National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-10-06
THE INDIAN PROBLEM.


States to consider with candor and common
sense the serious question how we shall
deal with tho Indians and avoid wars. We
are among those who believe and have long
believed that the aborigines of this conti-
nent have from the first advance of civiliza-
ton upon them been more sinned against
than SHINING" The Government and the
people have not kept faith with them us
they should have done to secure confidence,
good will and good fellowship On their part
This is the secret Of most if not all the
dangers and troubles that have grown ont
of our relations with the Indian tribes who
were original possessors, under q title deed
from the Creator, of all this domain of
which we are now so proud to call our own
country.
We assume, and we think impartial
history will justify the remark that the
Indians have seldom, If ever, been the first
to violate any treaty honoraby made The
aggressions have uniformly come from the
whites, either through failure ON the part
OF the Government, or trespasses by citizens
and soldiers of the Government. The con-
tract and trader license system has uni.
formly been characterized by systematic
fraud upon the Indians, both as to quantity
and quality of the Government goods--pro-
vided they got them at all-and then they
are cheated out of what they produce them
selves Our attention has been called to
one instance where physician, who left q
| $4,000 practice for an Indian agency ut
1880 per annum, who is now n wealthy
contractor, and has held several lucrative
positions all of which brought grist to his
mill. Since he left the agency he is
said to have made the best speech ever
delivered on Indian frauds, as he knows
how it is himself
We are of opinion that it is not an act of
| injustice to remark in this connection that
the pending Ute trouble is due largely if
not entirely to the failure of the Indian
Department to perform its duty faithfully
and fearlessly. We infer that n thorough
knowledge of this subject and its proper
presentation to Congress is all that is ne
cessary to fasten the guilt where it properly
belongs. Why this has not been done is n
problem that we do not propose now to
solve. This difficulty with the Utes has
been brewing for years, and the opinion
prevails that the Indian Bureau are fully
aware of that fact, as we'll as of the causes
which have led to it. Troops have been
sent upon their reserva tion against the pro-
test and warning of the Indians that they
would fight if their domain was invaded by
them. They made no war upon the mes
senger who visited them, but their hatred
and aversion to United States troops lead
them to construe their presence as an act of
hostility, which they have promptly
resented. Through LOWRY conference
could have been held, and the commander
of the troops could have ascertained
just how far he could go without offense OF
danger. There was no call or iustif cation
for this fresh invasion of the reservation Of
the Utes by the troops-indeed, they had nc
more right there than the miners. The
commandant of the troops knew of the
existing dissatisfaction among the Indians
on account of the invasion o their domain
He understood the character of the Indians
and should have been well-in formed, or at
of their complaint before moving upon
them with force fully equal to all they
could muster, and that, too, without explana.
tion or understanding. Mr.. MEEK Err
the agent, and his corps should have re-
ported the pending difficulties to his de.
pa rtment, and if it failed to meet the emer
gency, then he should have resigned and re-
tired, leaving the entire responsibility Of
the matter where 1t properly belongs.
1t is alleged that General SHERMAN has
indulged in the remark that we must
punish these people, without any regard tC
the equities of the case, as they appear o.
record, or their right to resist arms ed inva,
sion The inference from such a remark il
that General SHERMAN is of that class who
believe the only good Indian is the dead
one. Thus far in the history of our Indian
wars another remark of the General, that
"thcy always get the best of us OH the start"
has been fully justified. This will no doubt
prove the case when they are met on equal
terms Thus Ear the Indians have shown
themselves fully our equal-man for man
Even under the oyerwhel ming policy each
dead Indian has cost two dead white men
at q money cost of 100000. This is thC
economy of our Indian policy.
is there no remedy for all this? There
certainly ought to be. 1t would seem to
be wise to try the experiment of recognize
ing the right of the Indians to life, liberty
"and the pursuit of happiness" in thei
own way, so long as they do not trespass
upon others. Then, again, 1t would be well
; perhaps, to adopt a policy under which W,
shall keep perfect faith with them, without
cheating and lying to them, and alst
keep all traders, licensed and unlicensed
away from them, as well as all whites moi
necessarily connected with the agencies
Let the agents ship their peltres to the
Government agent, and there be sold fol
their market value and the proceeds be re
turned in useful articles, or such as the In
dians order Punish every contractor
agent or merchant detected in delraudinl
in quantity or quality of goods, Thes
experiments might, perhaps bring peac
with the Indians, of which there is no guar
antee under existin policies.