New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-05

there is company either forming or talked
about to start for the gold-bearing region.
Their ideas of the Indians right to the land
are Of the vaguest description. The right OF
the aborigmes has always appeared rather
vague when opposed by the white mans rght
to dig gold where he can find it. 1t is hard
to make the frontiersmen believe that tho
Government is serious in protecting the saw
age holders Of this desirable land against the
whites who could make so much better use
of it. Their only thought is to get In and go
to work. They are ready to defend themselves
against tho Indians, and they imagine they
are very reasonable in asking the army 10
keep its hands off. y
1t may be that there is no gold there; but
unfortunately the Government has itself gwen
| out the impression that there il. The reports
of the metallic treasures of the Black Hills DO
not come from ignorant prospectOrs or cunning
SPECTATORS. They were made on the authority
of Gen. Clusters expedition, and it seems in
the highest degree illogical to the honest
miner that the Government should prospect
the country, report that it is rich in gold,
and then coolly announce that it belongs
to the Indians, and that no white
man shall tread its soil. Nature no.
where abhOrs vacuum more cncrgoticaliy
than in sucli a case. II there is gold i'll the
Black Hills no army on earth can keep tho
adventurous men of the West out of them,
and the Government should lose no time In
nguishing the Indian title to the aurifcr-
GUS lands. If there is none, that fact should
be ascertaned and published without further
delay The army will do its duty there as it
always does everywhere, but it should not be
held responsible for the performance Of i'm
possibilities.
1t ia threatened also with more difficult
and perilous tour of duty on the Southern
frontier. Tho fringe of lawlessness which
seems perpetual On the Mexican border has of
late shown signs Of agitation moro violent
than usual. Robberics and murders are be-
coming dangerously frequent, and every act Of
this sort committed on cur side of the line en-
courages the Mexican maraudcrs to further
dcprcdations The state of things on the Rio
GIanGe is serious enough under any circuln-
stances, and when we consider that the Presi-
dent has always been anxious for what he calls
vigorous measures toward, Mexico, it is not
possible to deny that we may be upon the eve
OF events of the utmost importance IN the South
West. 1t is already announced from Washington
that our Government proposes to press de-
mand upon that of Mexico for immediate
reparation for the recent raids, ard in default
of this being made, that the President will
strengthen our border line by attaching
"thereto another stretch Of Mexican terri
"tory." In plain terms, this OILY means that
the President thinks there is tine between
now and the next session OF Congress for him to
retrieve some Of his lost popularity by show of
decision in his foreign policy. If he could only
manage to involve the national honor i'll such
q way that Congress would have to s',s-
tain him when it meets, he wou.d make his
way clearer for tho coming year than it now
appears.
Another dispatch in this mornings news
adds to the gravity of the affair." Rear Adj
mrnl Mullaney reports That one of the Spanish
men-of-war lying off Havana has forty cases
of yellow fever Oh board and another thirty
six. The Collector CT Customs at Key West
t,egraphs that there lave been three cases
there, but thinks there is no necessity for any
excitement. Oae case, carried from 4 steam
boat into "Happy Hollow" laid the City
Of Memphis desoate and all the towns Oh
the Gull OuyhC 10 De SettlDR their houses
in order to resist the terrible guest mt their
thresholds. Our army consists OF sOlnc
10000 or $4,000 men. Our readers can judge
how far it is capable of performing the
duty which threatens to devoye upon it this
Spring; sweeping the miners out OF the Black
Hills and fighting the Indians there il Il war
ensues; conquerng and annexing part of
Mexico; keeping the carpet-bas governments
in possession of the South, and carrying on
campaign against pestilence. We believe that
it would win a great deal of glory even in
such an unequal fight; but what would be left
of it after the season is over, is another qics-
fIOu.