Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-11-17

But, then, nation is an impersonality
which is not easily reached by rebuke. ]
the citizens would once awake to realiza
ton of the fact that each voter Is compo
nent part Of the nation, and to the extern
of his individuality responsible for it
business and moral conduct, we NIGH
have different state of affairs. Such
condition is millennial, and scarcely TO b,
hoped for in this age. But we may do a
the Secretary has done-tell the truth
boldly enough and often enough to worl
through shame that which should be don,
through convictions of right.
We have in our territory certain tribe
of men called Indians. We treat will
them as foreign powers. We refuse
them citizenship and the rights o
citizens, preferring to consider then
as quasi wards of the Government
By treaty and the settled policy of TIT
country these men are looked upon as pos
sessed of certain tribal rights. For theil
| REIMBURSEMENT we bargain and promise Il
do definite things. But these foreign pow
ers are poor, weak, and unable to enforce
respect for the compacts. We therefor,
secure their observance of the bargains, but
coolly ignore our own obligations. The
men being constituted as are other men,
but not advantaged as are others, grow
weary of waiting for us to keep our word
| They entreat, they implore, they threaten
and at last resort to desperate mesns-ths
only methods known to them-they assai
our borders, and slay our women and chill
dren, and burn our houses. We send GU,
soldiers to fight them, and after paying out
twice the sum it would have cost us tc
have kept our word, we conquer them.
Then we treat with them again, and they
being the conquered we make harder terms
than before. Again we violate them, again
the red mans confidence ia the promises Of
the palefaces is shaken, again he assault:
us in war, and again he is conquered, and
new treaty, still harder in terms, exact
ed. Thi, provides that he shall receive Of
our bounty certain goods. To the delivery
of these we appoint white men, who
absorb the property, rob che weaker party
to the compact, and when that weaker one
rebels, the honest agents we have engaged
call for protection, and all the land rises
up against the "red devils and demand
their determination" and so again the
soldiers go out to shoot down the protest
ants against our infamy.
So the thing goes on from year to year,
This is in no respect fanciful. II the In.
dian has been treacherous, we have been
mean, dishonest and niggards. If the In.
dian has been cruel and bloodthirsty, we
have lied to him, cheated him, robbed
him, and shown such contemplate disre.
gard for honesty that he would be less
than human if he did not deem it duty
to rid the world of such monsters. The
most of the "devil " in the Indian we
have implanted the most of the cruelty
and treachery we have engendered. 1t il
certain that in the evolution of the supe
rior races the redskin must give place tC
his paler brother; he must go down before
the march of progress it is given that he
shall not survive our civilization. But
there is no need that in the working out Of
this great scheme of nature, we prove ma
lures mistake by such a contemplate
treatment Of our inferior any longer, as has
charac terized our conduct in the past. II
is possible to reform this whole business al
once, and without difficulty. We have
but to adopt the policy of General Crook
keep our word with the Indian, inspire
him with confidence in our promises, com
mand his fear for our anger, and awaken
his admiration for our probity.
But Secretary Teller declares that the
records of the nation prove we have great
deal to make whole, before we can ask the
Indian to repose confidence in US for the
future. eve have manifested" says he,
"perfect indifference to paying our debts
under the treaties, and we owe in the vi
cinity of S., 00O,0O There is due and
unpaid to the Sioux agent for school pur.
poses, under the treaty of 1868, over
$l,000,000. By that treaty the United
States agreed to support a school for every
thirty children, which it has not done.
This was part of the consideration to the
Indians for relinquishing their land. The
money the schools would have cost is hon.
estly due the nation for school purposes.
Again, there are thousands of families who,
under the treaty, should have received a
COW, one yoke of oxen and one hundred
dollars worth of tools, because they have
settled down as required.
This is very shameful state of affairs.
But will they be reformed? We fear not
just yet. The new Congressman will go up
to Washington in December, hold up their
hands and call God to witness that they
will observe the laws and maintain the
Constitution, the honor and dignity of the
nation, and Immediately will take their
seats and begin to scheme for party and
power, and forget the oath that should
bind them to honorably fulfil the obliga-
tions of their country to the Indians in the
Territories.
a WORLDS FAIR.
The Spirit Of the Times, of San Fran