, 1876-07-22
Pertinent Indian Question:


armed as the troops that are fighting
ing. They Eave not only the best
kind of guns, but they must have a
great abundance of ammunition to
supply two or three thousand warri-
ors for three days battle.
Now, considering that if these savs-
ges had not been thus amply provided
with guns, revoIvers, powder and lead
they could not have made stand
against tie assaults of Custer and Re
no, and the gallant officers and men
who were massacred on the Rosebud
might have been alive to day, it be-
comes an interesting question where
and how were these two or three thous-
and Sioux so thoroughly armed and
equipped to fight and kill our troops !?
If English spectators within the
British American territory had fur
nished the savages these arms the
whole country would be atlame today
with Indignation at the outrage and
inhumanity. If a company OF foreign
merchants had attempted TO estab,
llsh themselves in the Indian Terrific
ry, with the purpose of selling arms
to the Sioux, they would have been
driven OUT by the government and
would probably have been righteously
shot by the settlers. But the Sioux
did not get their abundant arms and
ammunition from foreigners or from
foreign territory. Where then?
The plain and dissagI eeable truth is
that they got them from friends and
often from agents Oft the Indian bureau,
they got them largely, if not entirely,
at the Indian ageucies and from Indl-
an trading posts, licensed by the gov
ernment, aud often kept or furnished
by friends Of persons high in authority,
and they paid for the arms and am-
muntion, TO some extent, with the sup
plies which they drew from the govern.
ment under Gen. Grants ridiculous
and pretentieus "peace policy"
That is the plain truth, which ought
to be known and poudered at this
! time. The agencies, the reservations
are, under tins peace policy, the u'ili
tary base of Sitting Bull and as our
poor fti.ows fought brayely we read
the cool announcement that there Is
great mourning among the women
and old men who are fed and housed
at the reservations, while tie young
men are out on the warpath. See
what this wonderful peace pOlicy "
does. Ii enables the Sioux chief 10
thoroughly arm and equip his forces ;
il then lets him disembarrass himself
of the mass of his decrepit and help
less people, who are lodged, fed and
clothed at the agencies; and thus
doubIy prepared for active'war, Sit
ting Bull, wondering at the folly OF
his enemies, marches out and mas
sacres a regiment of troops. Why
shouldn't he? He knows perfectly
well that when he gets out of ammu-
milton os food, be has only to march
back TO the reservation and under the
famous "reace policy" lie and his
bands of murderers will BE- welcomed
by the agents, fed and clothed and
taitened up, to 90 GU. and massacre
another regiment a. soon as they have
been able 10 save enough on. Of their
ratlons and clothing to buy a new
store Of guns and ammunition Of the
licensed Indian traders. That is what
General Grants famous " peace poll
cy" means. That is how il works.
Suppose the Indians had been un;ie:
the charge of the army, does any one
believe that such an affair as This on
the Rosebud could have happened
Or that army officers in charge OF
agencies and reservations, and control.
ling trading posts, would have permit
ted these thousands Of savages 10 de-
liberately arm and equip themselves
for desperate and bloody war? The
House of Representatives, in obedience
10 the urgent request Of William
Welsh, Generals Sherman and Sheri-
dan, and all the men best informed
on lnlian affairs, whether civilian or
military, and against the opposition of
a few men such as S S. Cox, Professor
Seelye, Secretary Chandler and Gen.
eral Howard, has passed bill trans
ferring the Indians to the army. The
senate refuses to pass it. Why ? Be
cause it fears to lose a part of its
patronage IN the nomination of Indian
agents Can it longer refuse, in the
face Of such bloody massacre, for
which tie peace policy" alone is re.
sponsible ?-N. Y. Herald.