Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-11-21
On The Warmth.

Another Indian surprise and massacre
was inflicted upon the United States
soldiers last week. This time the aetco
Utes, enjoying the large reservation In
Western Colorado. made heattack, and
Major Thornburgh, who Last year did
good service in fighting the Chsysnnss.
was killed, together with eleven Of his
men. He had been sent with force Of
200 men to the White River region 10
settle disputes between the Utes and
the whites. When in Milk Greek
Canyon, twenty-five miles from White
River, he was surrounded by o supe-
rior force of Indians. There can be
little doubt that We are on the eve Of
another Indian war I; for this outbreak
IL not, as is asserted by some Of the pa
pers, the result Of Q local and unim-
portant dispute. At any rate, the death
Of Major Thornburgh and his men will
bring the Ute question sharply before
the public, and perhaps lead to q per-
manent arrangement a. to the vast and
valuable land they occupy. The Int
rior Department ct Warrington has ex.
pected trouble on the White River for
some time, and the Secretary last winter
asked Congress to preserve the honoro Of
the Government by keeping treaty obi
cations with these Indians.
The Utes are the most dangerous
mountain Indians Of the West. They
have name for pluck and sagacity in
upland warfare similar to the CEey-
ennes on the plains. In the wars be-
tween these two tribes each has been
successful on its own ground. Tho
Utes number about $500 persons, tho
smallest Of the three subdivisions living
on the White River, the scene Of the
present disturbance. The whole tribe,
however, is supposed to be united in
hostility TO the government. While
very fierce, they have all along kept the
confidence Of the resident whites. Rev.
DR.. r. r. Shipper, at the last annual
conference Of the representatives. Of the
Indian Missionary Boards, described
the Utes as "loyal people, Just, hon
est and humane" The high altitude Of
Western Colorado, he said, was one
disadvantage to their civilization, since
the early frosts usually damaged the
crops.
The cause of the Ute war is, in the
fret place, the want of faith in govern
mental promises. A year or more ago,
Peace Commission headed by Sena-
tor Morrill,, of Maine, promised them .
certain amount of money for portion
OF their reservation ceded to the United
States. Congress failed to make the
appropriation. In the second place,
gold seekers have latterly been bring
ing in from the mountains on this res
ervation very rich ores, and immigra-
ton, not unlike the Black Hills move
ment, has set in. To meet this diff
Guilty, Secretary Schurz first asked
Congress to buy the whole reservation,
and also to enlist the Ute Indians ~
auxiliary to the regular army both Of
which proposals were unnoticed BY
Congress. With the purchase money
unpaid, with the miner among the
mountains against the earnest protest Of
the Indian, and with the missionaries
and agents blowing up land that they
wanted for their ponies, il is not strange
that these savages are on the war path.
It is strange, however, that the War
Department should have allowed an
unsupported company Of soldiers to
penetrate those wild regions.
The Board of Indian Commissioners
in its last report, reviews the systematic
bad faith Of the Government toward
the Indians in the matter Of treaties,
If Congress had carefully read and fol-
lowed its advice, the present trouble
no doubt would have been avoided.
:" The simple and shameful truth u.s."
so the report runs, "that We have neg
lected and forgotten our part Of these
that we would keep faith with them.
have selected their tracts Of land and
made improvements, but have waited
nearly q quarter Of q century in vain for
the promised security Of title. We
cannot recover the millions Of treasure
lost, nor restore the lives sacrificed by
our broken faith, but we may deal
honestly and Justly in the future. ~.
Y. Examiner and Chronicle.