The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-06-10
THE LAW OF FORCE.


AS APPLIED TO THE ABORIGINES.
WHEN THE INDIANS CAN'T BE CAJoLED OR
CHEATED OUT CT THEIR LANDS THEY ARE
FORCED TO THE WALL.
The New York Evening Post editorially
puts the case in this way, and puts
it strong: The extracts from Lieu
tenant Warren's report on the Black
Hills, show among other things, that,
except numerically and in respect of the ex-
tent of territory respectively occupied oy
them, relations between the Indians and the
white psople of this country have not
changed tor the last 20 years. We learn
from this report that the red men were
making in 1855, as they are making now, an
irresistible logical defence OF their right to
the soil whereon they ranged and from
which they derived subsistence. The only
reply to them then was, as it now is, the ar
gument from necessity. The white men are
rapidly advancing upon all parts of the con-
tinent. They will eventually occupy every
mile of its surface. They need the land and
all the sources of wealth which lie within it
awaiting development, and thay must have
them. The original owner asked then,
and asks now: Have / no necessities? Can
establish no claim to the land and to those
sources of wealth which / can develop, and
which, compared with my humble wants
and primitive methods, are even more i'm
same: Well, ii you insist on keeping it, we
shall take it; and
THE THREAT NEVER FAILS
to be made good. The president said this,
| in substance, to the Sioux chiefs the other
day at Washington; although at the same
| time he expressed a desire 70 look after the
! interests of the Indians and make them as
comfortable as possible. Lieutenant War
rem, of the engineers, twenty years ago said
the same thing substantially. He admits
! that he can not refute the aboriginal declara-
tions of rights; he admits that great wrong
has been done to the Indians; he draws a
pathetic picture of them not always threat
! ening slaughter, but sometimes begging the
white people to 'take pity" on them and let
them alone. But he says that the settle
ments must go forward; he believes that
war will help their advance, and shows
how 1t may be prosecuted advan-
tageously; and be even recommends that
the Creeks and Dakotas be set upon each
other, so that by IN. ans of the mutual de-
struction of the wretched red men precious
white lives may be saved. Then, too, as
now, as we gather from his report, treaties
were broken, agents swindled the tribes
they were sent to help, and even the gifts,
which with much show of friendship were
offered to the Indians, were used to deceive
them. So it has been ever since. No
wonder that Spotted Tail insists on feeling
more agreements, or that Red Cloud thinks
, he would rather buy his own presents. 1t
, is the fashion to dispose of these accumu-
! lated outrages-which are none the less out
rageous because
, THEIR VICTIMS ARE HELPLESS
by pronouncing them Inevitable" Per-
haps they are so, but is it not time to face
I them fairly. to treat them as inevitable, and
! so to mitigate their consequences, and make
, them less of a reprOach TO the civilization
! whose necessities, we say, occasion them,
instead of adopting hypocritical policies
which proceed upon the assumption that they
, are not at all inevitable and which pretend to
establish and maintain system under which
I they would be impossible? Is ir not time 10
ask and answer the question, what are the
Indians? and to govern them and our treat
ment of them accordingly. From the foun-
z datiOn of the government we have been
treating them, in original negotiations with
ourselves, as If they constituted foreign
independent power. Only with such pow
> er can we make treaties. But when we come
4 to enforce the treaties, to modify them, or tc
/; violate them, we may see fit, then we dc
not treat the Indians as an independent
4 power. Then we conveniently put them in
the attitude of occupants of a conquered prov
! ince. The theories and practice OF making
. treaties with Indians are q farce, We may
make a treaty with the smallest and most
y insi significant foreign nation, but we may not
o7errun its territory and claim it as oul
own. This last is what we do with the Indi
~ ans. We recognise the right of the foreign
,, nation, however feeble, to make treaties
!, with other nations, but we would not sdmi
. for an instant the binding force of any con
I ventioD between our Indians and Great
Britain or Germany. It is easy to say ther
what the Indians are not. They are
/ NOT A FOREIGN, INDEPENDENT POWER,
; capable OF making treaties. Such powe
: must have some standing ground, must b
5 sovereign of territory. We deny any sucl
right to the Indians and claim oil their lanC
I as our own. 1t remains then that they ar,
J. occupants of territory over which we hav,
b sole jurisdiction. What are they? Ar,
!. they citizens? The question is an old anC
a vexed one. Much has been said on botl
sides of it and probably much more will b'
n said. Many persons believe that until the,
are civilized it would be disgraceful to shar,
C our citizenship with them; but it may b'
d doubted whether the Indians as citizen
n could be greater disgrace to us than they arr
in their present condition. Not few actu'
a citizens are the reverse of creditable to us.
We try to educate and othe rwise improve
them. Many of them we lock up in prison
4 What we never do Is to set them apart as
O buriesque independents nation and e
s through the farce of making with then
treaties which have no force or effect. IL il
possible that the Indians might be regarded
= as citizens in a qualified sense, and no
q having all the rights and functions OF cit
; izenship. At all events, the question, Wha
L are they? is worthy the active attention o
n the latent craftsmanship of the country
; Until it is answered, our Indian policy vii
4 continue to be a reproach to the republic
It may be "inevitable" that the red mel
shall disappear from the face of the earth
but IL it not possible that they shall go II
respectable fashion? determination MAJ
!, be 'inevitable." but at least let 1t be carried
9 on decently and in order.