The New York herald., 1879-10-31
The Indian Trouble-The Romance and
Reality OF Frontier Life.

| founded THIS empire had stern TASK
| Three great wars in one century, not to
| speak of the ever recurring small colonial
and Indian wars, might justify us in hold
ing high place among the nations founded
in blood and iron. 1t is said that our dry
life lacks in sentiment and romance, and
great thinker has sneered Mt our
progress as a process of swelling, not
sound wholesome growth. We question II
any history has more romantic episodes.
When we read the story of Josephine
Meeker, as printed in our columns yester-
day, and that of her venerable mother
which appears this morning we can see
that even in our railroad and bonanza age
there are romances which must move the
imagination of the world. This Is the
story OF an uprising, massacre and
captivity. The father of this family fell
victim to what we suppose history will con-
slider mistaken sentiment in regard to
the Indians. From what we know of.Mr.
Meeker he was an honorable, kindly
man, of culture and observation, who had
studied the Indian character from senti-
mental point OF view, and, having Puritanic
civilizing all men and teaching them the
beauty and dignity of labor. imposed his
views upon the Indians. Secretary Schurz
has borne grateful testimony to his integrity
and benevolence, and we can we'll be-
Heve that he went among the Indians rs
brother and friend. But he believed sincere
Kindness was implied in ploughs and irri-
ipn hn1 nix
him ut his word he would have proven to be
their trae friend, and in few years we
should have had settlements as prosperous
as those In our Indian Territory Indian
settlements, each chief sitting under his
vine and apple tree, and looking out upon
rich and ripening fields OF grain MIR.
Meeker suffered not for any sins OF his own,
but for the sins Of the tribe to which he
belonged, the tribe of Indian agents and
mercenaries, whose crimes have dalkened
so many generations of our history. What
was meant Tor their good the Indians re-
garded evil, and in mad hour they
turned upon these who were trying to bless
them and rended them to pieces.
This, in word, is the story of the
murder Of Mr.. Meeker and his COM
panions ut the agency. 1t seems
mistake on the part of Mr.. Meeker to
have pressed upon the Indians radical
policy. 1t was criminal neglect on the
part of the government to have abandoned
him to the consequences of this policy in
the fuce of his urgent and timely call for
aid. A prompt, careful government, hold
ing its authority we'll in hand, and with a
prudent eye upon its servants, would never
have allowed this man to be slaughtered,
especially when it had been warned Of his
impending doom. Josephine Meeker tells
us that the blow came like q thunderbolt
out of blue sky. The domestic offices
OF the agency We're going on in quiet,
homely way. The mother and daughter
were in the kitchen washing dishes.
Mr. Meeker was in his room, reading
or studying, as we fancy. He was man
| { fine literary tastes and took comfort
from his books even in his Rocky Mountain
home. ''We all ran to fathers ROOM" 'The
papers and books were just as he lett them.
'Pepys Diary lay open on the table" Mr..
Meeker probably left the opened volume at
Indians after the first moments Of massacre
took to plumber, and perhaps this pause
| led to the cllmer and wiser counsels to
which the ladies of their agency owed their
lives.
We dwell upon this with gratitude, be-
cause humanity is not often seen in Indian
outbreaks. The Indian rarely fights except
for torture and determination. 1t is to the
credit of Mr.. Meeker that he had SO far i'm
| planted the ideas of civilization in the
minds of his savage wards that they re-
| spected the sacred character of woman.
Mrs. Meeker. the venerable wife and
mother, was wounded, to be sure, but the
wound seems to have been accidental
There was evidently intention in the
savage mind to add dissertation to mas
sacre. But the fate of the ladies was
hard enough. The Indians were maddened
with whskey, and, considering that Mr..
Mceker was pronounced temperance man,
and did not allow whiskey in his agency,
the question might arise US TO the manner
in which alcohol was supplied. Night
came and the ladies were taken into cap
tivity. The mother, advanced in years and
wounded; the maiden, stricken with grief
and with fears OF u fate which n civilized
fancy would find it impossible to realize;
MAY Price, three years old" Mrs.
Price, and Johnny the baby" were
all carried off Terrible as must have been
the journey into the wilderness, we cannot
help dwelling on the brighter phases Of the
Indian character which Miss Meeker nc
knowledges The mother and tho baby
were taken to an Indians home by an Ind
ian. When Pursune went to fight the
soldiers he put Miss Meeker in charge of
his wife with her three children. An Ind