The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-25
THE INDIAN AS HE Is.

possible, and the thing settled at once and
forever. In considering the governments
treatment of the native Indian there are al
ways two sets of opinions encountered. One,
theoretical and fanciful view is held by
people in the East, or, at least, away from
the frontier and out of contact with the In
DIAM while the other is far more practical
and comes from actual knowledge
of the savage man. The people
of the Western frontier, after years
of experience with the Indian, are never
enthusiastic admirers of either his proves,
his nobility of character, his gallantry or
his honesty. The Indian who is possessed
of either of these qualities is d rare excep-
ton, and he who knows the Indian best
never wastes time looking for this rara avis.
The North American savage has never lived
up to his privileges, and he is no more like
the heroes of Cooper's novels than Digger
Indian pottery is like Sevres china. The In
dian of to-day, after centuries of contact with
civilization, is essentially a savage in every
instinct and practice. First, he is
consttutionally lazy, and never does any
| thing that is not absolutely necessary to his
existence. The 'noblest" savage now on the
plains of the Western territories will not
even draw his gun to his shoulder to secure
fresh meat so long as the entrails remain of
the last deer he killed. AS chronic loafer
the "buck" Indian leads the world of lazy
creatures If he kill deer or buffalo, he
does not deign to take charge of and dress it;
his squaw does that 30 If he wishes to move
his camp his squaw STRIKES" the wigwam,
packs the plumber and brings up the horses.
When a new camping place is
trumpery, hobbies the horses, puts
up the wigwam. starts the fire. dresses
the game and prepares the meal. In event
horses and ponies are not to be had, his
squaw becomes the pack-horse, and every
ounce of the camp equipage goes on her
back, and on top of it all the inevitable pa
poose while the lord proudly marches off
unencumbered She is the burden bearer
was never meaner, more brutal and heart
less task-master in the world than the buck"
Indian of North America
But it has been said that he is brave-that
he knows no fear. If this element is mani
tested in his makeup it arises, not
from bravery, but from a lack
of appreciation of the value of life.
His courage is that of a wild beast, that fights
savagely only because it is part of its I'M
reasoning nature What the death of wild
| cat is to wildcat ami his kind is the death
of an Indian to an Indian and his comrades.
Nobody ever heard of anything like sincere
mourning over fallen brave or chief out
side OF a novel. A dead Indian is of no
more consequence to his sons or his sires
the body is tucked away, and the funeral
party is at once ready for the next fray. AS
for personal heroism, the Indian has no con-
ception of it in its robler sense. That he will
face death to obtain revenge or to secure
plumber there is no doubt; but we cannot
compare the stolidity of the savage with the
intelligent bravery of the soldier, who goes
into battle for cause and with a full realza-
| ton of the danger he is about to encounter.
Treacherous, revengeful and almost oblivi-
Gus to danger, the Indian is to be feared
every moment that he is near. Tecumseh
and Black Hawk under the glamour of a
half-fcttious history of their exploits, APP
pear as honorable men so far as their natures
would admit But they were exceptions,
there were a thousand as savage
as wolves and treacherous as snakes.
Captain Jack the chief of the
Modocs, was a brave man after the Indian
idea. But he was not above the methods of
deliberate assassin, and that, too of men
who went into his traps as friends interced-
ing in his behalf The massacre in the lava
beds is still fresh in the minds of the people,
Barely six years have passed since the fatal
morning when General Candy and the peace
commissioners, under flag of truce, entered
into consultation with Captain Jack and
his followers. At a signal from Captain
Jack massacre took place, he himself shoot
ing and killing General Candy as gallant and
brave a man as ever lived. 1t is unfortunate,
therefore, to cite Captain Jack as an example
of Indian heroism.
lady reader of the Journal has taken us
to task for the manifest disrespect exhibited
toward the Indian, whom she speaks of as "a
man, patriot fighting fiercely against fear
full odds for wife and child and native land"
The Indian fights for wife and child as a
H..l,l L.