New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-08-15
OUR INDIAN POLICY.

II must be that we have an Indian policy,
for it has been often so stated In the resOlu-
lions of political conventions, with all the So
lcmnity and under all the sanctions Of party
platforms. If we rightly remember, one of
the things 10 which Republican conventions
during President Grants Administration
pointed with pride WAS the Indian policy
which that Administration had initiated and
WAS successfully carrying out. 1t was the poll
CIV of generosity aud humanity and Justice; 1t
was characterized by all the virtues that
illustrate Christian civilization and under it
the savage was getting into the habit of wear
ing trowsers and stOyepipe hats, and receiving
tracts with unaffected gratitude. We were
very, very proud of that policy and its mani
fold benefcent operations. All earnest RepUb-
Gcaps pointed to it with pride, except those
Immediately concerned in carrying it out,
and the only reason why they didn't
"noint" was because their hands Were
full. and they couldn't. Under this pol
icy we had each year an Indian war. 1t
cost some money to carry 1t on, and valuable
lives were sacrificed every Summer but each
Indian war was followed by IN Indian peace,
uith the exhibition Of several Indian chiefs at
Washington. the distribution of gifts and the
ratification of new treaty. The policy OF
philanthropy, as it was called, consisted in
furnishing the rowing Indians wiyh arms and
ammunition, provisions, clothing and sup
niles. so that if they should go to
war they could have an even chance, and if
they remained at peace they would BIO in u
condition of fairness and comfort to receive the
amelorating influences of civilization. The
Eastern philanthropists believed the Indian
could he ChrstianHed the men of the border
said the only good Indian was u dead Indian
Both believed in Indian appropriations: the
only thing the bOrdercrs cared for was that
tbe Indian should not get then.
And so it went on year after year T;
the authors and supporters of the policy pat
ting themselves OH the back in every cOnven-
tion on the score Of its success as a great
measure Of philanthropy, while the contractors
cheated the Government the agents cheated
the Indians; the Department was honeycOmbed
with the rottenness of the whole business, and
tbe infection ran through all our politics.
Meantime the noble savage, having been edu-
Gated to idlencss and vice by Government
which stands 10 him one day in the relation Of
a bcnefactOr, next ~ parent. and then on a
treatv-making level, has an instructive sense OF
being cheated, and under the inspiration of the
whiskev which he can only get through The Gov
eminent agents, takes UP the arms which the
Government furnishes, supplies himself with
ammunition from the Government stores, and
opens the Indian war, which, by and by after
the expenditure of immense sums Of money
and the loss OF many livea, the Government
will close with treaty Of peace, which will
hold the savage assassins, not ~ the wards OF
the Government, but as foreign nation
vaginR legitimate war. This has been our
Indian policy. 1t never had distinctness Of
outline or defniteness of purpose; it lacks
consistency and Conference itneyer accomplish
ANYTHING except the promotion of fraud and
rascality on one side and violence and murder Oh
the other. And all the time our Republican
conventions were clarifying President Grant Oh
the success of his Indian policy, which was
10 ciyilizo and Christianize the sayages, we were
having our regular annual Indian war. with
continual depredations on the Treasury and
stealing of appropriations, and not 80 much AS
one wild Indian Christlanlzed TO the point Of
abandoning lying. theft and murder, or one
civilized to the extent of raising an ear Of corn
OF a hill of potatoes.
The truth after all is that we have no such
policy and never had. We have drifted along
through all these years Of dealing with the
Indians without any fixed notion of what are
or ought to be the mutual relations of the
two races. Instead "a policy, We have adopt