New-York tribune., 1875-05-11
4 HERD or ELEPHANTS.

4 HERD or ELEPHANTS.
A dispatch from the West informs us that n
sduad of some seventy "bad Indians have
been brought mp from Fort Sill to Kansas, I'm
der the charge of United Suites troops This
draught is said to comprise most OF the leading
spirits who have borne the most prominent
part in those scenes Of murder and violence
which have recently kept the frontier in dis
ORDER Among them are Medicine Water, who
conducted the shameful massacre of the Ger
maine family Lone Wolf, the entcrprisinG and
yindictivo Kiowar White Horse, the hero Of
numerous murders; Woman's Heart, and other
wild briganls of less note and degree. The
particulars Of their capture or apprehension are
not yet given in detail. They were delivered
into the hands Of our troops through the
agency Of an Indian named Kicking Bird, who
promptly cxpiatcd his treason by being poisoned
by a eo,ulw. What became of this forest BOr-
eia is not considered matter Of sufficient JIM
polfancc to mention. The dispatch concludes
by stating that it is not known what the Gov
cInmept will do with the prisoners.
This would seem Il somewhat supcIiluCus
statement 1t is beyond mortal provision to
say what will be the course of Our Govern
treatment of the Indians. They will usually
do The wrong thing. it is true, but the ccccn-
tricity which leigns in thc Department OF the
Interior il sIlch as to involve occasionally the
accident Of doing the right thing. The prcce-
dents are all in favor OF the former course.
The Indians are treated sometimes with !cuity
and sometimes with barharous severity, but,
in either case. the action OF the au,hoftl
seems ingcniOnsly calculated to convince the
Indians that fear is the only motive Of
their action. When Satanta and Big Tree
were caught and sentenced to the PenitentiaTy
for murder and afterwards released the whole
performances WAS such as to produce The i'm
preston upon ignorant and trcachcrous char
acicrs like those of their fellows that fear of
their vengeance prevented the wlitc men from
hanging their chiefs, and aItcrward induced
them 10 set them free. IL will be Impossible
to persuade the Sioux braves now on thelr way
to Washington to negotiate for the sale of the
Black Hills, that any principle of honor induces
lis TO pay them for their title. The black flour,
shlivcod coffee and skeleton cattle which the
employees of the Government have been Issuing
at the Red Cloud Agency have made such
hypothesis untenabc. They think We are AFRAID
to dig gold in the Sbu-sa-pa until they give us
leave, and they will base their negotiation
upon this idea of cupdiiy and our
cOwardice.
Ii j. "a matter of great importance that these
seventy rcd ruiiilns should not be treated in
such a way as to confirm these Impressions
already too prevalent among the Indians. 1t
there are any dogs among the wolves they
shonld be taken ont and dealt with after their
....l T,1, I.. ,.lv
proved to have committed crimes should be
punished in such way that his tribe will
always remember it. 1t is Of course duty the
Government owes TO itself to be Just and even
lcnicnt to these unfortunate creatures. But it
is not Of 50 much importance 10 convince the
Indians that they arc treated justly and kindly,
rs to convince them that they cannot rob and
murder without punishment. We believe the
observation of every intelligent and candid
man on the frontier will bear us out in the
assertion that it is always bad policy to over
look or pardon crimes Of violence among thc
Indians. When an Indian is caught, who has
committed o murder or n capital outrage,
that should bo the last of bin. We do not
greatly believe in hanging anybody, but the
least punishment. aad we are inclined to think
the most ciicctual should be to shut up for
life every Indian who is clearly and fairly
proved to have shed the blood of pcaccable
pioneer His rank or position in his tribe
should not count in his favor; the punishment
of powerful chief would br of more advan-
tagc than that Qf N obscure loafcr. Assuming
that our information is correct in regard to
this batch of prisoners, tic Government hGs n
rare opportunity to teach wholesome moral
lesson to all the Indians on the frontier OF
course it will not be easy to do this, against
the rcmorsrances of local politicians, of traders
who have money invested in them, and of
tendcr-hcaltcd people who are more interested
in prisoner whom they can sec than in his
obscure victims in their backwOOds graves.
But all these influences must be resisted and
overcome, If any good is TO be paincd from
this piece Of good luck. If proper aud prompt
measures are taken, these few dozen Indians
can ba made 10 do more good to their people
and ours than they ever dreamed OF doing
harm. If not, the Government might better
have captured hcrd of sacred white elephants
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