Arizona citizen., 1874-05-23
THE PAPAGO INDIANS.

The people of this vicinity have come
 to feel 6 strong and friendly interest 1T
 the Papago Indians. Living for years 1T
 close proximity to this tribe ard finding
 them after repeated trials faithful to theil
 treaties and obligations, industrious ir
 their habits and susceptible to the in
 fuence and instruction ot the whites, we
 have for some time regarded them as 6
 part of our population and look with jeal
 ous eye upon anything affecting their inter.
 ests. As an instance of the feeling of the
 better class of our community towards these Indians we might call to mind the
 occurrence of month ago, when party
 of them were maltreated by some emi.
 grants on the road just west of town. There was strong feeling on the part
 of our citizens against these emigrants for their conduct in the matter and had it not been for the prompt and e1er- getic action of Agent Wilbur in procur- ing satisfaction and apology for the insult to the Papagos, the citizens of Tucson would have taken upon themselves to avenge the wrong. Every resident of this place knows, of course, about the cordial feelings existing between our selves and these Indians but it is neces-
 sary to say all this in order to inform the outside world who are ignorant of these relations. We instance this tribe as a grand exception to the majority of the Indian tribes in the United States. They have never given the government any trouble. While other tribes have varie- gated an otherwise monotonous existence by breaking treaties and becoming pro- fcients in surgery and anatomy at the ex- pense and inconvenience of their inap- preciative white neighbors, the Papagos have turned the sword into plough shares and the spear into pruning hooks and have gleaned and harvested our fields. Sitting in the shadow of their hoary church they have actually followed some Of its proiessed teachings and all their ways have been paths of peace. They are of course not perfect, for those who are not dead are still human. Some of them have even been accused of stealing eggs from a setting hen, but if the majority of us had never done anything worse than that we should long ago have been trans lated to the company of Elijah. But O, you child of shame, look in the eyes of their women and learn what virtue is. And you complaining loafer look at them covered with the sweat of labor, and lister to their light hearted laughter and then go back to your droning.
 The theory of the United States govern ment in its treatment of the Indian is right and humane. The principles upon which the Indian Bureau is founded, are broad, comprehensive and correct. The only difficulty has been the proper appli- cation. Government means to treat its wards well. It provides for them with a lavish hand, and, with some old trace of remorse for ancient injuries, it pours its gifts out lavishly in the name ot the Ind ian. But the thieves break through and steal. It is possible that there isn't as much stealing as is represented, neverthe- less there is undoubtedly a good deal. T here must be stealing. Do away with stealing and you approach the millennium, and what becomes of courts, with their delightfully."- long regular ses- sions and perhaps an extra session or two. And if there must be stealing the thieves cannot very well discriminate in favor of the Indian without laying them selves open to partiality. Logical deduc- tion and facts prove, that as generous as is the government and as noble an in- stitutio9as is the Indian Bureau they ire quently fail through unworthy agents. But if any of the high officers of govern ment would like to see what the Indian system will effect when properly adminis- tered by faithful agent and Q law -abid- ing tribe we invite them to visit the Papa go Indians at San Xavier del Bac. They need not forewarn the agency or people of their coming. They may come by way
 of Tubac if they wish, where no one lives but the dead. Shonld they come they would find an agency that for Its size .Rass received from government the least of