The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-02-25

sustain. lnlS articIe comes ulreCJ Iroih
amongst those who see the doings of the
red man.
TO THE EpIroRs or THE RrcoRp--Lo,
the poor Indian How often do we see
this sentence derisively quoted in our
different papers and periodicals. Only
recently there appeared in caricature
in Hoyper's Weekly representing par
ty of Indians dancing around white
man, whom they had just killed and
scalped, and under it was written: Lo,
the poor Indian! The caricature was
intended to portray the sentiments of an
editorial on Indian affairs, wherein the
Indians were represented as men worse
than beasts, who deserved killing off in
stead of being well cared for by the gov
ernment, as the only returns they made
for our generous provision for them was
to butcher every unprotected white man
they could find.
Some years ago an eminent statesman
in speech on Indian affairs said: In
the beginning God made the land and
gave il TO the Indians Assuming that |
this is true, let us see what we have
done to gain the hatred of the Indians.
With the notable exception of the Will |
liam Penn treaty, about all the land the |
white people live upon belonged to the
Indians and was taken from them either |
by force or fraudulent means. We have |
driven them from their homes and the
graves of their ancestors we have
watonly destroyed the buffalo and other
animals which were food, shelter and
clothing to them. In exchange for all
the valuable land we have taken from
them. the Indian Territory has been Civ
en- them; and now, not satisfied with our
millions of acres OF unoccupied lands, we
wish to take that from them also. And
the few tribes which yet live upon their
ancestral soil are envied and steps are
being taken to deprive them of it.
Lo, the poor Indian! We have given
you cause to murder us. The amount of
our blood you have shed is no compen-
sation for the injuries we have done you;
and yet on every hand we hear the
Christian exclaim: Kill EN- all : Wipe
'em outy They're dogs They don't
know how to use the land If God
made the white man He made the In
dian. lie made the white man to live as
civilized being and the Indian to live
by the pursuit of the chase; but we have
deprived them of that employment, and
now comes the question: What is to be
done with the Indian? But before we
answer that question let us see what is
being done with them now. Our East
ern people and those of the West who
have had no opportunity to look at the
situation, will reply: 'Oh, they have
more than they deserve; the Crows re
ceive an annuity of 100000 per year
the Piegans $4,000, etc etc No,they
do not. They are supposed to receive
that amount, and the money is from tn,
u. s. Treasury to individuals who ar,
supposed to distribute it among them il
the shape of provisions, clothing ano
general merchandise. But repeal, they
do not receive that amount-probabl,
not one-quarter of it. Where does thi
money 60! Not being versed in the in
tricacies of political stealing cannot sa,
for sure, but the agents at heart know
because they receive the goods for tn
Indians, know the amounts and hoy
much they are worth; so we may safel
assert that the agents know of and con
nive the stealings. The Indians kno,
they are being robbed, for plenty o
white men talk with them about it; an
to my certain knowledge, many whit
men have advised certain Indians in thi
Territory to kill their agent in the hop
of getting better one. To my certai
knowledge, no blankets were issued t
these Indians last summer, and kno,
that their weekly rations lasted only fror
two to three days, when they were SUI
posed to have plenty to keep them unit
the next issue. And when the Indian
demonstrated with the agent on the stat
of affairs he would reply, Pooh, pool
Go away, go away! You have plent,
you have plenty! And then they woul
turn away with sinking heart and
fierce CLEAN in their eyes which bode
no good to the agent. If it were not fC
the buffalo and small game from whic
they manage to get scanty living, Go
knows what they would do, or whel
they would stop. There would be deaf
and desolation on many a hearth-stor
which burns with fancied secueity.
And row comes the question. VIII
are we to do with the Indianss Wekno
that they are not capable of taking cal
of themselves and battling for their liv
lihood with their sharp white brother
we know that as affairs stand at praser
they do not receive their annuities-a
nuities large enough to keep them in col
Portable circumstances the year roun
That being the case, let us suggest
change of Indian affairs. Let us
away with Indian agents and give {
United States army full control of {
Indians aud their affairs; then tn
would receive every dollar due the
show them how TO build houses; gi
them plows and farming implemen
some stock cattle and horses, and tn
will live peacefully and contented
That the Indians are anxious to live Il
way is evident to all who have talk
with them on the subject. Last SUNNI
several head chiefs of the-tribe cal
TO us in great excitement and said Il
they had heard that the reservation "
going to be taken away from them. '
assured them that it could not be dc
without their consent. With tears staI
ing in his eyes an old, white headed ch
stOou up alel saiu we uoh want
leave here. Our tribe has lived h,
since the great spirit made them. La
at those mountains. They have, be
fathers to us; we love them, and ,
eyes would ache if we could see tn
no more. Once we owned the wo
meaning the whole Northwest Tel
tory,] but the white man has driven
back and back until we can go no fur
er, and now we only own enough la
to live on. The buffalo are gone.
have no more use for our guns. We
now obliged to live on the white me
but they starve us. We are anxious
live like the white man. We want
have houses, cattle and potatoes. If
Great White Chief will only take aw
our agent and put soldiers in his pla'
IS he will give us what belongs TO MS