The daily gazette., 1880-01-13
Washington Letter.
THE NEGRO POPULATION IN WASHING
ToN-ULULATING vAGRANT HIGH
WAYMEN-ARRIvAL OF UTE CHIEFS
THE POOR INDIAN SENTIMENT.

THE NEGRO POPULATION IN WASHING
ToN-ULULATING vAGRANT HIGH
WAYMEN-ABRIvAL OF UTE CHIEFS
THE POOR INDIAN SENTIMENT.
From our regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Jan. IL, 1880
Under the shadow of church, within
a stones throw of the palatial residence
OF the British Minister, and but a short
distance from "Castle Stuart" now in
ruins, young grocer was murdered last
week for the paltry sum of four dollars.
The occurrence has created a profound
sensation, and on SUNDAY the scene of
the tragedy was visited by thousands,
who looked upon the blood-stained
pavement, and mused upon the insecure
ty OF life even in this age of civilization,
aud in a populous capital. Why this
murder should be more talked about
than the many 9th RS that have been
committed in the city is not easily ex-
planned, except upon the well-known
TACT that communities will apparently
tolerate the grossest outlawry for long
time, but will finally be shocked, by
some deed Of peculiar atrocity, into
wreaking vIcarious vengeance on the
perpetrators. The murderers are sup
posed to be four negroes, now under ar
rest. 1t is TO be hoped that no other city
has such an excess of worthless, idle,
vicious, colored people as Washington.
Nine-tenths of the busine of The police
court is supplied by this class, and it is
known that many of them, too lazy to
work, commit pet y crimes for no other
purpose than TO secure food and lodging
in a Jail, from which they emerge sleek
and fat, prepared for new adventures.
Able bouied colored men intest the
street corners, with shoe blacking appa-
ratus for an excuse for livelihood, con-
tent to earn 10 or 20 cents per day, and
happy in the lack of employment that
enables them TO joke and gossip with
their friends, when the weather is too
cold for the preferable pastime of doing
in the SUI. These lazaroni caunot be
induced, by the oller of wages, to tackle
heavy work, and not Italy or Spain can
show more idle or worthless class.
The four that have been arrested formed
a singing quartette, which, during the
past summer, paraded the streets at
night, serenading on the corners, and
passing hat for pennies at the end of
their performance. No one who has
lived long in Washington but is familiar
with the hideous music of these nlulating
vagrants, and they should have long
since been arrested AS disturbers OF
sleep.
Ouray and his Ute chiefs arrived yes
teIday, aud have been quartered in a
second-class hotel. They come to secure
better terms than hanging for the muir
derers aud ravishers OF the Meeker fami-
ly. When we consider the ignorance
and savageness of these people, it seems
absolutely absurd that we should make
treaties with them or consider them as
politically intelligent entities. There has
been a great deal of sentimentalism,
now happily declining, in the press, and
pulpit, and Congress, about the rights
and wrongs of the "poor Indian" If
the history Of civilization for the last
G000 years teaches anything, the lesson
is that Tue tools belong to those who can
use them, and the soil Of this beautiful
earth to those who SOW aud reap. With
sentimental people the tiger may have
right to his native jungle, but the same
necessity that 10 extirpating him with
bullets, charged with explosive poison,
and transforming the jungle into gar
den, is at work ON our frontier, aud has
been at work for three hundred years, in
benificient slaughter of tigers, from
jamestown aud Plymouth Rock, to Col
orado. The fttest will survive in spite
of obstructive romantic sentimentalism.
1t is the law OF nature, the law of God.