The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-08-24
PLAIN TRUTH.
For The Especiai E-dssea,.enp n Those Who
Love the sNoble" Indian.

turn of the Indian bureau 10 the War
Department; denounce the invasion of
the Black Hills; charge that the Indian
war was forced upon the Indians to pre-
vent a reduction of the army; demand
an investigation of the many eutrages
by the military on the Indians; declare
that Gen. Clusters death was a just re-
tribution for the slaughter Of friendly
Indians; and urge the removal Of the
army from the Indian country.
The views of this Peace Society, as
set forth in these resolutions, are con-
CURED in by a large and highly respect
able body of people throughout the
east, and many newspapers of large cir
culation, good standing and great infu-
ence, reflect the above and similar SEN
timents throughout their editorials.
This feeling is more intense in New
England and east of the Alleghanies.
The stranger who might chance to in
vestigate the matter would find that as
he came west the friends of the savage
grow fewer, until upon reaching the
Mississippi he would find that the true
friends of the red man are those who
urge the transfer of the Indian bureau
to the War Department, the removal of
all the Indians to the Indian Territory,
and a rigid surveillance of the Indians
to the end that there be no more
straying away from agencies of preda-
tory bands.
"But,' say these disciples of peace,
''the country belongs to the Indians.
The Black Hills are theirs and the
whites are robbing them of their lands.
Al the western country is theirs and
they should certainly be given undis-
puted possession of that portion west of
the Missouri river and north Of the
Union Pacific railroad and if they want
any more, let them have it. Besides,
the domain they are now fighting for
is barren and sterile, and we have no
| earthly use for tn
Such arguments as these are the
weakest sort of nonsense, and would be
unworthy of notice were they not adj
vanced by so large a number of people
who should know better. The citizen
of Boston who asks the miners to give
up their rich and hardly-acquired
claims, might himself with equal pro-
priety be asked to give up his corner
lots and finest building to the ''noble''
redskins. The Connecticut farmer who
demands that the hardy pioneers-who
have settled and developed the beauti-
full and fertile and valleys of this terri
tory, and who desire to continue the
good work retire and let the Indian
have the land, would do well to give up
his W productive and carefully titled
farm to the aborigines, for the simple
reason that if the Indians own one foot
of land here by right of original possess
sion they have an equally good title to
every foot of land between the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans, the Gulf of Mexico
and the Arctic Sea. There is not a foot
of land east of the Mississippi river
from which the red man was not forci-
bly, driven, and one has but to refer to
history to find the bloody record of
which the present Indian war'and the
horrible outrages of the past ten years
on this frontier are only the counter
part-the old old story, with new names
for the white and red actors and new
fighting grounds.
As to the country in which the war
is now being carried on, these columns
have told the story of its beauty and
productiveness, as furnished by reliable
correspondents, and their statements are
corroborated by all others who have
visited the country. The Black Hills are
proven to be rich in gold in both placer
and quartz deposits, the valleys well
watered, fertile, and the climate equable
and pleasant; the mountains are COW
cred with vast forests, which will sup
ply an almost inexhaustible quantity of
lumber for building and other purposes.
These Hills have been for years a mere
hunting park for the Indians, and there
is nc longer either reason, SENSE or
justice in allowing them the exclusive
and undisturbed possession of this
prolific region, when its treasure is
needed in the paths of commerce and its
other demand development
and utilization by the eve advancing
tide of immigration. III
East of the Mississippi the Indian
problem has been solved to the satisfac-
ton Of the people so far Is that portion
of the country is concerned, but those
very people, whose fathers and grand
fathers did the work, now object to the
same programme being carried out here.
The Indian Territory-rich, fertile and
beautiful-has been set apart for the
occupation of the red man-there Is
abundance of oom for all Of them
within its limits, and the demand
Of the west is that the hostiles be
exterminated root and branch, and the
remainder be placed at once in the
Indian Territory. This accomplished
- D----A M .----- -