Arizona citizen., 1873-06-14

necessity of officers to decide between
 men the rights of property. But un- fortunately it is only in isolated instances where we find even resem-
 blance in the practice of those who profess to follow the example of Christ. The most bloody wars the pages of history record were made
 by Church warning against Church. The worst oppression the human family has ever endured has been in- ficted by governments under Church rule. and to-day the keys that fasten the doors that lead to the holy sepul- chre are held by Mahomedan, be- cause the hatred between the sects that pretend to be followers of him
 who died on Calvary is so intense and the jealousy is so great that one will not trust the other, and the Moslem is brought in to keep peace between them and to prevent them from cut ting each others throat while en- gagged in their devotions; certain hours are allotted to each, and as one sect passes out and the other comes In, grimaces and gestures of hatred are often indulged in by one toward the other, showing the deepest enmity. The pomp, show, and contentious that exist in our favored land do not en- courage the belief that we are making much progress in harmonizing the discordant elements or of returning to the simple doctrines of love, charity and humanity which Christ taught. The palatial Churches with seats paid
 for by the rich, where the poor can not enter-pricsts rolling in luxury and wealth, while thousands of poor all around them have not where to lay their heads-each sect having par ticular dogmas and consigning all to the bottomless pit who do not believe as they do, all evidence how far they
 have wandered from the true faith.
 We will not further pursue this branch of the subject. The point to which
 we desire to call attention Is that an
 Indian Agent appointed by the gov ernment of the United States, in this nineteenth Century and approaching near the one hundredth anniversary of our independence, the foundation of which was supposed to have been laid broad and. deep on the principle of religious tolerance, should ask such question as the Lapwai Agent did. And the answer of the Commissioner shows conclusively that it is the pur- pose of those intrusted with the Ind ian business to force upon the "un- tutored mind" the particular views of the Church that has charge over them and to only stop at the point of not using force to prevent the Indians, if they desire, from listening to the teachings of another denomination
 We ask in all candor if this Is not sad spectacle to contemplate at this age and day and in this free Republic, and at time too when the battle for free education void of sectarian in huences, seems to have been favorably decided, when it is admitted by all liberal minds that the life of the nation depends upon the free-school system and that any interference of religious denominations either in the control of its revenues or the management of the institution itself would be fatal blow to its existence. And yet the wards of the nation are to be raised to civilization and use fulness by pursuing proscriptive policy that every enlightened man admits would destroy the free-school system. Now let us see practically how it operates. The Indians along the Colorado river have been at peace for more than twelve years but no at tempt has ever been made to educate them or minister to their moral reform by missionaries from Churches having control of the Indian business, and | they have gone down lower and lower in the scale of humanity and decreased | in numbers until soon not remnant | will be left of them. The Pimas and | Maricopas are much in the same con- dition. It is true they have among them one missionary who by precept and example has demonstrated that his heart is in the work, but the field is so great that he alone can hardly make an impression, and his support has been barely sufficient to keep him from want. Then we come to the Apaches and no attempt has been