Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-10-17
why we should have war with the Ban
nocks
| THE INDIAN HAS No PROTECTION UNDER TIE
LAW.

| why We SHOULD nave u war VIII the Ban
nocks
THE INDIAN HAS No PROTECTION UNDER TIL
| LAW.
But supposing that the appropriations Dc
admit of feeding the Indians well, and thai
the agent is a thoroughly honest and capa
bic man. there is now to be encountered {
new and greater danger The Indians have
absolutely no status for claiming protection
under our laws. Let me cite the case of the
Red Cloud and Spotted Tail bands OF
Sioux now living on reservations lying along
the northern boundary of this department.
am personally acquainted with the chiefs and
head men of these two powerful bands,
which aggregate somewhere from 10000 t.
$4,000 souls. believe that they are earnest
ly DESTROYS of remaining at peace, and they
| VIII remain at peace until aggrcssions goad
| them TO war You know to what IN extent
these two bands have been preyed upon by
organized companies of horse thieves dur
ing the past winter and spring alone they have
been robbed of over 1000 ponies Their
agents. DIR. Irwin and Dr. v T. McGillicuddy,
have been exceptionally jealous and capable,
but they have been utterly powerless to check
the evil complained of. Under the Posse
Commitatus' Act, the military arm of the
Government is paralyZed. The Sioux can't
understand anything about legislation in
military affairs-thcy don't want to under
stand it. All they know is that bands of
white thieves boldly seize their ponies and
drive them off, finding a ready sale for them
among ranchmen and cattle hcrders
For all this there is no redress whatever.
As understand the law, we cannot even
seize Indian property when found in the
hands of l. ,bi.unc Tho Iplian
owner has the privilege Of sueing for recov-
cry in the State courts, but this would prove
to he in most cases very shadowy con-
ISOLATION.
sit seems to me to he an odd feature of
our judicial system that the only people in
this country who have no rights under the
law are the original owners of the soil. An
lrishman, German, Chinaman. Turk or Tar
tar will he protected in life and property, but
the Indian commands respect for his rights
only so long MS he inspire terror for his
rifle.
I'VE have conscientious, able men inter
ested in the civilization of the aborigcnes,
but the system or want of system under
which they are working is a grave obstacle
to success
Between the advocates of the theory that
an Indian is incapable of good and the sup
porters of the antipodal idea that he will
never do wrong. the red man is in danger of
annihlation, of starving to death in the
centre of country which is feeding the
world with its exuberant harvests, or of
being killed for trying to defend rights
which the negro and Mongolan are allow
ed to enjoy
''The true, the only policy to pursue with
the Indian is to treat HIM just as one should
a white man if he make war upon our
frontier settlements punish him; but after
he has been reduced to submission protect
him in life and property. Keep white
thieves from plundering him let him see
that peace means progress that he has 4
market for everp pound of beef and every
hide, and every sack of grain, and my word
for it he will make rapid advances. Self
interest will impel him TO initiate us, to send
his children to school, to adopt clothing,
perhaps our language, and to devote his at
tentlon 10 raising cattle and horses and
eventually to qualify himself for citizen
ship.
AS affairs are now managed he has no en-
to save. When his horses and
cattle are big enough to be of service they
are diven off in herds by white renegades
when his wheat and corn and vegetables
are almost ready for the market his reserva-
ton is changed, and sometimes, as in the case
OF the Poncas, he is compelled to abandon
Were we TO treat some of our
foreign immigrants in such a manner it
would not take long to turn them into prowl- |
ing vagabonds, living by robbery and assas- |
sination. / remain very truly yours,
GEORGE CROOK.
''Brgadier General, [. 5. Army"