The Portland daily press., 1876-09-27
Tha Last of the Red Men.

race. His tribe is the only band of aborigines
now capable of making protracted and seri-
Gus resistance to the armed forces of the Unit
ed States. There are few other wild tribes
whom the attractions of red flannel and bad
whiskey have not yet either established on
reservations or brought into any other kind
of dependence on the government; but they
are relatively feeble and unimportant The
Sioux is the only Indian left who is capable
of inspiring in the hearts of the conquering
race a little respect arising from great deal
of fear. Accordingly the Sioux will be a
parsonage of considerable historical import
ance, especially as his last great deed of arms
resulted in what was undoubtedly the most
dramatic and bloody repulse ever suffered
by the United States army at the hands of
the Indians. What will tie future say of the
Sioux9 The people of New England ought
to be far enough removed from the scene of
his struggles to form an opinion of his real
deserts almost as impartial as that of the
historian. This, of course, will be much i'm
paired by the natural fierce feeling which
follows the death. of some of our own young
men at the hands of the Indian; but as the
conditions of impartialty are improved by
removal towards the East there is propor-
tionately greater willingness to do justice to
the last native foe of the English race. The
people of the frontier, indeed, complain that
the sympathy of the East is rather with the
Savage" than with his "civilized" antago-
mist, and that this sympathy is founded on
Ignorance of the Indian character. But we
OF the East say, with greater reason, that the
frontier notion of an Indian is one inspired
by that savage lust for gain which is the al
most universal result of the contiguity of a
powerful and weaker people, while our views
on the same subject are those which natur-
ally arise from an approximately impartial
consideration of the simple facts.
What impartial reasoner could, for in
stance, resist conclusions favorable to the In
dian cause on reading the report of the con-
ference now in progress between the Indians
and the government commissioners at the
Red Cloud agency? The government, in its
consultation with the Sioux, appears in the
position of an apologist. 1t desires to buy
treaty. 1t is told plainly by the young Hot
spurs of the tribe that "surely the Great
Father has not hitherto lived up to his agree
ments-" 1t is told that before any conces-
sions are made by the savages they "will de-
mand great many things" The govern
ment sues for peace with branches of the
same tribe that murdered and mutilated Gus
ter and his three hundred men.
attitude of the United States in the presence
of men whom it could, in time at any rate,
subdue. 1t cannot be accounted for on the
ground that it has been discovered that it is
cheaper to buy the Indian than to subdue
him,-that it costs ten soldiers and half a
million dollars for every dead Sioux. This
was known long before Bishop Whipple for
mulate6 it. The reason is simply this-that
the government finds itself in the presence o.
a people that has suffered wrong at its hands.
same disregard of our treaties with civilized
powers would bring the navies of all Europe
thundering at our ports. An excellent au-
thority on Indian matters AYERS that no trea-
ty made with the native races since the days
of William Penn has been fairly observed.
With reference to the Sioux, this is especially
true. Concession after concession has been
wrung from them, till finally their very last
places of refuge accorded to them by the sol
emn guarantees of a treaty, are invaded and
occupied, the government being an accom-
plice in the outrage. Did there ever exist a
people that would not resist to the last drop
of blood such an invasion of their rights?
Why wouldn't it be well enough to repress
exterminating ferocity on the one hand and
undue tenderness on the ether, and try sim
pie justice and truth toward the Indians, just
by way of change? To do this the govern.
ment must repress with strong hand the pre-
datory and filibustering tendency of the aver
age frontiersman, who shoots an Indian and
plumbers his goods with as little compunction
as he would have about grizzly bear, and
then fiercey demands determination when
the Indian retaliates. With equal frmness
must the Indian be held to the fulfllment o.
his treaty obligations and punished for theil
violation. The United States is large enough
and strong enough to be just, ,and to deal witt
the Indians on basis Of justice rather thar
passion-and certainly justice is not too mucf
to ask for people who, however barbarous,
| is fighting for its homes.