Daily Republican., 1880-01-20
A NOTE,
n wst the Utss Go?

the people would take the trouble I
make themselves fully acquainted will
the Indian question, they would fnt
that in most instances where they hav,
broken out and committed murders anc
excesses, they were for reasons which
those who now 80 vehemently condemn
them would have been excuses fol
themselves had they been put in the
places tle Indians occupied. We would
by no means justify or defend the In
dams who commit murder for the shed.
ding blood 10 terrible thing at any
time, especially the blood of innoct nj
men, women and children, but We hope
wa may be allowed to ask the Indians
have no real unredressed grievances
committed by the white people. In
looking at this question We have but to
consider that the Indians have been
driven step by step back from all the
fourishing Western States that were
once their possessions and where they
unmolested pursued the chase, unless
quarrels amongst tribes arose in their
own Indian fashion which were settled
in their own way, barbarous though
the plan may have teen, but yet not
more bloody than the plan which the
United States government has adopted,
10 punish Indians for their transg res
sions. Treaty after treaty has been
made with the Indians, but every time
with the loss of territory to them, and
every treaty pushes them farther back
into the Western wilds and unculti-
vated countries. 1t is not likely
that the Indians have any objection
to being left in the occupancy of the
wild game country for that suits their
nature, but it must be aggravating to
them to see that country getting less
every few years, and according t, the
course of human reasoning they
will after awhile have No country
which they can call their own, nor
ri !hts which are bound to be respected.
Pressing close upon their heels is an
avaricious and grasping population of
whites made up of venturOus spirits
not over scrul ulullus roc c0rscientious
in regard to the rights of others so they
but acquire lard ard wealth. That
colision between this alvance guard
of what is called civilization and the
In iians should o3cur is nothing more
than what might reasonably be ex-
pected, and then it is that the
strong arm fthe government is invoked
not only TO redress wrongs but to pun
ish the offenders in summary man
ner. Nearly every little outbreak that
res uits in the murder of one or more
white people, some of the latter no
doubt innocent, is made the pretext for
the abrogation of solemn treaty COM
pacts that had been entered into but
few years before and thus whole terri.
tories that had been set apart for the
exclusive use of the Indians have fallen
into the hands Of the seekers after gold,
silver and other sources of wealth. In
this manner were the Black Hills wrest-
ell from the Indians and the latter
pushei still further back into the |
Rocky Mountain wilds. OF course
the In1ians had no right whatever to
murder anybody but in the rush and |
graspipg after wealth, thought is seldom
taken of the causes which lead the In
djaps to commit murder. Now the cry is
raised that "that the Utes must 90" be-
cause of the murder of Agent Meeker,
and others who we're really friendly to
the Indians and were there to protect
them rather than to oppress them. The
murder was revolving and terrible, and
if the guilty parties could be canght
and tried, there is no question that they
ought to be hung. But what do we find
the government contemplating in re-
taliation for the murder Of Agent Nee.
ker? Nothing less than taking posses
sion of the Utes country, and their
forcible removal farther into the West
ern Wills. A delegation Of Utes head
ell by their Chief Ouray are now in
W. Wsshington, awaiting the plea3nrs of
the government, not knowing but that
they NAV be condemned to suffer the /
extreme punishment which should be c
inflicted upon the guilty parties. Ouray f
and his companions have done all they a
could to deliver up the murderers, 20
the government, but the guilty Douglas, t
the murderer of Mr.. Meeker. resolutely Y
refuses to come in and deliver himself t
up to be hanged. Douglas of course f
should be made to suffer, but he has y
first to be caught, and having refused {
to be allured into the meshes of the |
snare laid for his capture, it is in con- y
to punish the whole tribe, +
by taking from them their posses I
sions and bani-hing them from beyond /
the borders Of civilization. This will i
we think appear to many like severity. T
and reversing the saying that it is bet a