The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-05-01
THE INDIAN IN CONGRESS.

sickness which, at uncertain intervals, breaks
out in Congress. We have again arrived at
that period when we are assured that the In
dian troubles, like a green botle-ty in fly
time, are to settle down at last. It's simply
disease. We long waited for the peace agent
of the Interior department t. be relieved of
the IMMUNITY with which he plundered the In
dian reservations, and for Io to be restored to
the exclusive care of the army. But some
thing went away under the whip of the Con-
gressional lobby or gold of the great rings,
and the army failed to recover its ward. AT
another period he was assigned to pastoral
homes, and it was announced that the step
from savage to pastoral life had been discov-
cred to be on the straight road to civilization.
"rhe Indian" said the pastoral statesman,
twill not bend to the drudgery Of agriculture,
but takes to herding with much unction.'
Yet the pastoral Indian has not become rec
ognized factor IN the industrial progress of the
country, nor are the traditional pony and gun
weakened as domestic institution of savag-
ism. He has not advanced nor retrogaded
since the Indian wars, old series, were fought
out, and the peace policy" inaugurated, 50
years ago. which first brought him, barefoot
pilgrim, into prominence as Christian neo-
phyte. lie traversed under priestly care, the
fields and pastures Of the Old Testament, as
a sententious canine traverses mire grunting
peace and content, and by his guide was re-
ported at the Federal Capital, as prepared for
the methods of the New. But Lo continued
to take his chance of propitiating the Great
Father with the scalps of two or three hun
bred woman and children yearly rather than
take ticket in any Christian Precipitation.
This was natural and reasonable: but it led the
country to prefer that the aboriginal philan-
thropist should take the place of the aborigi-
nal Christian, and to desire the postpone
ment of his conversion to that indet-
mite time when nature should open
charity department in some part of his ca
pacious interior. Such is still the situation.
The senate has now passed an Indian sever
conquest of Indian citizenship, and send the
red man straight on the road toward the dizzy
moral heights of politics. But it is simply the
green bottle-fy again, on little rest. 1t is
very commonly known out Of Congress that
the Indian will not accept severaly. 1t is al
ready failure, and no bill that Congress can
- lace than failura II c q c
practicable to make Lo president of bank
as owner of his own land with any view to adj
mnisration; and the bill itself recognizes this
fact, for it provides that the government shall
keep him from disposing of his land for glass
of whiskey by holding it in trust for him for
p years.
1t is not legislation that is wanted with the
Indian. lie is bad enough, but no woIse
than the white man would be in his situation
and treated as he has been. Let the next eX-
pertinent of the government be more novel
one than the severafty plan Of making him 4
citizen. Let it try the experiment of keeping
faith with the Indian. Let it call off its
agents that, for more than thirty years, with
undertaking rascality and unstinted plumber,
have pursued him, have corrupted and de-
PRAYED him, to make him their easy prey.
Let it cease to drive him from reservation to
reservation in utter disregard of vested rights,
that sacredly belong to him-and were con-
ferred by itself in the solemn form of treaty
at the instance of the supple robbers, who
wherever he is driven, still follow and, what
ever he acquires, still steal it from him. Let
it try the plan, which seems never to have
been thought Of unless by some recluse, of
protecting the Indian in his rights. And let
the country see to it that Senators do not de-
clare in their places in the U. S. Senate that
sit is ridiculous to talk about regarding In
dian treaty rights" as Senators have declared
on that floor see to it that they do not, in their
legislation, ignore Indian treaty rights, and
everything like faith with the Indian, which
could not have been more completely done in
the past if it had been the declared policy of
the government.
When this novel experiment shall be fairly
tried so as to make it certain that no wrongs
and outrages Inflicted upon the Indian can
be made pretext and by possibility can be
an excuse for his crimes, if then he shall still
continue to murder. and Stay let loose the army
upon him, to hunt and exterminate him as
tigers and wolves are hunted and eXterminated