New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-02-13
ANnrHER SHEPHERU.S FOLD.

Whether Mr. Cowley was guilty or not re-
mans to be proved but one thing is certain,
that in this matter of justice to the helpless
the American people are very nearly right.
They find it hard to forgive wrong to little
children. 4 hot food of indignation swept
over the whole country at the story OF these
| poor little ones, for whose support the State
paid, but who were left in the power OF one
man to abuse or starva if be chose. There is
not woman that has heard it whose heart has
not been wrung with pity for these babies.
nor an honest man who, if COwley be guilty.
would not gladly see him punished. This case
may be considered rs settled the children are
safe now, and Cowley, whether guilty or in
noccnt, will no doubt get his just deserts.
There is another Shepherds Fold, however,
which THE TRIBUNE recommends to the in
gpection of this just and generous public.
| The people are paying for its support, not
SIS, 600, asin the Cowley asylum. but 81. 100000
yearly. We wish to submit a few facU IN
this case to the grave consideration OF our
readers. We have no wish to rouse POPULAR
preudiccs or partialiies, but simply TO state
the actual condition i'll which the law llaces
this enormous National charity, that thu peo-
pie who pay so high price for Its support
may iudge whether this condition needs hitter
| alton or not.
First: Very few of our readers probably
| realize the startling fact that in this freq Re-
public. from which we have abolished slavery
| there are 275000 men and women whom the
| law does not recognize In any sense as human
| beings These are not foreigners nor convcts.
The United States Government throws its
| protectiOn around the person and property OF
| the heather Chinaman and the murderer cs-
capped from foreign prison, though neither
is An American citizen. Even the poorest field
hand. in the old slavery times, had some show
of protection from the law. But the original
owner of the soil, the man from whom we have
taken the country, in order that We may make
of it the refuge Of the world, where all men
sbould he free If not equal, is the only man
in if who is not recognized as entitled to the
rights of a human being. Judge Dundy, In
the United States District Court Of Nebraska
pronounced the Indian to be " a person " last
wear for the first time in our history but the
United States Government contested the point
then. and his decision is not acknowledged by
if now. Do our readers clearly understand
what it is not to DO legally ga person :"
These 100000 men and women rank legally
precisely as 100000 COWS or horses would
do. They are wholly in the hands OF
two or three men in Washington called
a Bureau, who (by law have more absolute
control over them, their property and lives
than the Gar of Russia has over any of his
subjects. We have not word to say, person.
ally, of these men. We leave it to our readers
to decide whether it is safe to put such auto.
cratic power in the hands Of any two or three
individuals. The enormous frauds. the bruta
cruelties, the wars which we owe to this
Indian Bureau, will probably help them to an
intelligent opinion.
Secondly: The people are not to blame il
this thing. They want to be just to th,
Indian. They have given and give mlllionl
to support him (they are only beginning
now to have pretty clear ide;
what proportion of that money ever Wen
I to hm). They ask, impatiently, why, afte
all that the churches have done for him. Is h,
D not civilized Why does he not go TO farm
ing, trading, turn shoemaker, carpenter, etc.
Let us see why. Not being "a person." thu
Indian cannot own foot of land, no matte
if his forefathers have lived on it for centu
ries no matter if he try to buy it by cedint
his claim to ten times its value ; no matter i
he have farmed it, thinking it his own, sine
he was n boy he cannot own the house h
. has built with his own hands, or the stool
and household goods which he has earned ant
paid for by hard work. The Bureau at Wash
ington can order. and does order. hm {,
give these up at an hours notice. What en-
enlargement would a white man have t.
ago to farming" under these circumstances
. Again, an Indian cannot buy or sell to an,
one except the trader appointed by the Bureau
S under a penalty of imprisonment for si
G months. The trader puts his own price Oh
r the goods he sells and the goods he buys
q The whole tribe are forced to trade with hin
S alone. What encouragement Is that for then