The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-13

troubles are correctly reported from WASH
ington it seems TO us to G taking an unior-
tunate view of an unfortunate affair 1t Is
natural, of course, that the Secretary OF the
Interior and the head of the Indian Bureau
should take the part of the Indians, who
are their wards. But it is not wise in them,
as guardians, TO be unreasonable. They
must conform themselves to the facts of the
situation, and to say or suggest that the
trouble arises out OF the desire OF the
Colorado settlers to get possession OF the
rich mineral and agricultural lands OF the
! Ute reservation is to take very one-sided
view of question which, in the interests
of the Indians, it is of extreme importance
to look at without prejudice
AS to the Immediate circumstances OF the
present outbreak, we suppose the Interior
! Department will admit that whatever rights
the Indians have they have no more right
than white men to take the law into their
own hands. 1t may be that the settlers are
eager to occupy the Ute reservation, and
that this aroused the jealous anger of the
Utes but that gave the Indians no right to
take up arms and to murder an Indian
agent. If they are wronged or threatened
with wrong they have not only the general
protection OF the laws but special and pow
erful protectors in the Interior Department.
They are not to be excused for beginning
course of rapine and murder any more than
white men would be; and when their
! friends urge the greed of the white settlers
| as an excuse for the Indian outbreak they
| 60 entirely too fur. If the Indians have
been wronged, let their wrongs be rem
| edied according to law. 1t is OF especial
importance that they should be taught this
by their guard ans; for this is of the essence
| of civilization.
| In the present case we have heard of no
charge that white men were the aggressors
! We have no doubt the Utes we're made to
ieel that the whites wanted to use and oc-
cupy some parts of their reservation, but it
is not asserted that any whites killed or at
tackled the Utes. In fact, the trouble began,
so lar as is known, through Agent Meekers
| ploughing some of the ground about the
reservation. and the Ute outbreak is simply
protest. with Winchester rifles, against
the introduction ofagricultural implements.
To turn the blame upon the white settlers
and miners is not just.
The Indians, it will be urged, had the
right of ownership in their reservation; it
was set apart for them by treaty stipulations
which the government is in honor bound to
enforce. We will not say anything here of
the oft exposed absurdity of treating with
q petty Indian tribe as though it were
nation. We accept the fact; the United
States has made solemn treaty with an
Indian nation; has given it large tract Of
land, called a reservation, and has engaged
to protect it thereon conditions, how
ever; and one OF these conditions is that
the Indian nation shall not make war on
us; but that it shall be o peaceable
and orderly neighbor. What then? The
Utes in this case have clearly violated the
treaty. They have attacked our people;
they have not only murdered individuals,
but they have made war against the United
States. They appear to have done SO with
out provocation, but even if they had suf-
fered wrong their treaty with us bound
them to peaceable remedies. 1t will not do
now to say that, after all, they are still en-
titled to their former treaty rights. They
have deliberately forfeited these. The gov
eminent may if it chooses resettle them on
their reservation; may reinstate them in
their former and forfeited rights; but it need
not do SO, and, in our Judgment, it ought
not to do so.
In the first place, the Indians ought to
be taught that a treaty must be kept by
them as we'll as by US, and that they cannot
violate it without losing all their rights
under it. In the second place, if, as we
have understood. the Ute reservation
is region as large as Massach usetts,
1t would not be proper to give back 10 the
Indians SO great a tract of country, in which
our own people wish to settle, when by
their own misconduct the Indians have
forfeited all right to it. 1t was O blunder
in the beginning to set apart SO large q tract
for the tribe; the continent is not big
enough to be so wasteiuly cut up. The
Indians must be made by the Interior De-
partment to recognize the TACT that their
hunting days are over. and that they must
now settle down as farmers or farm
| laborers. Treaties we must of course main
tain, but whenever they are broken by the
Indians it is tho duty OF the government
to take that opportunity for settling the
tribe which has thus forfeited its old rights
in a manner consonant with the new cir
| cumstances, which, whether kind-hearted
men like it or not, will inevitably force u
great change in the Indian policy.
The centre of the continent has begun to
feel the effects OF vast tidal wave Of emil
grafton. The rapid building of railroads
and the discovery of great mineral wealth
have drawn and are drawing to that hitherto
waste region great population of whites