Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-16
The Ute Question.
COLORADO VIEW OF IT-C0NGRESS MUST ACT AT
ONCE.


ONCE.
Correspondence Of The !Sar.l
GOTHIC CITY. Gunnison CO.. COLI
December 26, 1879. {
1t is with surprise we read the proceedings of
Congress showing the want of knowledge of the
inevitable in the Ute question. / am within
few miles of the Ute reservation, and know of
the determination of the miners to enter that
country, against which the government will be
powerless to prevent Right or wrong, can the
government contend against the will OF the
great mass OF these western people? The in
centives urging the hardy miners to seek for
gold within the reservation are so well known
by those who have fearleSSly entered and pros
pected the land and are so numerous, that all
the force the government can accumulate will
not deter their march reXt summer. 1t WILL
perhaps, be the better. certainly the most eX
pedtiouS mode Of getting rid of the Indian.
But l regret the government does not. go with
the stronger force, and thereby endeavor to
benefit its wards. Certainly the valuable lands
now in the possession of tile UteS will be taken,
if necessary, by force by the miner
What was the government forced to do in the
Black Hills, but yield? There men carried out
by troops. returned at the first opportunity land
small parties warned against entering combined
with other parties, and laughing at the Indians
andthe equally pOwerleSS army made DeadWoOd
a city. True, five hundred men, it has been es-
timated were killed, but thousands followed in
their footsteps. SO with the Ute reservation.
The four hundred Indian warriors will be met
by ten thousand Welt-armeQ men. backed BY the
encouragement OF Colorado and every western
state. Let the army come and bring battle
against these fearless men. You will see the
ten thousand grow to one hundred thousand:
the state of Colorado in arms to protect its citi-
zens; every man able to get TO field OF action
ANXIOUS to come in conflict with Indians or
soldiers. The government will then have to
yield over its dead ward. What can the Ute
Indian know OF the great, excited force Of men,
held for the present in check by the winter
and the desire to give Congress a chance
in the game ready next summer to rush to the
land the riches OF which only we who have seen
it can conceive. assert that if no provision Is
made for the removal of the Indians, Or at least,
the opening OF the reservation to the public be-
fore the spring, the greed for gold will carry
thousands OF men. in opposition to any force
the government can use, through the Ute coun-
as well look this thing right in the face, and
knowing our people, not expect to find angels In
front1erSmen. The UteS must give their land,
and their lives, too, fear, from the present
action of our lawmakers, to the stronger and
better race. Colorado will be as just to the In
dian as to any man, and will give him the same
privileges any other miner possesses. He may
stake his claim and work it, with the certainty
that the miners near him will give full protec-
ton; but he cannot hold, what no other man in
the United States can possess, thousands OF
acres Of valuable mineral land without a patent,
in opposition to the rightS-call 1t what you
useful
My object in writing this letter is to inform
you of coming events, and If Congress does not
Immediately make provision for the Utes, the
death OF that tribe will result.
Yours sincerely, R.C.