The New York herald., 1879-10-03
Our Endless Indian Warx-rhe Latest
Ambuscad and siaushter-Need Of

Is it not about time that these appalling
and narrowing tales Of Indian surprises
and Indian butcheries should be stopped
and their constant repetition be made i'm
possible? Had they happened but once,
had they happened but twice or thrice,
they might, by stretch of charitable
construction, be regarded as the mis-
fortune, and not as the fault. the scandal
and the disgrace of the government. But
when the same old humiliating story Is
perpetually repeated-the everlasting story
of government troops surprised and out
numbered in the Indian country, and heca-
tombs of brave men sacrificed as victims OF
a narrow minded and niggardly economy =
when this disgraceful story is repeated,
not ut long intervals, not once OF twice in
generation, but year by year, with hideous
and revolving uniformity. the time has
como for denouncing, with all the strength
and icrvor of thoroughly aroused and out
ragged popular sentiment, tho miser-
| able bastard economy which Is the
inexhaustible source OF these Indian
ambuscades and these horrible slaughters
of brave and deserving mon, whose blood,
so needlessly spilled, cries from the ground
against the absurd Indian policy which
cannot see an inch before it's nose. Who
are the real murderers? Are they
the Indians, who act on the hereditary in
stincts of their race, or the government
which exposes its citizens and soldiers, year
after year, to an everlasting series OF un-
,1J A.,
of savage WARP"
Hardly II briof two months have passed
since, with impressive and mourniul cere-
monies, monument TO the brave Custer
was consecrated Mt West Point. Why did
the brave Custer and all the men of his
gallant command fail victims to an Indian
massacre, none escaping to tell the horrible
tale? It was because the government had
not troops enough in tho Indian country.
Why did General Howard, two or three
years ago. make SO lame and impotent IL
campaign against the Bannock Indians
under Chief Joseph in Oregon? 1t
was because the government had not
troops enough in the Indian country.
Year in and year out We have unceasing
repetitions of the same sickcning tale OF
massacre and horror-the needless sacri-
fee OF brave officers and gallant soldiers
because the government has not troops
enough in the Indian country. The
recent ambuscado and massacre near the
Milk River could not have happened If
Major Thornburgh, the highest in rank
of the victims, had been able to
advance against tho Utes with an
adequate force. We nbsurdly allow
the Indians to give us checks and
gain advantages, we absurdly supply them
with opportunities for circulating among
age and infame the spirit of resistance by
the failure Of the government to maintain
troops enough in the Indian country.
In dealing with fierce, warlike tribes like
our native Indians the all-important thing
is to keep them confronted with so i'm
posing superiority of force as to render
resistance hopeless. The preposterous
false economy of keeping the govern
ment troops and the Indian warriors
about equally balanced is perpetual in
centive to Indian wars. The warliko spirit
flows in the blood of those savage tribes !;
their hearts beat wildly ut the sound of
the war whoop; with anything like an
equal chance they would infinitely prefer
to fight than 10 eat. To confront them
with n weak resistance, to keep in the
field against them SO small body of
troops as to put them on terms of real or
iancied equality, is the sure method of
making Indian wars perpetual by enabling
the hostile tribes to count on as many VIC
tories as reverses in these incessant strug-
giles between barbarism and civilization.
1t is absurd for great government, like
that of the United States, to lower itself to
position of military equality with the
savage tribes on the Indian frontier. The
| superiority of force on the side of the gov
ernment ought to be so great and ovor-
! whelming as to make resistance by the
Indians utterly hopeless. There would
then be an end Of these sad and sickcning
| tales Of massacre and horror of which the
uniform purport is the overpoworing of n
few companies of troops by outnumbering
Indians. Our government is constantly
sowing the seeds of new Indian wars by
the false and niggardly economy that
permits the savages to gain victories
every year which feed the hopes and
inspire the courage Of the Indians.
II the government maintained sufficient
body of troops in the Indian country the
Indians would be overawed and discour-
aged, and these endless tales OF ambush,
surprise and massacre would no longer be
sent forth from tho Indian country TO har-
row the public mind and disgrace the goy-
ernment.
A great deal might be said, and said with
pertinence, respecting the provccations 20
these perpetual Indian wars. No doubt
tho Indians are constantly cheated no
doubt the treaties with them are
constantly violated no doubt the
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