Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-08-24
THE LONGEST WAR ON RECORD.

THE LONGEST WAR ON RECORD.
History gives Us numerous accounts
Of lengthy wars. The 6recians. the
Egyptians, the Medes, the Persians. the
Arabians, the Romans and the Cartha-
genians all furnish US multiplied instan-
ees of long continued conflicts. In mod
ern times, We have had European wars
that extended over thirty years. But
the settlement and civilization of North
America remain to furnish to the world
war already twice as long as any re-
yealed By either ancient or modern his
tory. From the time the first white man
set his foot upon the New England shore.
ceaseless conflict has been raging be-
tween the invader and the invaded-be-
tween the red man of the forest and the
prairie and the pale face Of the city and
the farm. Nearly two hundred years
ago the unequal contest began and from
that time to the present moment, there
has hardly been a months respite No
great pitched battles, such as more civil
Hzed combatants engage in, have been
fought; no magnificent naval engage
ments have taken place no strongly
built fortresses have been bombarded.
stormed and captured; but the speeding.
death dealing arrow. the swiftly flying
bullet, the cleaning temahawk and
scalping-knife along with muskets and
few small cannon on the other side, have
left in their wide, long track myriads of
desolated settlements. burnt cabins, de-
stroyed wigwams and the bones ofenough
savages to repeople the whole Mississip-
pi Valley. Like resistless tide came
the hardy pioneers. and like the mcrn-
ing mist departed the rightful owners
of American soil. From the very waters
of the Atlantic, where the Indian went
to welcome the appearance of a new race,
he was driven with a ruthless hand,
back TO the gorges and fastnesses of the
Alleghanies From thence, he was fore
ed, and went down into the great Miss
iss1ppi Valley where he expected to find
glorious hunting ground that should
never be disturbed by the white mans
axe or rife. But there was no rest, no
peace here. Sometimes by deceptive
treaty, sometimes by force Of arms he
was compelled to surrender the better
portion of this just heritage and 60 out
on the deserts of the far west And now
the people that once swarmed over that
vast expanse Of country now called the
United states. IND roomy home IN the
Rocky Mountains and contiguous alkali
plains. From millions they have de-
creased to few thousand. The identi-
ty Of some Of their largest tribes has
been lost, while others are known only
by few wandering representatives.
Where now are the Pequods, the Mo-
hawks, the Delawares and the Seminoles
Their wigwams have been folded and
they have gone off to the silent hunting
ground.
It has been war Of determination.
Nothing but blood has been able to ap-
pease the mad thirst of the guardians of
civilization. The demands of commerce
and the greed Of individuals have not
allowed the sons of the forest even a
resting place, That they should cherish
for US feelings Of eternal hate is natural.
and that they should resist to the last
bitter end is to be expected.
How much longer this war shall last,
We may not be able to predict We know,
though. its end viii be along with that
of the last lone Indian. Whenever the
scalping-knife, the bow and the toma-
hawk, shall be laid beside their dead
owners, and whenever white men shall
possess and occupy every inch of Amer
lean soil. the conflict will be over.