The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-03-29
INDIANS.

The American Indian is not pretty at
short range; distance is required to give en-
chantment TO the picture. He is not good
hardly ever Oscar Wilde has expressed no
special desire TO lecture before an audience
of Utes or Apaches. Still, the American
Indian, the ward of the Nation, is an ex-
pensive luxury as the official figures demon
strate beyend all controversy. The Anglo
Saxon march across the continent from the
starting points, Plymouth Rock and James
town, has been majestic. The Indian has
retreated slowly toward the setting sun,
until finally he can retreat no further. He
is denied the privilege of approaching the
Pacific Coast, and hence has no
jumping OFF place. As a consequence
there is nothing left for poor Lo but to take
civilizing medicine, wrap bis blanket around
him and lie down to pleasant dreams. Bat
even this he does reluctantly. The Indian
civilizes down hill. 1t is possible to elimin-
ate his savagery, but it has never been shown
that anything worth pinch of snuff can be
made to take its place. A civilized Indian
is neither useful nor Ornamental, beautiful
nor true. As q savage, ne is a magnificent
target; and dead in his feathers and paint,
has always been regarded by frontiersmen
an object of interest The Government is
now trying various methods for lettering
the condition of the Indian. So far only one
method has proved entirely successful. As a
general proposition the Indian won't work
Hence he is of little account in the
A.. II.
he is a dead failure. AS politician, he has
not been sufficiently tried to enable the
bosses to arrive at conclusions of any sort,
though as a stump orator he has OCCASION
ally been a success. AS a savage warrior,
he fights well and when in pursuit OF game,
is equal to any emergency and challenges
the admiration OF the world. The Ameri-
can wants to be let alone. He don't want
to be civilized. Unfortunately, he can not
be accommodated. The aggressive Yankee
is forever stirring him up, pushing him
aside, taking possession of his lands, fright
ening away the game from his forests and
in many other ways making his life bur
densome. As a consequence, the ward
of the Nation" occasionally goes upon
The war path, gathers up all
his resources Of savagery and
fights for his home, for his possession
for his rights-and when so engaged the
Indian, if not grand, is by no means con-
temptible During the past ten years the
Government has had q number of Indian
wars, costing in money, according to the
figures of the War Department, s. .05S, s2l.
THE Modoc war of 1928 cost only 1885,
600. The war in Texas, in 1875, cost only
1861. A more expensive trouble was that
with the Sioux. in 1867, which ran up a
bill Of 81, S94 36l. In 1877 there was diff
Guilty with the Nez Perces, costing 1915, 0S2,
and the next year s567, 81 were spent in
the Bannock war The conflict with the
Northern Cheyennes, in 1889. cost $34, 200
while the attempt in 1879 to subdue the
Utes involved an expenditure of 81, 192,6s2
In the same year 50 All were spent in con.
trolling the Sheep Eaters, and 1881, with
the Apache difficulties not overcome, the
expense reached $i3S,500" But these
figures represent but fraction of the
expense TO which the Indian subjects the
Government. He has TO be continually
watched The American army has EN-
pIoyment but to keep Indians quiet or kill
them if they become belligerent. The War
Department says:
The aggregate cost Of ell kinds Of service by the
United States Army west Of the Mississippi, In
which part of the country there was no proper
occupation for the soliiers but Sighting or police
duty on Indian account, was, for the last ten
years, SOS, 474,759 This has been the cost OF