Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-06-04
Unreasonable Savages.

The Orcgonian under the head
line of Something Wrong" pub
fishes the following letter from New
Tacoma, written by correspondent
which it endorses as reliable:
1t seems that some time ago Congress
| appropriated certain amount to cstahlis
a seminary for Indians Mt Forest Grove,
and as far rs / can learn Capt. Wilkeson
has had charge of it. lie came over here
boys to put in the College, and was
anxious also to obtain number of girls
for the same purpose. With that view he
sent Peter Stanup "a young 1ndiar) back
many could be obtained, and It is report
ed that the names of several were submit.
| ted and Wilkcson either came or sent for
them, but they refused to leave the RES
ervatiOn. WilkesOn then, 1t is said, APP
piled to General Nilroy, Indian Superin-
tendcnt, who gave him an order to take
the Indians to the College, and if necessa-
nv to use force to do so. This order was
taken to the reservation and several girls
were seized. taken prisoners. and carried
lege, notwithstanding the tears and pray
ers of the parents to leave them their
children. Some of the children mentioned
in the order ran to the woods and es-
caped and are hidden there now. The
old SrandmOthtr of one of the girls felt so
badly and cried SRI much about the grand
daughter that the agent had to lock her
IN in the "Sk0okum House" (prison) to
make hJr shut up" What a lovely
| Government! and then talk about red
belliOn against white men. From what
can learn the Indians all over the country
are excited about this matter and consid-
erably excited too expecting, as they. do,
that Mt any moment they are liable to losO
their children in the same way, and they
certainly have got as much affection for
| their children as white people.
The people of New Tacoma are consider
excited over the matter and look OH it AS
high handed outrage on the part Of
some one, and the matter will DO tn or
ougly sifted.
Gen. Milroy does not deny the main
statements of the correspondent !:
that an amount ,,$10, OOW has been
appropriated for establishing a semi
Larry ct Forest Grove to make q final
test of the capacity of Indians for
receiving liberal and useful educa-
ton; that an effort had been made
to obtain n due proportion of the
boys and girls necessary to inaugu-
rate The school from Puyalluy reser-
walton, the plan contemplating the
co education of the sexes, with q
view to their future intermarriage,
thus enabling them, in the fullest
sense, to serve as exemplars of civ
ilzation for the remainder of their
tribe. The full number of boys,
fifteen, was soon obtained, and Il
like number OF girls was promised,
but when this agent camo for them,
the parents refused to let them go.
This fact being reported to Gen.
Milroy, he issued al order that where
either the parents of the girls select
ed, or the girls themselves, were
willing to 60, the objection of the
other party should not hinder their
departure, but in all cases where
both the children and their parents
were opposed thereto, they should
remain unmolested. Four girls
were thus email led to fulfill the
agreement previously made. This
is the sum and substance OF Gen.
Milroy's offending.
II the Government intends to
spend more money in the fanatical
delusion that it can civilize the saw
age holdes OF the frontier, probably
the plan proposed is as good one
as any other, and a great nation
should not he thwarted in its philan-
thropic work by the tears of few
unreasonable parents or unregener-
ated daughters. We should bear in
mind that military necessity knows
no law, and the Indians are now
under the contro! of that branch of
the Sc rvicc.
-
IT remained for Delegate Brents
to verify the truth of the adaGe that