The New York herald., 1874-11-02
THE POCR INDIANS.

the AbOrtgtnes-The Necoru OF eoioheA
A. b. Meacham-.sA Man with . Bad
Heart',-Why Captain Jack and HIS
Warriors Killed the Peace Commits
siOner.
The Indian troubles have numerous factors. and
OF these several OF the most important have been
usually overlooked when the problem OF how TO
stop the REDS in their criminal courses has been
considered either by the government or the gen.
eral public. when the Indians break out and raw
age the property and destroy the lives OF border
people, the great part OF the population OF the
country horriied by the aspects OF their crimes,
cry out Tor their determination, and the govern
ment puts In process system OF forcible repres-
sion; neither the people nor their officials look
further than the fact that the Indians have done
murders. The people, indeed, satisfy them
selves that the motives OF the Indians
to murder in their depraved nature,
and chime with General Sherldan's epigram-
matte opinion that 1.-the only good Indian Is
dead Indian" The government. however, seems
30 put down one outbreak and TO wait quietly for
another, without trying TO 1no out II there were
causes lor the first outside OF the restless, mad
spirit OF the reds or. II some instances OF oppres
sion, OF crlmlnanty towards the Indians. are
shown have excited them the government
appoints to correct the abuses the same men that
inflicted them. 1t Is impossible, OF course. for the
United States government to apprehend and pun
ish every white man who outrages the aD0rigines.
Otherwise, troops would be continually securing
the Western country aud the prisons OF the mill
tary barracks would be filed almost continually
with white rutiians. 1t Is not meant that
the whole settlers OF the border land are
scoundrels. General Sherman has given them an
unnecessary certincate OF good character, IN which
he very ingenuousy compliments both them and
himself with the remark that ne also was West
ern immigrant. Yet as there scOundrels In
the East. where civilization has had life Tor Gen.
turies, the Western settlers are not 10 be held as
INN cuate. Beside the regularly domicied In.
habitauts OF the Western country, there are par
ties OF white men who roam through the vast ter.
ritory; and 1t Is by the doings OF these fellows
that passions OF the Indians often excited.
II the government is not able to punish these
rutfians after their crimes upon the natives 1t Is
surely, at least, able to punish those men whom 1t
MAKES agents for, and In name protectors OF the
Indians. but who become IN deed their violators.
reporter OF the HERALD yesterday c0nversed
with priest OF the Catholic Church, who since
1862. has been missionary among the Indians OF
the Pacific coast. The greater part OF the twelve
years Of his missionary work has been passed in
the Snake country; but he has also lived among
the Modocs the Rouge River. the klamath Indians
and other tribes Of California. oregon and WASH
ington Territory. He has journeyed over the
route of Father De Smidt and passed lar beyond
IT'S most extreme limit. 1t must be admitted,
then, that this devoted missionary has had the
fullest Opportunity TO estimate tue Indian charac.
ter. In his remarks yesterday he showed no
desire to sketch .ne indians as
PAkAGOSS OF SIMPLE VIRTUES;
nahty aud wretcnedness by abuse. on the con-
trary, ne spoke OF them as men who act on
checked natural Impulses.
He knew them he said, to be men such as Oil
mankind would be without Christianity men who
never forget or forgive. who treasure wrongs Till
OF good deeds pastn forever and reauite them Us
often as they can. The Indians, this modest mis-
siOnary, VINO wishes not TO be named here. said,
could he bound firmly to the whites, yet they
repulscd; and. SAID he. III the true story OF the
lngton Territory were told il would revolt
the people the country" II they are on the
reservations the agents rob them OF their annu-
ties and scant tue food and clothing OF which the
government pays for libera supplies. Il have
who have grown enormously rich by such means
this. ] remember that / once said 10 one or
tended to beg IRON MIN some money lor the ad-
vancement OF religion and civilization among the
ns with & ss any ne one wno Is
can get rich.' always have and always
While Rn' MS system % Of Supervising them through
civil agents Is in Iorce. When IN the latter Lart or
Ss s rs den the In
appointed tae army o1cers to take care OF the
Indians, h. did an excellent act While the army
tented. They were treated wei. their annuities
were not withheld, or as bad 1000 IN insufficient
termed their depraved nature did not exhibit It.
sell again until political exigencies once more put
brought before the administration numbers OF
politicians whom It was necessary TO
REWARD FOR THEIR SERVICES
in California and oregon on behalf Of the repub.
lcan party. These men were given the care OF
the indians s anu % thus the opportunity 70 CHEAT
methods OF nisuslng the lnolans on their reser-
vations and 20 increase their opportunities. they
war N
transferred from the territories they claimed as
their hunting grounds to those Reservations
Modoc war"
REpoRTER--By the way did you know Captain
Jacks
MIssIoNARY-Yes. knew him and admired him.
He would not lie and ne would never forgive a
nan VINO lied to him. He always treated the
e ,d not mS reyen1e eve hmssq wn @ sanoetrr un
determined and endless injustice was done 20 HIM.
know tnat me ne pore ousrages q the ne most awful
his tribe often while they were on berrying ex-
curslons, and an ndgnity 70 his squaw is the
deadnest crime against the free Indian who has
not been contaminated BY living near The cities
nor in the society Of rul1any whites. Yet captain
JACK did not enter on the warpatn. Once he went
to Fort Warner TO complain OF an outrage on q
Modoc woman ana was met by a lieutenant, who
Ior some strange reason, slapped his lace.
CAPTAIN JACK FIRED
at his assailant but did not hit him, and, after
intercourse with the whites. He would nave
become a Christian, but tnat he hated Indian
agents. lie often said 10 me that II they mad the
opportunity to get into the happy hunting
grounds he did not wish TO 20 there. II was I'M
possible for Captain Jack to forgive an injury. He
was lied 10 by Indian agents. by them his tripe
was divided and TO satisfy their cupidty his people
were deprived Of the ierle Goose Lake Valley
and all the rest or his country He with some
OF his people came back from the reserva.
tion In oregon to which they had been
lured by superintendent MeachaIn, and they
reoccupied part OF the country ous OF which they
considered tney had been swlndled. The avarice
OF the odciais again interfered with justice The
agents wanted more heads to charge the
reservation. The settlers also ted the land OF
the Mouocs. All requests to the Indians to move
were useless, and an attempt TO move them with
the power OF soldiers was repused. Thus the Modoc
war began. IL was happy occurrence Tor Mr.. A.
u. Meacnam. TINS person the General super
inendent OF Indian Analrs Tor Oregon and Wash.
ington Territory at the time the Modocs