Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-07-26
The Indian PrObIem.

Recent adviees make it more than
probable that during the present year the
country win be startled by the intelli-
genee of another Indian war. The
attitude of Sitting Bull is almost posi-
tive proof of this. Though fleeing to
the protection Of another government,
he has never pledged himself not to re-
sumo hoshlities, except upon Canadian
soil, and all his movements point to a
recrossing Of the line at an early day. It
is a well known fact that he has kept up
constant communication with the hos
tiles and it cannot be doubted that the
moment he sets foot upon our borders
he will be joined by all the disafeeted
tribes of the Northwest. This his great
power will enable him to command, and
the procuring of arms is so easy, that
within the shortest possible time he can
place in the field an army against which
it will be hard to cope, knowing, as they
do, the Businesses, and compelling their
antagonists to fight upon ground giving
them every advantage.
Against this much to be regretted state
of affairs the bitter experience of the
past seems to be, if not powerless, at
least inactive The history of all Indian
y WeAo 40 bA4O a oAAAGAAA AOACC ORtSOGC0
to great one at the outset; many valu.
able lives lost; much precious blood
shed; siekening record of barbarities
and desolated country, before the army
could be concentrated to strike decis-
i've blow. And what, when at last it
was done2 The same farce of surrender
of feeding and clothing through the win
ter; of relying upon promises certain
to be broken; Of nursing viper to sting
our Eeartsl
1 Strange that those in authority never
seem to learn wisdom by the bloody les
sons of the past; that prevention is new
er thought of in place Of cure that with
all Of the warning, the country is thrill
ed with the horrible details of Indian
war before resistance is quicKened into
life, and the strong arm of power not on
ly raised to defend but retaliate. &
1t needs no prophet to foreten what
the result will be when the various tribes
again cut loose from the forts and drift
away from reservations IS against the
handful of armed men who are supposed
to awe and be able to keep them in
check. We have but to turn back the
pages Of a single year to have the ques-
ton answered. In Indian warfare, at
least, history repeats itself again anil
again, and description of the first strug-
gle would answer with very little varia-
tionl for the latest.
In solving the problem of what is to
be done, many years and thousands OF
lives and millions of money have been
wasted, and the end is not yet. Treaties
are about as binding as straw; faith as
little regarded as the wind annuities
given only to breed discomfort, because
they are not continually enlarged-the
modesty (?) ofthese wards of the nation
knowing nothing of bounds.
Quaker guns and Quaker kindnesses
have been tried in vain; have been con-
strued into fear of them. All the ehari-
ties Of life have been shoWered to be
returned by scoffing and contempt.
Hunting-grounds have been given for
their exclusive use, to be abandoned at
pleasure, and the implements Of agrl,'
culture bestowed to reverse the adage
of beating the sword into plowshares.
They have been fed when in want, only
the more haughtily to depend upon the
giving, to demand it as a right: they
have been nursed in sickness only the
sooner to return to the scalping-knlfe
and the war-path; have been taught
the songs of Christianity only the louder
to whoop the battle-cry; have been CIV
en- arms for the hunting trail only the
more to become proficient in the killing
of the pale face have been brought in
to association with civilization simply to
learn the arts Of a better resistance:
True they, as q race, have not been
fairly and squarely dealt with, and have
many just causes of complaint. The un.
derlings Of the Government have aided
the swindling traders, or quietly winked
at their proceedings. They have been
systematically cheated aud robbed, and
treaties have been kept anything but
sacredly. Yet, granting these things.
the onus of blame lies with the red man,
not the white, and midnight murders,
and burnings, and treaehery, is poor
way to obtain questionable rights.
So the problem remains unsolved as to
what is best to be done. The signs Of
the times force the conclusion that we
are soon to have repetition of all the
horrors of Indian warfare and we can
not, If we would, shrink from the re-
sponsibility Of the future. Shall red
tape' be abolished and it be given to the
army to cut the gordian knot with the
sword? Has not the futility Of Commits
sioners been tested again and againf Is
an Indian Bureau any better than q
wooden one2 Have the churches proven
potent in their warm-hearted etioEtsf
Are the dwellers upon the frontier to be
left to, protect themselves Are the