, 1879-07-24

thor courage ana pfo"es8s
GEN. MILEs' CAMPAIGN.
Tho rocout tcrse iudorsemont by Gen.
suxnrpAy upon tho report Of Gen. MrLEs
that he anticipated brush with the Indians,
to the effect that Miles, waa anxious to got
into fight with tho Indians and that he
would not 1t "d-a quick, too" carries with
It more than appears upon tho surface,
though we may doubt whothor Gen. SuEn1'
DAN used such an emphatic oxpletiTa In hta |
forwarding Of the report to hts superior
officer. 1t is much moro likely that 10
uttered this opinion In private, md that 1t
has found It's way into print as au "ofllcial
uttoranco." But, whether official or unofll-
cial, It implies that Gen. SHERIDAN antici-
patos disaster from Gen. M1bEs' inpu'slva-
ness and from the disproportionato strength
Of bis little band ~ compared with the nttn-
bor of S1rr1aa BuII'a warriors, md this
yiev of tie situation is warranted
by the action Of tho Cabinet in deciding to
order Gen. ll1IEs 10 avoid co!iislen IT
uossiblo. Gen. SHERIDAN would Aavo naae
hfs Endorsement still more emphatic If ho
| had given expression 10 tho sentiment.
| WHICH u9 QuuUADtcauJ 1tA1ofSos %Aas .AAa' "s-
tack on SITTING Bunr's followers is entirely
unnecessary md unwiso, and TINT 1T II run
n,ue fearful risk without sufficient provo
cation. It has boon apparent oyer since
SrrrrNa Butt escaped Into English territory
that he Ia not desrons Of war, and that he
hns sought to avoid collision with o1'r
troops principally because 1e docs not wish
to smbroil hts English friends in trouble
with tho United Ststos, and again, because 10
long as hs and his Indians eau find
enough to eat they nre bottor eatfs-
fed to ren,nin in peace and lazi-
neBs than to be ont on the war-path. Indians
as well as wlitea must lavo food, aud when
eamo il scarce in one plAoe thoy must 60 to
another Tor it. In tho Saskatchewan terri
tory, whsro SITTING BULL is located, buffa-
loes aro no longer plenty, and when pursued
by the Indians naturally make thoir way
south across tho invisible boundary-lino into
tho narrow strip Of Northern Montana that
lies between aIii1s River, tributary Of the
Missouri. and the British frontier. " ,is
equally natural that the hungry Indians in
auost of food should follow tholn and kill
them upon our territory, with no thought Of
war and with no. other purpose than to pro-
or1rs food. That their raids across the Dor
dor hayo no other object In view is shown
by the advices Of our correspondent, which
: state that, on tho 9Th md 7th of tue
J present month, tho very Indians with whom
{ kf11Es' forces had their recent encounters
held ann-danos In which they maaa earnesi
8 appeals to tho Great Spirit, accompanied by
t self.inposod tort,ares OF tho rnost oruel do.
scriptiou, that He you'd soften the hearts oI
tho Americans towards them and drive tht
buffalo north into their country, so thai
they might 1.-Two. So long as the Indian!
= copf1no themselves to tho pursuit Of tht
= buffalo, and rcfrain from depreciation upo1
;, the settlers, 1t may woll be asked, What harm
y arc they doing? 80 long as settlers ar
> secure in life, and tlieir property is safe
why should Indians DO hunted down nnt
killed merely because they arc obtaining
F." food in thia far.od wilderncss2 Tho killinl
- Of buffalo, or, in fact, tho determination O
; buffalo, is not a sufficient cause for va
~ AGAINST their purkuors on tho other hand
It ID ono of tho surost methods OF Bel
- Ting the Indian question. It used to he
~ fayorito theory OF Gen. CHANT that the It
- diona uoyor would be ut complete ponce INT
- tho butFaloea were MI killed, aince thon the
y would bs obliged to como in upon til
W reservations and remain there In order
:" ~ obtain food, suporadded to this is til
~ ~ danger TINT this attack upon indians
-, ~ search Of food will arouao tho sympathies I
VI other Iadinus now disposed to bs friondl,
-. aud load 10 geuoral Indian war, which oa
- only result in an immonse expense to tt
~ ~ Government, an unnecessary sacrifice Of 1if
~ ant, probably second Escape Of tho Indla'
~. ~ into Engliah territory. The Cabinet HI
:, ~ notsd wisely in ordering Gen. Miles 10 ayo
~ a collision with the Indians. II any instr.
- -, tons aro SAINT to M11Es, 1t should 10 to a
~ ~ vauca in force against the buffaloes and K
~ ~. every one at sight. He-will sestls tho 1ndi'
~, -, question much quicker this way than
~, killing hungry braves. If he desires prom,
NV NV tio,n, he might be allowed it on proof III
."o l,o had o1terninatod tho last buffalo Oh tAo
- northern plalns.