Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1878-07-06
THE HAMMOCK WAR.

The Grant County Times says that the Nal
huur Agency is completely deserted. Major
- ,gney found Offices and sturehouSes open
M everything lying around IN manner that
indicated a hasty departure of the inhabitants.
4 Mr.. Scott was sent to the Indian camp in
Barren valley to ascertain the cause of the
dissatisfaction Upon his arrival among the
Indians and asking the cause of their leaving
the reservation he was told by chief Egan that
they had been robbed, cheated and lied to
that all white men, but particularly Indian
agents, were liars, and that they would sub
nit to it no longer. They were going to kill
all the cattle they wanted, and would shoot
anybody who interfered with them.
Every house at Stein Mountain is reported
burned, and Smythe and his son, who were at
their ranch the night it was fired, are supposed
to have been murdered. One of the two white
men shot at French's ranch was MORALLY
wounded. The Indians took 400 horses worth
$4,000. Kingsbury, Roy, Smith and two
others, who were going from Harvey to Stein
Mountain at the time of the outbreak we're
chased ten miles. Doc Kyger escaped by
wading Malheur slough, distance of four
miles, in the night 1t is impossible to as
certain the number of people killed or the ex
tent of the depredations committed by the
hostiles.
The dwellers in the sparcely settled region
which has been thus subjected to the depreda-
tions of the Indians have simply been taking
the risk of living and prosecuting their bust
ness at the mercy of these umtamed and un-
tamable savages. The result is the usual One
A false sense of security has induced not only
carclessness, but in too many instances, a con-
temptuous and dishonest treatment of the In
5ians. The old story, as old as the days of
King Phillip, older than the settlement of
Florida, dating back to the times before Red
Jacket, Tecumsch and Black Hawk, has been
repeated. See how the Sioux raided and dew
astatod the fair fields of Minnesota and muir
dorod aud tor turcd its settlers fifteen or six
teen years ago. And yet, the Indian trader
and his mean, greedy ally, the authorized In
diam Agent, hesitate not to exaspcrate the red
men and give them cause of revolt All wrong,
al foolish, all nexcusabIe is our so-calcd In
dian policy. Our neighbors in the North the
British, have none of these Indian troubles.
9acl" first occupancy of the wilderness is
military occupancy Instead of weakly treat
ing with the Indians as equals and recognizing
then independence and their tribal conse-
qIcnce, John Bull deals with them in the only
way N which they can be safely dealt with
~ subjects and dependents under martial law.
Wa p"rpetuate the silly fiction and wretched
farce Of drum-head diplomacy over
the Old rigmarole of big talks, ludicrously
solemn treaties" and palavers about the
Grcat Father which is in Washington. Then
We proceed to deal with the Indians with even
moro dishonesty than a regimental suttler
deals with the enlisted men who trade at his
store; and when the cheated savages are
s:Oldod to fury We fad the entire country in
habited by our adventurous and enterprising
bordcrers, in a state of absolute want of pro-
lection against the willy foe. Then we begin,
mc;ser forces which we dignity by the name
If our "army." The course and final out
cone OF the ''wars" thus invited and COM
pelled, are only too widely known. Failure
aud loss OF life in the outset; inadequate force
from first to last; and finally another prepos-
ferrous treaty" Now all this is as wrong as
wrong can be, and as weak and shilly- shally
"a misconceived policy, starting from topsy-
turvy principles always is. Our army should
he large enough and so disposed as to subju-
gate the savages and hold them in awe, in adj
vance of the settler; and not only in advance
Of the settler, but so long as he is in any pos
sible danger of attack. AS TO the manner of
treating these savages it should be born of
plain, inhexible, undevitting justice. Any
other system is worse than vain Either the
Government should assert both it's power and
it's honesty in dealing with the Indians or
leave them alone. The existing policy only
invites discomfort and revolt, and then leaves
the settler to incur at the hands of the Indi- |
ans the indscriminate vengeance of a savage |
to whom all white men are alike, and being |
alike, are all equally treacherous, dishonora
bic and false of word and act
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