Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-07-22
WHO Is REaroNs1BLE7

amount Of duplicity, fraud and down.
right ~swindling practiced by the chosen
agents of the ''peace policy" in dealing
with their charge. 1t is not too much to
say that the massacre of Gen. Custer
with his three hundred men was indi-
rectly instigated by the underlings of
Grant. In other words that the present
war was nursed into existance, by the
agents and traders who, with Belknap
and Delano to set them at it, robbed the
Indian of vast amounts of money, and
by such evils practices provoked them
into a conflict, which is a calamity alike
to them and to the entire country. The
three hundred mon who fell in that re-
mote valley of the Rocky mountains
were sacrificed for what? Not for their
country's good in any sense, but rather
as a consequence of the unlawful gains
made by Belknap, Delano, Orville Grant
and such other men rs were favorites
with the administration at Washington.
The French attributed their great dis
asters in the late wal with Prussia, to
the corruptions in their commissariat
and other departments, and we, with
equal justice, may now lay the blame of
Clusters %bloodshed, with that of his en-
tire command, to the charge of those
whom the administration chose to
transact the government business in the
remote regions of the west. 1t is scarce
ly necessary to notice the illegal gains
pocketed by Secretary of War Belknap,
as he is now on trial for his crimes; nor
is it necessary to 60 back to Secretary
Delano, Of the Interior department, with
his immense gains by fraudulent con
tracts. We only recall these .two,-the
right and left bowers of the PRESIDENT
to show what has been the calamitous
consequences OF their joint dishonest
practices in dealing with both the. SOL
diers and Indians on the frontier. Of
Gen. Grant we say nothing, for nothing
fraudulent has,as yet. been traced direct
OF two of the great governmental de-
partments, vieing with each other as to
which shall steal the greatest amount of
money out of the business under their
charge, what can be expected oftheir sub
ordinates? Dishonesty, fraudulent deal
ings and downright theft became the
rule and common practice among them
all. Secretary Belknap made the post
traders fee him largely. The post ira
ders charged the extra amount on the
goods which the soldiers were obliged
to buy, and the soldiers, having nobody
below them, generally tried to get even
on the Indians. Thus the poor Indians
were made to suffer, not only directly, |
by frauds in the Interior department, |
but, indirectly, by frauds on the War
department. 1t is unnecessary here to
enumerate the hundreds of ways by which
the Indians were swindled in the Interior
department. 1t is enough to know that
in some cases, goods which were said
to have been sent them were not sent
at all; that fraudulent vouchers were
given. In others cases, damaged goods
were sent; bacon, for instance that was
sickening to the smell, and, to be
eaten,-impossible! In short. with Bel
KNAPP and Delano to set them the exam
pie, the whole machinery with the pres
dents relatives to lubricate the wheels, |
worked precisely as might have been
expected.
Now with these facts staring us in the
face, who is responsible for the assasslna-
tIOn vi the CusCeI Command we I
charge that the wicked policy of the
administration is responsible for all. If
the administration had possessed even
an average amount of honesty, the
Indians would have received the supplies
to which they are by treaty entitled, and
would now be quietly on their reserva-
tons. But no. They were ordered to
quiet and were then, oftentimes,
pinched with hunger. They were not
allowed to go off and hunt where game
could be found, but were, instead, prom
ised food and when that food came, # it
at all, 1t was such as might be ex-
pected from a Belknap or Delano con-
Well, as a consequence of all
this, we have an Indian wal on hand, to
say nothing now of the lives that have
been lost. and that are yet to be lost.
The people will have to pay more money
conduct it than would make Belknap,
Delano, Orville Grant or, indeed, any
Or all ofour presidents numerous friends
md relation very rich men indeed. The
next time We are afflicted with such a
president as Grant, let US profit by the
present lesson-the cheapest way for .
he people, if ever such a calamity hap /:
pen us again, will be to pension off the
Whole kith and kin, as well as personal ,
rlends, at the beginning, and then there
Will be at least achance that the gov
'rnnent willtall into the hands ofhonest c
men.
But to. pass on from supposittios o
to realities of the present: Is the !
administration satisfied with what has =
been done for it's friends, or is +
he cry still for more? Itindeed looks as a
hough much more Of the peoples money ?
8, even now, to be expended than ne {
essity requires. We are told that while y
OF U. S. soldiers are lying in :
'arracks in the southern states, with n
!bsolutely nothing to break the monoto- 81
y OF such an existence, new troops are b
0 be raised at immense expense in the 81
Testern territories, organized and then Q
orwarded to the seat of war. Thus the >
residents friends, will have yet another
pportunity to get their hands into the
'ublic treasury before his term of office
'xpires. And still those 1000 soldiers in "
he south will remain, at least until the II
election is over. Yes. if ia II
t the door OF the administration itself. :,
hat the blame for the Indian war. with a,
III its accompanying horrors, must be A
aid, and the republican party, after its o.
Endorsement of President Grant at Gin d
lnnati, can not escape the responsibility. G,
hey would have been q most accountable
OF ~ MN MT ~ IL