New-York tribune., 1883-06-16

PUNISH THE APACHES.

Secretary Teller's suggestion to Secretary
Lincoln that the captured Apaches should be
held az prisoners and punished for their crimes
was a prompt answer to any fear that the In
terior Department would be led through mere
force of habit to let these murderers go back
unpunished to the ease and plenty OF life on
the reservation. In several ways Secretary
Teller has shown desire to break through the
viciouscircle of precedent in our Indian policy
and deal with the tribesin common-sense way,
aided Inv his own experience and observation on
the frontier His propositions to disarm the
Indians by degrees, whenever 1t shall be found
safe TO do SO, to furnish some of the tribes with
live stock and educate them for cattle raising
etc., are indications of practical attention 10
rfbe subject which has not been given by every
Secretary of the Interior.
II would be difficult to conceive OF q greater
absurdity than that these brutal red men, after
wanton outbreak, without proyocation OF
even uretext, should go back to their reserva-
tiops and continue to draw their support from
the Government. Yet when the attempt ID
made to punish chem in accordance with the
forms OF law, it may be found that we have
only reached another perplexing stage In the
most yexatious problem that confronts Amer
ican craftsmanship to-day. If the Indians are
TO be tried like ordinary citizens for robbery
and murder, they must have the same chances
as the ordinary citizen. No amount of moral
nroof will be sufficient. There must be posi-
five evidence to secure conviction, and it may
not be easy to obtain it against specified indlvid-
uals in large band of savages who have been
riding through the country. The case recalls
in some of its features the Sioux uprising In
Minnesota in 1862, when large proportion ot
the able.bodied men were absent in the Army
and the Indians were moved to revolt both by
savage desire for blood and by resentment oil
frauds practised upon them. After fully 5oo
men. women and children had been butchered
by the Indians, the insurrection was sup
nressed. and the Government found itself with
about 900 prisoners on hand--a little larger
numler than General Crook has brought back
with him. These were tried by court-martial,
and 800 out of 498 were sentenced to be
hanged. By order of the President, however,
only thirty. eight of these were executed-those
who had been convicted of specific acts. The
others were finally released and the tribe was
eventually removed from the State Probably
evidence was more easily obtained In the case
of the Sioux than it could be against the
kpacies, as the former rose against the dwell
ers in well-settled country. Even there, as it
is shown, only small number could be con-
vcted of specific acts.
| No one expects, probably, to see the whole
| body of Apaches whom General Crook has
| captured put to DEATH though all are doubtless
| guilty alike. Such as can be convicted OF
speciHc offences should be dealt with strictly
| and promptly for the sake Of the moral effect
of vigorous and speedy action upon other tribes
| not altogether trustworthy. The rest can be
punished in q way that will carry almost as
| plain lesson to all Indians. Let the tribal
l.eharacter of the Apaches be absolutely de-
stroyed Let the tribe be scattered here and
| there by handfuls too feeble even to make
| trouble by intrigue. To keep such tribe
| together so that they may encourage and sup
port one another is like permitting society OF
| assassins to maintain its organization. The
tribal instinct is so strong in the Indian that
the summary scattering of tribe in punish
ment for an unprovoked outbreak would be a
| warning the others would remember much
longer than defeat and banging. If there are
any treaties with the Apaches which seem to
stand In the way of such actioN the President
has power to annul them under that section OF
the Revised Statutes which declares that
whenever the tribal organization OF any In
q dian tribe Is In actual hostility to the United
States, the President is authorized, by procla-
amation, to declare all treaties with such tribe
/ sabrogated by such tribe, If In his opinion the