Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-10-24
NEW SERIES--V0L. IS, NO. ~

o selves as to win the confidence of Il
[. people, and you will find in most oftl
s, tribes tradition totbat effect so stSor
J, that they ask for priests of the Cath
) lie faith. Personally have the gren
/ est regard and affection for all mission
d aries who 90 their to labcr and man
!, of them, Bishop Whipple included, al
/; my warm friends. ! do think, hoy
: over, that the Indians should be as VI
4 iettored In the choice of his religion 9
r any white citizen OF the country
: Much ill.feeling has been engendere
, among them by their wishes in thes
matters being disrogarded. canno
sec what right the government has
force the Indians at any agency TO az
cept a spiritual adviser they do no
want. The Sioux at the present cor
ference have made particular reques
for Catholic priests to be their teach
ers, and they will naturally feel disar
pointed if others are sent them. rh
policy in this respect should be chang
cd.
"What plan wonld you adopt W,
then asked, "to reduce the Indian to
domestic creature?"
"That | will answer by an anec
dote One bitter cold night, while
was with the Sioux up near the Cana
da line, well known chief named
Left Bear, came into my hut. / hac
sent for him to try an experiment
said to him: Look at me here in this
room, Lett Bear. See what civiliza
ton can do The wind on the prairies
is sharp; the snow is deep, but here il
stove that warns the air. Here is 0
bed, where can sleep and not freeze
Here is my table, with books, so | can
read and learn. Is this not much bet
ter than roaming about without o
home? He repeated all these advan.
tages, approvingly. But said he,
with splendid air about him, you
are not free You cannot put your
house on your back and 20 to some
new place when you want q change.
That is the Indian instinct'in nut.
shell. 1t has its freedom, It's facination
and centuries have made il strong.
But there can be no progress in civil.
zation till that nomadic spirit is gone.
The Cherokees and Greeks have lost
it, and so must the other tribes. Give
them reservations on good land and
lot them understand they are to have
an abiding home there. They will
soon learn to stay in one place content
cdly if the government lets them, but
we cannot expect them to grow do
mestic if we drive them to new quar-
ters every few years.
Do you believe that the right sort
of treatment would certainly bring
about these results?"
81 have no doubt oft in the world,
for we know it has been successfully
tried. With all his natural pride, the
Indian realizes by this time that his on
ly comfort and prosperity can come
through peace and civilization. lie
honestly wants to settle down and
keep peace eivilly, and see bis children
learn. He would only be too glad TO
improve if the opportunity was given
him and his children in the right way
NOT by violence and breaches of faith,
but by moral suasion and sensible,
honest management"
"What do you think of the present
complication with the Sioux2"
"They are right. That Missouri
land is not fit for any man to live in,
much less an Indian who requires
game. II they are compelled to go
there in the face Of all the facts in the
case, it would not surprise me at all if
by spring we should see general up.
rising and an offensive alliance Of many
tribes of the Northwest That would
be a most serious calamity, as you can
see, for it would only strengthen those
very tribal organizations which | have
said it should be the part of a wise In.
dian policy to overcome. 1t would re-
tard grogress many years
"Are you familiar with the Nez
Perces tribe and their grievances ?"
81 never lived among them, but ! |
know they are the most peaceful and
cultivated tribe OF the whole North
west, and their grievance simply is
that they refused to beloreed to resign |
by treaty the lands they had made de.
sirablc and valuable by their own cul
tivation. This present war was pre-.
ciptated by agents who had nothing
TO lose and everything to gain. ! look
upon it as only another illustration of
Dur miserable Indian policy"