The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-18
A VICIOUS INDIAN POLICY.
SOME PLATN TRUTHS SET FORTH by
BISHOP WHIPPLE.
A Long, banning Record Of Crime and
Fraud-The Results of tho Custer Expedi-
What Illus Been Done In Canndn.

E,om IA, lines.
ToTuE EDIroRoFTnE NEW YoRK IIMrs-
Eii: / notice that YOU state thai sen ltor window
OF Minnesota lustifes the violation Of our treaty
with the sioux Indians on the ground that the
Indians arc dishonest lying race. and that ne
knows this fact 10y twenty years residence IN
hopc that the Senator has been msrepTe-
scented. senator Window was Tor yrars the
Chairman Of the House Committee Of In Ian
Affairs. H. knows the history Of our DEALINGS
with Ia ~ indians. Let me picscnt lew facts
Pacfc, ard they will show which of thu parties
20 thc tfe.tes was guilty 81 lying ana i,auu aoi IN
1Sis the sioux Inuidus ~ Minnesota SOLD us SCl'-
on acres Of their rcsery ton. The plea fur tlis
sale WAS that they needed more money TO nid
thou In the work Of civilization; This treaty
provided that none - the proceeds Of this sale
should be paid for Indinn debts, unless such
debts had been recognized In m open council.
No Sucn council was ever held. The Indians
waited -four year,. Thcy never received one
penny q this money, except about fifteen thou
sand dollars Of worthless goods. All ihis money
was taken for claims except about eight
left To their credit in Washington. In
June. 1882, they came together to receive
not come. The traders told the Indians that II
had been stolen. Tney waited two months,
mad exaspcrated. and hungry. They said that
Z. mo OF thoir children had starved To death.
Then came that awful massacre in which over
eight hundred Of our bravo pioneers were muir
defed No pen can describe the horrors OF that
desolnted rider. Ihe money for the payment
was taken from other trust funds TO supply that
portion Of the annuities which had been paid
out for claims against tho In lians; The Winnie
baeces lived near the sioux. They were our
friends. They. refused 20 join IN the outbreak.
They even killed the sioux messengers who
asked it, They cut on their ears and sent them
TO tho whites to show their friendship To IA and
the fate of our enemies. The innebagoes had
agoody reservation which white men coveted.
They were removed by force, and were taken
with the friendly Sioux to the Missouri river and
these Indi rs died Of disease AMI starvation that
year. During that awful winter some Indian
women crossed from the Missouri to farihault
my home, and God only knows how they lived,
for their only food was frozen roots, which they
Tue Chippewas OF Minnesota have always been
our friends. They, too. have suffered from
shameless I auds and lies. FOR long years our
cruel wron4s to them m4de them one OF
the earth. Whisky and robbery made the Dor.
der apsndcmonium. surely these are not in
stances Of Indian Wing and dishonesty. NaOoth
will never md yindication from Ahab.
Senator Window. II my memory serves me,
was member OF on Indian comnni.sion' OF
which senator Doolittle was the Chairman.
They made an eNaininntion OF the causes Of our
late Indian wars. They published report in
1865. 1t was one OF the saddest books ] have
from Canada to the RIO Grande. II Is one long
damning record Of crime and fraud. In lcGs an
posed Of Gen. sherman, Gen. Terry Gen Aurur.
Grn. Harney. Cen Sanborn, senator Iicn-
timouy again. lt'w.s too bad to publish. am
told that wnen the Indian chiefs met the
commission ut Medicine LOIge & eek. they gave
.s reason Tor not making another trc.ty win
US that three times men have come II us
their greet ia her sent them.'"' "l Irs
were llaIs;' "wo have MT seen me
custom the Indians said that they be-
Heved tbs men WHO wore our uniform had
str"ight tongu =. III made another treaty.
One thing which they insisted upon WAS that
they should nave country which would not be
invaded bv the whites. This pledge was made.
The country which contains the Black llllis was
guaranteed to them. M possible ulea can be
made against their title. exert the plal Of the
fOotpad who places his pstoi to your breast and
saws might makes right" The execution OF
Con. Custer WAS made IL clear violation 81 a ma
tons faith. Gold was Discovered. At first we
were ashamed to violate our own treaty. The
noble men who ado that treaty for us honestly
tried to keep white men out Of IN. Indians
county. II was impossible. our only honor
able course was to make such amends as We
out comm ssion, but the plea for econom, was
made pref K, 10 tie the hands Of the Commits
sans w 80 s wets Tner
ready 10 make sale. We offered them 100000
for the Black HIS country. A. al, Of the In.
were to be included in this treaty, the amount
offered was only about one-fourth of our annual
expenditure for these tribes. The treaty failed.
The evil has been done. The Black Hills swarm
with miners. We shall have another Indian war
and spend some millions of dOllars TO swell the
hundreds o. millions already spent In Indian
wars. Many Of our brave officers and soldiers
will lose their lives in a war which brings TO them
no glory: many home will lie destroyed ana
innocent reople murdered 10y mas. acre. Per-
haps, betOio tue wear closes. 1t may dawn upon
the minds Of the American people that God T.,
not blind, and that people who sow berry and
violence VIII reap robbery and murder. IL may
be too late, but believe there are pen in Amer
lea who even now can secure peace. IT, VIII cost
US some hundreds Of thousands Of dollars, but
1t win cost much more to carry on this war.
have written plainly. because do feel deeply.
have never met an officer Of the United states
Army VINO did not express the belle. tn.t tho
cause OF all our lndi IN wars was our violation Of
our ;reates: and have never found one whp
could tell u al instance where tie IIdi-n was
the nr,t T. violate the treaty.
Our Indian system Is a web Of blunders and
crimes. We make treaties with the Indians as
with iudel cudcnt nations. We then place them
within the limits Of our state or Territorial Gov
tect the Innocent or punish the guilty. We per
NIT whi'e men 10 commit crimes against them.
We allow them to murder euch other, with no
sn 1t to punish the criminal. Christian mon do
win some of them 10 embrace the religion Of
Christ The Christian indisnis ritiaLiy he lplcss.
A savage, drunken Indian may destroy his cfous
or murder his wife-he has no redress. II he was
wild man he would kill his enemy. We have
taught him that this is wrong. The Government
stands by uneoncerned. II gives him no rights
OF pr9ptrty Il Ii,es nm nc nroteciion; hali-
Ia, attempted violence To a communlcant Of our
church ana murdered his victim. The Indians
arrested hiM. lie was sent to Fort Ripley. After
few months he WAS discharged, because there
was no law u punish the crime.
North Of Us there Is another nation OF our own
race. since the American heyOlutiOn they have
expended NO money, on Indian wars. They
have lost no lives by Indian massacre. The In.
dams are loyal to the crown. It's not because
these Indians are OF another race. II - not be-
cause :here ~ less demand for the Indians Land.
IL Is not bt cause thelr policy Is more generous.
We expeni ten dollars for their one II Is be
cause Win Us tue lnulan Is ustl bN corrupt men
asa KEY to unlock the public treasury. In Cam
ada thev are the wards OF a Christi "a nation.
They select good men as agents. they give the
indians per-oual igbts II property. They max @
them smerable to law-crimc does not 20 I'M
punished.
Congress seems ready TO try another expert
ment by transferring the Indian Bureau to the
W. Department. The officers Of tho army are
generally men who are acquainted with Indian
character. M,ny OF them, Rnowlnr the wrongs
OF the lndians. are their friends. Whatever 9TH
faults belong To Officers Of the army, they are
educated 10 believe that theft ana " LYING D
are n disgrace. Ihey cannot reform system
which ia inherently wrong. They cinnOt pre-
vent the di satisfaction and hatred which come
from violated ueaties-Ganuot keep lVdlns
upon reservations unless the Government pro-
ydes means for the Indians Support. II the
Indian lirfciu Is to be given to the War Depart
meut lie; us irst reform the evils OF our lndiar
system. The friends of the Indian ask onll
these thngs-hOnesty, fidelity, aud government
aud with these the Gospel OF Jt aus Christ vii
dc for tris wretched people what IL has done fol
other heather folk IN the ages past-slYe L
them manhood. homes, ana freedom.
II. -. WHiPPLE, Blshon OF Minnesota.
Sr' AUGUSTINE, Fla, Friday, March 5, 1876
Ohc OF ChlcnRo's Indasiric-.
FfOin ne fHlcdGO tribune