Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-17
TIE SAN DIEGO INDIANS.

In our issue of last Saturday we gave
some extracts from letter written by W.
NJ. Smith, District Attorney of San Diego
county, to Governor Perkins, in relation
to the San Diego Indians. Mr.. Smith de-
sired to ascertain if the Secretary of the
interior could not be induced to do some
thing for these unfortunate creatures,
whose condition is burning disgrace to
our boosted civilization, and adds fresh
discredit to our Infamous Indian record.
Mr.. Smith writes that these Indians "have
g been driven gradually from the grants
6 into the valleys by the grant-owners, and
later from the valleys into the brush
g on the mountains by pre-emptioners, and
d" now have neither land to cultivate nor
- game to hunt, and are left TO pillage and
steal, or starve." a few years ago an
effort was made TO secure some equitable
arrangement for these San Diego Indians,
OF whom there are from 2, 500 TO 3. 600,
and at that time their whole history was
exhibited, showing how they had been
robbed, and oppressed, and driven from
pillar to post by every one. Spaniards,
aud Mexicaus, and Americans have in turn
ill-used them, and so utterly were their
rights thrust out of sight that in max
ing transfers of the land they .occu-
pied, and which was theirs even in far
higher and truer sense than can be alleged
on behalf Of any subsequent holders OF it,
it was not thought necessary to make any
reference to them, and their homes were
coolly given away or sold from under
them, with as dense a disregard for their
existence as if they had been mere te,a
nature They are, unfortunately for
themselves, peaceful, docile, gentle race.
Had they been frm and capable of
protecting Themselves had they been
warriors, and able to avcnge their own in
juries, Congress would long since have
given them reservation. But because
they are not '' bad Indians, because they
endure suffering without going on the war
path, they have been continually put upon,
and at last every means of livelihood is
taken frsm them, and they are reduced to
the simple alternatives OF theft or starva.
ton. And now, because it is quite i'm
possible for them to endure any more it
is sought to have something done for
them. II they could have lived on
a,orns like hogs, if they could have been
kept out OF sight, they would doubt
less have been suffered to perish !;
b3t there is danger now that they viii
Iather steal than starve, and so another
effort is made to persuade the Government
to bestow lev minutes of attention upon
these its cruelty betrayed and abandoned
wards. Mr.. Carl Schurz is an educated
AMI an intelligent man. We should like
to know what he really thinks of the mon.
st-ous intamy Of the whole record of the
Interior Department, and particularly what
he thinks Of this latest illustration OF that
infamy. Is it really impossible TO set even
such scant Justice done to these miserable
wretchcs as may prevent them from sink.
sng INFO hopeless thieves, or dying of
starvation, And if it is impossible to do
this must it not be admitted that our sys-
tenn Of government is failure in some of
its most important details, and that its
pretensions to equity and honor are hide
oas and abominable mockeries Let us
hear something from the talented and en-
lightened Secretary of the Interior in re.
gard to the chronic neglect of these San
Diego Indians, even if it be an admission
of the impotence of the Federal Govern.
ment to do ANYTHING it ought to do.