Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1873-03-14
AvIa]aa,t Courier
Captain Jack and the MOd0cs.
Captain Jack. chief Of the siodocs, y rel

CAPTAIN Jack. chief Of the Nodocs, y Fep
resented az an Indian Of more than ordinary
intelligence. He went into this war fully re re-
solved to conquer or die. 1t is generally sup
posed that no compromise is possible. unless
the government backs down from its position.
Jack will foIlowsthe war path to the bitter
end. unless his men, less than 3OO, all toiu,
should desert him.
For twenty,years the Modocs have lived ~
peace among the whites. They were quite
as much at homein( the streets Of frekH as
upon their own hunting grounds. Indeed
that was their hurting gsound.ai il was there
that they sought the means OF subsistence
Draw poker.and the strapaganles We're ior
long time the principal industry OF the
men, while the women OF the tribe, dressed
in white folks fashion, were still worse
employed - They were contented with theif
lot at least gave no signs of hostility 10 tne
race which had supplanted them in the pos
session of the laid, aud the citizens OF tne
town had no prejndice against them as
tribe. Captain Jack himself is about thirty
years of age. t7ef1-gi st3 4 =
Three years ago the government decided 70
makeayHew disposition of the Modocs. u
was proposedt to settle them nbon the Kla-
math reservation. 1t was not supposed that
any trouble would arise out OF the project.
1t is customary to bring together Indians OF
different small tribes on one. reservation.
But the vaiorous Jack was determined to
stay. He pretended that he could not asso-
ciate with the hereditary enemies of histribe.
the Klamaths This was sham. He had
no special objection TO tile gHanaths. only
he wantedsto stay where he was, and, above
all, he wanted to drink whisky and 'sante
up'' with the whites. He wears scitizeng
clothing, he talks English, and regards him
SELF as child of civilization. He offered at
first to share Iisssland with the whitess and
thus complete the blending of the races, but
the agent then stationed at Yreka finally rea-
soned him out OF that plan, but it was use
less to try and convince him that he ou17ht to
take up his abode whistle Klanlaths..
There is to be said in Jacks favor: He
and his tribe do not ask for any government
aid. They are selt-supporting. ), As. it looks
to Jack, he has the same right to live where
he pleases as any other man, and that in re-
sisting the attempt of the government to
drive him off he is simply defending an ina
lienable right. Tt must be confessed that the
case Of the Modocs is very different from
that of tribe that depends on annuities for
support, on that is terror to white settlers
An Indian who murders or steals ought to
be arrested, tried and punished the same as
Awhile man. This is the Sheridan policy,
and its'wisdom IS generlly conceded. The
converse is that an Indian who behaves
himself and supports himself has the same
personal rights as white man. We know
that to give force to the reservation poiicy,
which is a good one, it is necessary to require
Indians to remain on their reservations, but
we insist that self-snpporting, peaceable
tribe las the Modocs would have BEEN had
they been undisturbed) ought not to be
forced onto a reservation. Indulgence and
depredations alone justify Imprisonment
within reservation limits. The rights of the
Indians should be held sacred, and then we
caniwith the more consistency hold them to
rigid responsible ,ity.i We trust that the.
commission sent out to treat with Captain
Jack will not despair of compromise
mutually honorable and satisfactory, pro-
yided, of course, it is really true, as claimed,
that the Modocs are selfsupporting and have
hitherto been peaceable.