Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-07-17
THE INDIAN WAR.


Bulls Command = ROugh Work
Cut Oat for OuT Troops.
Correspondence of tho Chicago
Times.
To surprise the Indians is now
admitted to be impossible. We
must fight them openly, if they
choose to allow us, because they
are masters of the situation and
will follow whatever policy best
suits their interest. Looked at
from an impartial standpoint, the
Sioux are on the defensive. They
fight for their hunting grounds
for their subsistence. They refuse
to go to the agencies, where they
are Systematically starved and
cheated, except in few cases.
Apart from their cruelty, common
to all Indians, the Sioux are to be
admired for the bold stand they
have made. They have not skulked.
They have not run away disgrace
fully or avoided the long promised
fight. On the contrary they have
been the attacking party when
their territory-theirs either by
privilege, or conquest, or treaty
was invaded. Sitting Bull, through
the agencies, sent word to Crock to
come on if he wanted a fight. He
would wait for him. The Indian
was as good as his word. Crook
came and they fought. We gained
a barren victory, leaving the cam
paign as undecided as if no shot
had been fired. True, the Indians
suffered severely. Otherwise they
would have followed up our retro
grade movement to the bitter end,
but they still hold their position
between us and the Yellow
stone river, and after re-
entering Montana, we will have to
fight our way mile by mile to the
banks Of that powerful stream. OF
course the Sioux will have to sue
cumb finally-they are the last oi
the Indians, that is in the sense ol
serious resistance to the national
authority and the unending incur.
sions of the whites. They despise
the " friendly" or degenerate
tribes, and make no secret Of theii
undying hostility to the pale-faces.
But they have Q barbaric virtue
which must command the admira.
ton of their bitterest foes-fdelity
to each other. When Crook, al
the beginning of this expedition
went to Red Cloud after warriors
to erve against the Montana Sioux
the agency Indians laughed at him
Did he think they were going tC
fight their own kith and kin--theil
brothers and cousins-for the pale
face? Not they. He might gel
the faciic Pawnee, or the small
Shoshone, or the gasconading Grow
but Sioux against Sioux-neyer.
| And so the proud Sayages baAie(
the white chief, and, no doubt
agency warriors and agency ammu
milton figured in the affI'ay of tn,
18th, on Rosebud. 1t is certain
that all the "young men" left Rec
Cloud to join Sitting Bull. TIL
old men, squaws, and papooses re
main. Why does not the Govern
ment transport the latter to tn
Missouri river, if it means business
: How strange that our civilized ad
ministration should permit its pos
traders and agents to arm the In
lians, provide them with the am
munition, feed their women AM
children, place them, in a word, ol
a war footing, and then enlist IN
suspocting white men in the regu
lar army, arm them, train then
feed and clothe them for the pql
pose of shooting down the yer
warriors whom the Goyernmer
itself has rendered formidabl
: Thus we have the Interior and Wl
departments fighting each other
{ the field. The men killed on bot
sides fall by Government bullets.
The chief Spotted Tail is IL
most sagacious, friendly and hol
orable OF the Sioux leaders. i
y las firmly maintained the treaty
+ tocQl ond ir conteut In live in noal