The Russellville Democrat., 1880-01-01
THE INDIAN QUESTION.

This office is in receipt of an ad- dress from some anonymous source, accompanied by a petition which reads as follows:
 To the President ofthe United States and to the Senate and the House of Representatives:
 We, the undersigned men and wo- men of the United States, resident in or near -. do most respectfully, but most earnestly request the Pres ident and the Houses ofCongress, to take all needful steps to prevent the encroachments of white settlers up. on the Indian Territory, and to guard the Indians Tn the enjoyment of ALL the rights which have been guaranteed to them on the faith of the Nation.
 This Indian question is . matter which demands careful, prudent and statesmanllke handling. We are in favor of the Indian having full jus tice and think he should be protect ed and guaranteed in all the rights and privileges to which he ought justly and reasonably to be entitled. We want our law makers to act fair ly and honorably with our red-skin neighbors. We want them to act humanely and christianity. At the same time we have no sympathy with the petition sent us, for it is in direct opposition, as we understand it, to any interference on the part of the United States Congress, with the present status of affairs in the Indian Territory.
 We believe the United States Gov ernment should so shape it's Indian policy as to bring that whole country and people into the Union, and place them on the same footing as other American citizens; and we think Senator Vest, of Missouri, is on the right track when he proposes to in troduce bill in Congress for the or ganizatlon of the Territory with a view to it's admission into the Union. It will be better for the Indians, bet ter for the c Government, better for all concerned.
 It can be done, and at the same time no injustice done the Indians. Old treaties which now stand in the way of civilization, progress, the ele- vation of the Indian, and the devel- opment of our whole western country, are not so sacred that they need not be superseded by other stipulations better for all concerned. If it is in the interest of civilization, of good morals and religion,--of enlighten- ment, of the general welfare and progress of our country, that little land not so very little, .either,) plat of Territory, within the very heart of the great west, shall be hedged ofl from the remainder of our domain and given up to little band of peo- pie one half of whom do not even know enough of civilization to wear the citizens garb; who do not and cannot cultivate one four -hundredth part of their lands; who do not make the development and progress in this scope of country in fifty years, that the anglo saxon would make in ten; then the object and intention of the petition may be good,
 The seperate existence and main tainance of a little independent pseudo Indian government, within the very heart of our republic. is in compatible with the interests of our country. The Indian, if he remains what he is, and the Territory occu. pied by hIm, is essentially and nee essarily part and parcel of our re- public, and should come under the same laws and regulations with the remainder of the people and territo " of this country. The Indians should be given homes, and guaran' teed in all the other rights, privi- legcs and immunities of other citi' zens, as soon as they come in and ac' quire sufficient acquaintance with our institutions to exercise the full prerogatives of citizenship. We arc opposed to holding and fostering them forever in 8 state of tutelage and semi civilization.
 The Western Methodist will bs issued regularly from Little Rock