Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1877-01-09
TINE INDIAN WAR DEBT.

IN z AMMAN
The Reno Gazette, of a late date, con
tains an article relative to IA bill re-
Gently introduced in the Senate by Mr..
Cassidy, providing for the payment of
the debt contracted by the State during
the so called "White Pine Indian
War" of 1875. The writer of the arti-
Gle referred to certainly could not have
been a resident of this State, or even OF
| the coast, at the time of the excitement,
which, whether causeless or not, was
sufficiently intense to create the great
est alarm in Eastern Nevada, and for
weeks to form the principal topic of
newspaper comment and sensation
throughout Nevada, California aid
Utah. The particulars of the affair
have been published so fully and often
and are SO familiar to the reading pub
lie that it would be useless for us to
reiterate them, and we will therefore
content ourselves with saying that a
more just or equitable bill was never
introduced in any legislative body
than the one alluded to by our Reno
contemporary. 1t merely provides for
the payment of the troops and such
supplies as were essential to their sus-
tenance while in active service under
orders from the Governor of the State,
who is commander of the militia.
These, with the necessary expenses in
cidental to the hasty organization,
mounting and .arming of independent
military companies, constitute the en-
tire debt which the State is called upon
to pay, and which it could not refuse
to liquidate without the most dishon-
cradle reputation of its obligations,
which, in this case,a are direct and not im-
piled, as they were contracted und> rthe
orders of the highest authority in the
State, and, we willadd, under circum-
stances which the seeming exigencies of
the case fully justified. Orders were re-
ceived here late at night from the Gov
ernor for tie two military companies
of this place to march forthwith to the
scene of the supposed hostilities, and
early on the following day between
seventy and eighty men were en- route
for Spring Valley. When they left,
the most startling and alarming tele-
grams were being received, urging the
officers TO haste and giving the most
sensational accounts Of the condition of
affairs at Cleveland's ranch. Every
nan who went with the command
fully believed that an encounter with
the savages was inevitable and that in
accompanying the expedition he risked
his life. Fortunately it proved a
bloodless campaign, but the brave
fellows who so promptly res ponded
to the Governors call and ma rched
to the relief of the supposed besiegad
families of Spring Valley are entitled
to as much credit SIS though half their
number had fallen on the battlefield,
slain by hostile savages and victims to
their own disinterested bravery and
human impulses. Most of those who
left here We're laboring men employ
ed in the mines and at the fur.
naces. They left their work in re-
spouse to the dictates Of humanity and
should at least be paid for the time
they lost. For the necessary supplies,
forage and transportation the officers
gave their vouchers, which cannot be
repudiated without entailing lasting
disgrace upon the Commonwealth.
We presume the circumstances were
similar in other places, and we never
anticipated the shadow of oppo-
sition in the. Legislature or from
the press to a bill so emil
nently just and equitable in every
respect. Although having no bearing
on the merits of the measure, we will
add in conclusion, that the "White
Pine Indian war" was not so great a
farce as many have been led to belieg o.
That the savages in the vicinity of
Spring Vally meant amischief, there is
no doubt, and although the accounts
at the time were greatly exaggerated,
that their intentions were frustrated
by the prompt action of the settlers
and military is equally certain, and
from a financial standpoint we believe
the money to be appropriated by the
Legislature will be we'll expended in
payment of the lesson given to the red
skins that the first evidence OF hostility |
upon their part will be promptly |
checked and punished by our State
government.