The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-06-29
CROOK AND THE AracHEs.

4
Under the unwisc Indian policy OF Tho
United States who conquers q tribe or band
OF hostile Indians is in a worse situation
after his campaign Ii ended than before |,
began. We recollect we'll how General
Miles after corraIing and capturing Chief
Joseph and the Nez Perccs and promising
him that his best efforts should be used to
prevent their being sent TO the Indian Ter.
ritory, was placed in the position of having
deceived these Indians, because General
Howard came up, and by virtue of bis rank
Took command, ignoring the promises of
Miles, and let the Indian Department send
the Nez Perces south 10 die at Leayenwortb
and In the Indian Territory. Those Indi-
ans believed Miles had deceived them. They
could not understand he was but an inter.
cessor, and that their cap.or was subordinate
TO the whims Of Howard, whom they des.
pissed, and the Interior Department Of which
they did not know.
And now General Crook is In the same
predicament. Having followed the Apaches
for forty days into their mountain Businesses
and captured them in fact on Mexican soil.
he promised them his efforts to- have them
60 back ON the San Carlos reservation. There
we're but few bucks in the recent raids.
Chilto having but twenty-six warriors and
Geronimo less than forty. The rest were
women and children. Ten years ago he put
5000 Apaches on the San Carlos reservation
and has kept them quiet ever since. Now
he asks TO put less than FIVE hundred there,
and the Interior Department and agent Will
cox demur, although they know that Crook
has made the promise, that be understands
the situation thousand times better than
the Department can, and that he will feel
sufficiently chagrined TO leave the service If
he Is through this triiing and Miss Nancy
ing placed in the position of having deceiv.
ed them. Why this agent, Wilcox, who pro.
tested long after these Indians were raidinp
and numbering through the country, that
they were all on their reservation, and who |
doubtless regularly charged up their rations,
should be permitted to say whether the
Chiricahuas should or should not be return |
ed TO the reservation is passing COM
prehension. To listen to and to obey |
bis wishes in the matter as against the PROM
lses and advice of Crook is not only rebuke
10 the latter but 1t Is bad faith to the Indians.
the crimes of a tribe may have
been, when they surrender in open warfare
any promises made by commanding officer
should be as sacredly respected by his super
or civil officers as though it were a solemn
'reaty with the most powerful nation. The
Apaches are Of the few hostile Indians re-
naming on the continent. The question
hat has agtated the country since Columbus
irst set foot on the continent is near its final
Except in the extreme
southwest there Is NO more frontier of con-
equence nor tribes that are likely to give
erlous trouble; but by their proximity to
N almost impenetraple mountain region,
nd by their nature the most implac able of
avages, the Apaches, If deceived, may yet
etard settlement and make the most favored
ortion of that region uninhabitable for
many years. The control of the tribal In
ians should long since have been placed in
be hands of the War Department. Its re-
ention by the Interior Department has cost
,any lives and millions Of dollars, but the
'orst blunder of all will be if in this in ,
,ance the advice of General Crook Is over :
lied and the now conquered Apaches are ,
gam turned loose for murder and ven l
sance. So far the glib reports of Agent
Wilcox have had more weight than the ad. ,
Zee of Crook and the entreaties of the peo- :.
10, but as Crook has been ordered to Wash.
gton for consultation, It is to be hoped the :
resident will respect the opinions and i
'omises of the best INDIAN fighter and In t
an manager in the United States and place n
lem where he has indicated, at least until n
icy consent to 60 elsewhere.