
Custer after his attack al Black ket-
ties camp There is not much danger
of too much harm being done To be
effective and exemplary the blow must
involve the terri BILE; enough 10 impress
the kindred tribes OF Klamsths aud
Piutes.
| believe the civilians and soldiers
wish the same end, and, in tact, do not
differ much as to the process All In.
dams must be made 10 know that when
the government commands they must
obey, and until that state Of mind is
reached, through persuasion or fear, we
cannot hope tor peace.
am yours, with respect,
w. r SHERMAN General.