Helena weekly herald., 1878-12-05

INDlANS-CHURC AND ARMY.

There is no subject that will engage the at
tention of Congress at its approaching session
more important to the country at large, and
to the frontier States and Territories in par
ticular, than that of Indian management. We
regret to see it made bone of contention be-
tween departments, and still more casus
beM between the church and army. Most
people allow others to do their thinking for
them aud take their opinions second hand
from those to whose guidance they have per-
haps unconsciously committed themselves.
The church still largely controls the senti-
ment of the nation, and its powers are not to
be despised or wantonly provoked. No mat
ter how cruel and fendish the savages, it is
the fashion of the churches to teach that
Christian kindness and forbearance are the
more to be shown to such. The texts of
scripture are numerous to give this direction
to the teaching of the church. We honor
and respect the church that it has done so
much to prevent wars, mitigate their horrors
and to soften the penalties that the law in
flicts But the question at issue before the
country and Congress is not whether we shall
treat the Indian cruelty or Kindly. 1t is the
fashion of some, whose zeal has run away
with their sense or from more interested mo-
tives, to represent that the army want control
of the Indians the better to crafty their taste
for hunting and fighting, or other purposes
still worse. 1t is slander that will affect no
one who knows the history and character of
the American officer and soldier. 1t is unfair
to Judge by the past wherein the soldiers have
had nothing to do with the Indian except
when at war. All the Indian wars since the
organization of our government, it must be
remembered, have arisen under the manage
ment of civilians, or later still and in greater
proportion, under church agents. Ihe army
has done the fighting and brought back peace
and security.
We favor the army for this management
because it is the strongest and steadiest arm
of the nation. If such an arm was always
in sight it would restrain the first outbreak
of violence, before the spark had kindled .
conflagration. The permanency of the army
would allow the officers to become personally
acquainted with every Indian, and the per.
sonal influence thus arising would be some
thing very powerful for peace and good be-
havior, which has never existed yet. The
stories told to the Indians in the name of the
Great Father have not created any great
veneration for that parsonage in the Indian
breast. Regular rations and the honest truth
that they would be apt to get at the hands of
the army would remove most of the causes of
discomfort that now exist, and then when q
bad Indian sought to make trouble out of
pure develtry he cauld be punished before
the mischief spread to others.
We are as well satisfied as that the NOR
rows sun will rise, that this transfer will al
most put an end to Indian wars; that more
peace and safety will be known on the from
tier than for two hundred years past. 1t is a
measure of humanity that we advocate the
change-not simply humanity towards the
adventurous pioneer, too little regarded by
Eastern philanthrophists, but humanity to
the Indian If even this fading race is made
ready for the process of Christianization it
will not be until after it has been humanized
and civilized to certain degree, nor until it
has seen better specimens of Christianity
than the churches have generally sent to
superintend this business