Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-07-18
The Homeopathic Method.

The latest proposed method 1or
wiping out the Indian difficulties is,
to treat the evil as Hanneman pro-
posed to deal with human diseases
when he promulgated his famous
theory of " .SimiIm stmilib"S c"rd"-
fur:" in other words, 10 give the In
dian a dose of Indian. 1t is no new
thing among the nations OF the
earth to subdue barbarous tribes by
sending against them armies, the
rank and file of which consists OF
their own people, Offered by dis
ciplined men.
The ancients we'll knew the worth
of this principle and history abounds
with the accounts Of conquests which
never would have been consummatcd
but for the working out of just such
a policy. Some of Caesars most
brilliant victories would never have
been gained alone by the disciplined
Roman soldiers under his command.
He carefully studied the proves of
savage tribes, and by every possible
means, turned its potency to good
account. Rome would never have
become mistress Of the world had
she not studiouslv planned to con-
vert her conquered hordes into con
uuerels. See how it is with Eng
land, to-day. She is nominallv the
ruler OF millions of foreign subjects
and actually holds them in check by
armies drawn from their own num-
bers. As is we'll known, the army
of Great Britain in India, is largely
composed OF natives, with reserve
forces of English troops, comHand-
ed, of course, by the best talent that
the military schools at home can
send into the field. What we have
said of England could be said, in
the main, of Russia. Most of the
other European powers have no such
crude material on their borders to
deal with, and hence do not furnish
us proper examples.
Now comes the grand question
that underlies all we have thus far
said, viz: Why should not the United
States Government pursue similar
policy with the Indians on the plains
and along the frontiers of the West
ern States and Territories? Let it
be once announced that our Govern
ment would receive Indians as re-
cruits to its armies in the Indian
service, and their number would be
legion. Let it 10 Indian against In
dian, instead of Indian against white
man. We believe nothing would suit
the redskins better Their known
ability rs scouts is unquestionable
-and acting in that capacity, they
are the terror of ali military science
and discipline. From the days of
the Revolution to the present time,
the cunning, perfidy and cruelty of
Indian scouts have been the terror of
our armies. This is the ruling eIe-
ment in all Indian warfare. tits the
constant dread of our bravest SOL
diers and the stumbling block of our
best seneralship. The polish of
military tactics is not proof against
1t, nor has an adequate specific for
its terrors ever been proposed. 1t
was savage scouting party that
plucked the lamented Young Prince
Imperial from the flower of the En-
glish army, and riddled his royal
body with ghastly wounds. AS soon
as British strategy succeeds in so
demoralizing portion of the Zulu
chieftain's forces, and using them as
auxiliaries, SO soon, and not till that
time, will the English army come
of victorious in Southern Africa.
Thrice better would it be, then,
Tor our Government to employ
friendly Indians to pursue and fight
the hostile ones. We believe the
policy to be entirely practical in the
large sense, and once inaugurated,
much precious blood would be saved
at home. In the war of 1912, the
British army possessed most efficient
Indian auxilliaries. Cannot we do
the same?
IKE New York Tribune has author
ity for declaring that the foreign de-