The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-05-31
General Indian Outbreak.

Within the past six weeks rumors have
been prevalent that nearly all the great In
dian tribes in Texas, New Mexico, the great
plains west of Arkansas and south of
Kansas, in and about Washington Terri
tory and Oregon, as we'll as other places in
habited by them, have exhibited evidences
of combining in one common cause against
the authority of the United States. Cen
eral Sherman entertains that opinion of the
Texas and great plains Indians, and his
views have been corroberated by other par
ties who have recently been among them,
and took note Of what was going on. A
general and systematic uprising Of all the
more powerful and warlike aborigines
would be fearful disaster. 1t is impossi-
BILE to form any reasonable conjecture of the
damage that would ensue to a multiplicity
of interests, without counting the terrible
loss OF life, property and money incident
upon such war. Should these rumors be
unfortunately well founded, and the Indian
tribes make a simultaneous assault on our
frontier settlements, it will most assuredly
be the accused work of viIlainous white
men, refugees from justice, and more blood
thirsty than the sanguinary savages them
selves. 1t has been positively affirmed that
large portion of Chies' band have Joined
parties of Comanches, Kaddos, and Kicka-
pos, "a combination that could not possibly
be effected except through the agency Of
white men. The Lipans inhabit the north
ern portion of the seven-hundred-m gap,
between the Texas frontier settlements on
the west, and those of New Mexico on the
east, and that tribe is one of the great
Apache family. speaking the same language,
and having similar usages and modes of liv-
ing. But they, as well as the Apaches pro-
per, are, and ever have been, deadly enemies
to the Comanches and Kaddos, who are
their immediate neighbors. Nothing short
of white mans strategy could have pointed
er they can WELD by laying aside their mu-
tual antipathies, and acting in concert. 1t
is utterly unreasonable to imagine, that In
dian tribes so widely separated as to be ig-
norant of one another's existence, should
combine for one common object without the
management and direction of infinitely bet
ter informed parties, or that they could
have been induced to forego the deep-root-
ed hatred existing between neighboring
tribes. except to crafty the still greater an
mostly they entertain for the white race in
general. Every account of recent engage
ments with the abOrigines agree that they
are armed with the best class of breech-
loading weapons, and have abundant sup
plies Of ammunition. They have also ex-
hibited far greater foresight than ever in the
management of the commissariat to support
considerable bodies of warriors in the field.
1t is our deliberate opinion that these are
all the legitimate results of white mems in
struction and assistance, and that their OBJ
ject is to achieve vast, indiscriminate plum
der by promoting general and simultaneous
Indian War. 1t is possible that the vigil
lance of our Government may avert so dread
full calamity. The military authorities and
the Cabinet are already aware of the situa-
ton, but the regular army is weak in num-
bers, and widely scattered. Under such
circumstances the Federal Government can
not afford vacillating or dilatory policy,
but at the very first demonstration should
call upon each frontier State to furnish a
suitable quota of troops for active and i'm
mediate service in the field. To this end
all State armories and arsenals should be
amply provided before hand, and everything
got ready Tor prompt, energetic action. 1t
is high time that all Indians should be made
to comprehend they are subjects of the
United States, and must obey the laws made
for the government of American citizens.
The policy heretofore in vogue has instruct
ed them in the belief that they are independ-
ent nationalities, to be approached only by
treaty stipulations-a which they mock
and subject to no restraints but their own
ills-CommerciaI Herald.