The Arizona sentinel., 1877-08-04
Topped.

pSTtinel5 FOuS cuOuSH' iHO theory of that policy appeals strongly to our sense of justice and love of humanity. To edu cate, christianize and make indus trious citizens of a lot of lousy savages. whom we have dispos- sessed of their lands and chosen means of subsistence, seems to be small part of the nations duty toward thens While the Indian Bureau held out the promise of discharging this duty, it was proper for every man to give il moral and material support. The dishonesty of individual Indian Agents was against the theory no better argument than is against Christianity the turpitude of in vidual pulpit-pounders. But the Indian Bureau is a fraud and a failure in practice. It lacks the essential quality necessary to the control of savages-it has no back bone, and never did have. The army has kicked and cuffed it and made it so ridiculous to the pub lie, through the press and other wise, that contempt for such milk and.water followers of our Lord Jesus has buried out of sight all recognition of the theoretic vir- tues of their policy. Public wei, fare demands that the Indian be made harmless. If he cannot be Christianized by humane treat. ment at the hands of civilians and experience shows that, owing to want of firmness in Indian Bu- reaus he cannot-then- turn him over to the War Department TO BE CRUSHED into harnllessness. Let our hearts be steeled. against sympathy for his coming wrongs by recollection of his past barbar- ities. If contact with and de- pendence on the army depraves his morals, diseases his person, and stamps out his Individuality body and soul, the less annoy. ance wAl he give in this or the next world to US Oh hristians who now wash our hands of him. Pauline Weaver, than whom no one ever had more thorough ex- perience of Arizona Indians, used to say that there was always dan- ger in an Indian uutil he was ready to barter away the virtue of his women; but after he had sunk to that point he was harm less. The Hualpais were noted for their fighting qualities and for the chastity,of their women. One season of army tutelage at Beale's Springs and another at La Paz, were enough to debauch them, and they have since been harmless-and worthless. Dis. graceful diseases and the vices of the camp are reducing their numbers as rapidly as they have decimated all other Indians ex- posed to military contact. Per sonal experience has shown this editor that the average of hon. esty among army officers is very little, if any, lower than among Indian Arents. This considera. tion is no argument against turn. ing the control of Indians over to the army. The country has tried to educate wicked Apaches into self supporting, law-abiding men and their women into intelligent mothers of future voters. This course firmly pursued would in time have given us fellow.citizens here and fellow.souls hereafter
 Through effeminacy of Indian
 bureaus the experiment is fail
 ure. Let us now turn the Indians
 over to, the army. Diseased ir person and corrupt in morals
 they will gradually die off. Tha
 will give us less competition ir
 all the fields of Labor and make
 less jostling for seats in Heaven
 1t will put a stop to newspape
 rNoA kr.f. IL