Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-07

or greatness. This IS the inevitable, and
must be submitted to.
JUSTICE TO THE INDIANS.
Politicians, statesmen and philanthropists
have had much to say of late years about the
injustice of the government policy toward
the Indians. They have pointed out how
the aborigines have been robbed by the
agents appointed to care for their interests;
how the ceaseless tide of white emigration
has driven them from pillar to post, until
they have now scarce foot of ground which
they can call their own in vast territory
of which they were until recently the sole
occupants; how excuses have been made for
occupying their richest lands, even at the
cost of exterminating entire tribes, and how
| in general bad faith has been kept with these
aboriginal owners of the soil. There is
much of truth in these accusations against
the whites, and the pleas for Justice
a strict adherence to the terms of the trea-
ties made with the Indians-is opportune.
We believe that if the history of the In
dian wars of the last half century was writ
| ten, it would be found that the cause of nine
| out of ten has been the wantOn violation of
treaty obligations by the government. 1t
has come to be regarded as fact that an
Indian has no rights that white man is
bound to respect. When the discovery of
gold was made in the Black Hills, the Sioux
were driven out, though the treaty of 1868
with that nation guaranteed them protection
in the possession of the territory. When
gold and silver were discovered in Western
Colorado the whites went in to occupy the
land without regard to the proprietary rights
of the Utes. The result has been the mas
sacre of the males at White River agency
and the utter humiliation of Thornburgh's
command that went to their relief, besides
fother outrages that the general public wot
| not Of.
And 80 it runs. Whatever the white man
covets that the Indian possesses is ruthlessly
snatched from him, and if the savage resists
outrage than any that has yet been perpe-
trated is in process of contamination under
the very eye of the government. The tract
of land now known as the Indian Territory
was long ago set apart for the exclusive oc-
cupancy of the Indians who had been driven
from their hunting grounds and wished to
engage in agricultural and industrial pur-
suits. It was argued that the settlement Of
whites within the territory should be for
hidden forever, the ground being reserved to
the red men and their posterity. With this
understanding number of tribes have set
| tied there, and have made substantial pro-
| gress in industry of all kinds, have estab-
lished schools, newspapers and churches, and
| are now in fair way to become wholly civil
lied. But Caucassion civilization has al
| ready reached the borders of the territory,
and, looking over the fair land, made fertile
by the industry of the Indians, the whites
have determined to appropriate it to them
selves. They propose to do it, however, I'M
der the form of law, and with that object
in view have had introduced into Congress
bill creating territorial form of govern
ment in the territory. Undesthe terms of
] t bill the territory will be thrown open to
white settlement under the same terms as in
other territories. AS soon as it shall pass
there will be mad rush of white settlers to
occupy the choicest portions of the land, and
in the midst of it the Indians will again
melt away or be driven from their homes to
l kIof Co
The Indians of the territory do not want
the establishment of the government pro-
posed. They have their own laws under
which life and property are as safe as in any
part of the country. They are con-
tented and happy, and have a
brilliant future before them if
they are only left to themselves. But if
they are again driven out all that has been
accomplished in tie way of progress will be
undone, and all hope of civilizirg the In
dams may be abandoned. AS it is, the
semi-civilized nations form good nucleus
around which the whole race may gather
and ultimately make their way to respect
able rank in the family of nations. They
are, at any rate, entitled to the rights
guaranteed them by the treaty. To estab-
lish territorial government over them
without their consent would be manifest
wrong-a violation of the most solemn
treaty stipulations.
We sincerely trust that the present Con-
gress will not lend itself to this scheme of
robbery and spoliation. The Indian terri
tory contains land enough to support all
the tribes of the West. They are being con-
centrated there as fast as they can be de-
spoiled of their reservations elsewhere, but
here they should be allowed to remain un-
disturbed and free from intrusion. Let Us
not add to the already large load of indig-
mites we have perpetrated upon the In
dams by this last browning outrage.
Long Lire the Globe.
| To the Editor of the Globe:
| The GLOBE, in its refusal to bid Tor the