The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-08-19
Major Nortoi,s Lecture at the
Opera House Last Evening.

opera House Last Evening.
The lecture Of Major Thos. H, Norton,
at the Opera House last evening, on
"The Wild Warriors OF tho Yellowstone"
for the benefit Of The widows and orphans
OF those who fell in the Sioux massacre,
attracted fair audience Notwithstanding
the intense heat. The Wheeling City
Band, under Prof. Vass, discoursed sonic
excellent music in front Of the building
and afterwards on the stage. The SER
vices Of this band were generously ten.
dered for the occasion, and they deserve
great credit for appearing in their fine
uniforms on such warm evening, as we'll
us for their splendid music,
Manager james Hamilton, also, kind.
" donated the use OF his beautiful
0pera House. This mark OF generosity
should not be forgotten by our citizens.
Major Norton's lecture was q strong
argument in favor Of transferring the
Indian Bureau from the Interior to the
War Department. He began with dis
sertation on war. He said that it was u
popular belief that the mission OF our
government was one Of peace; that, un-
like the nations Of Europe, the isolation
Of our position, the peculiar character oil
our institutions, and freedom from ambi.
tious rulers, were circumstances that
combined to exempt US from the ineyita-
BILE calamities Of war. He referred to
our war with Mexico and our perpetua al
Indian wars. He said the Indians, in
their many skirmishes, forays and battles,
had displayed courage and indifference
to hardship, peril and death not excelled
even BY the renowned defenders Of Sparta.
The Major presented the views OF the
"moral suasionists' by reading tho letter
Of Bishop Whipple, Of Minnesota, as to
the cause OF the present war being a yio-
lation OF our treaty with the Indians in
regard to the Black Hills, and then point
ed out that this was as an error; that nine
tenths Of the Sioux were peaceful Indians
and remained on their reservations, and
that Sitting Bull and his associate chiefs
were carrying on their campaign against
the United States hundreds OF miles
away from their reservation. In reply
ing to arguments Of the advocates OF the
peace policy, he said that the Indians
might construe II as q threat'of extermi-
nation; that in reality it did imply such
threat; that in placing the affairs Of the
Indians in the hands Of the officers OF the
army the government would say to its
troublesome wards in language that
could not be misunderstood "Reform or
de-" The question is, shall 10000 600
OF people who by the providence OF God
have obtained possession Of thisbroad land
and organized a government which II
patriotically and honestly administered
promise TO us make the most powerful
nation on earth-Shall this people, inn
bued with mighty aspirations, difiusing
knowledge and power everywhere, well
advanced in the arts and sciences, with re-
ligious and educational systems that
challenge the respect Of enlightened man
kind-shall the interests Of such people
be made to suffer through the instrument
tally Of few hundred thousand untam.
ed and untamable savages. He recon-
mended that we devise good, just and
wholesome laws for the government OF all
the Indians subject to our Jurisdiction and
then say to them with the law in one
hand, and the sword in the other-choose
We between these offerings. Here is life,
liberty and law-and here is coercion,
desolation, determination.
He then reviewed at length the situa
ton in the Indian country, before and
since the war Of the rebellion, and graph
ically described many Of the combats and
massacres that have taken place. He
paid glowing tribute 10 Gen. Custer and
his brave command. He said there was a
sublimity Of heroism about this combat
that is absolutely appalling. The charge
at Balaklava, immortalized by Tennyson,
sinks into insignifcance when compared
with il. Those courageous Englishmen
knew they had q chance for life, even
/ though defeated. In going into their
fight they were treasured by the knowl-
edge that il made captives their captivity
would be OF short duration, and that
they would be treated with all the honors
OF war by civilized and magnanimous
foe, but our poor fellows knew that cap
uylty meant ueatn anu tOttuEe, anu bu "
the last man they fought with the des.
peration that alone can spring from such
q knowledge. Referring TO the report Of
Major Reno in which he asks il the good
people Of this country will longer sup
port "a policy which places two oppos.
ing forces in the field armed, clothed and
equipped by one and the same govern
ment.n he said this was in
deed pertinent inquiry, and il in
these days Of reform tho people should
resolve that they will no longer tolerate
the ineffective, unstatesmanlike and cor.
rupt administration Of Indian affairs
that has characterized this government
for many years, Custer and his brave fol.
lowers will not have died in vain.
The Mejor closed his interesting lee.
ture by repeating spirited poem enti-
tied "Custers Last Charge" by Capt.
Frederick Whitaker. We understand
that something over 500 was realized by
the lecture for the widows relief fund.