The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-03-30

for economy was made a pretext to tie
the hands of the commissioners so that
they were powerless. The Indians wanted
a fair settlement. They were ready to
make sale. We offered them $4O0,OOO
for the Black Hills country. AS all of the
Indians from the Santee Agency to White
river were to be included in this treaty,
the amount offered only about one-fourth
of our annual expenditure for these
tribes. The treaty failed. The evil has
been done. The Black Hills Nwarm with
miners. We shall have another Indian
war, and spend some millions of dollars
to swell tie hundreds of millions spent
in Indian wars. Many of our brave Off
GERS and soldiers will lose their lives in
war which brings them no glory; many
home will be destroyed and innocent
people murdered by massacre. Perhaps,
before the year closes, it may dawn upon
the minds of the American people that
God is not blind, and that people who
SOW robbery and violence will reap rob-
berry and murder. 1t may be too late,
but believe there are men in America
who even now can secure peace. 1t will
cost us some hundreds Of thousands OF
dollars, but it will cost much more to
carry on this war
/ have written plainly because do
feel deeply. l have never met an officer
of the United States Army who did not
express the belief that the cause of all
our Indian wars was our violation OF our
treaties, and | have never found one who
ruld tell Of an instance where the In
dian was the first to violate the treaty.
Our Indian system is a web of blunders
and crimes. We make treaties with the
Indians as with independent nations. We
then place them within the limits of our
State or Territorial governments, and
leave them without law to protect the in
nocent or punish the guilty. We permit
white men to commit crimes against
them. We allow them to murder each
other with no effort to punish the crimi-
nal. Christian men do win some of them
to embrace the religion Of Christ. The
Christian Indian is pitiably helpless. A
savage, drunken Indian may destroy his
crops or murder his wife-he has no re-
dress. If he was wild man he would
kill his enemy. We have taught him
that this is wrong. The government
stands by unconcerned. 1t gives him no
rights of property; it gives him no pro-
lection. A half-blood on the White
Earth Reserve, in Minnesota, attempted
violence to communicate of our church
and murdered his victim. The Indians
arrested him. He was sent to Fort Rip
ley. After a few months he was dis
charged because there was no law to pun
ish the crime.
North of us there is another nation of
our own race. Since the American Revo-
luton they have expended no money on
Indian wars. They have lost no lives by
Indian massacre. The Indians are loyal
to the crown. 1t is not because those In
dians are of another race. 1t is not be-
cause there is less demand for the Indi-
ans land. 1t is not because their policy
is more generous. We expend ten dol
lars for their one. tits because, with us,
the Indian is used by corrupt men as a
key to unlock the public treasury. In
Canada they are the wards ofa Christian
nation. They select good men as agents.
They give the Indians personal rights OF
property. They make them amenable
to law-crime does not go unpunished.
Congress seems ready to try another
experiment by transferring the Indian
Bureau to the War Department. The Of
ticers of the army are generally men who
are acquainted with Indian character.
Many of them, knowing the wrongs of
the Indians, are their friends. Whatever
other faults belong to officers of the army,
they are educated to believe that theft"
and "lying" are disgrace, They can
not reform system which is inherently
wrong. They cannot prevent the dissat-
isfaction and hatred which come from
violated treaties-cannot keep Indians
upon reservations unless the govern
ment provides means for the Indians
support If the Indian Bureau is to be
given to the War Department let us first
reform the evils of our Indian system.
The friends of the Indian ask only these
things-honesty, fidelity and govern
ment-and with these the Gospel Of Jesus
Christ will do for this wretChed people
what it has done for other heathen folk
in the ages past-give to them manhood,
and freedom. H. B. WHIPPLE,
Bishop of Minnesota.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla, Friday, Mar. 3,"76.