New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-19
Sry1roR DIVES Of the INDIANS.

! i
Senator Dawes, IN talking to the Worcester
Indian Association, showed that he has strong
hopes of thc civilization OF the Indian. provided
the absorption of the land by white men does
not proceed so rapidly as To out1tIip the pto-
l,rr,s of the red race. 10 doubt there is a real
danger at this point. The new theory OF In
dian treatment may be said to have displaced
the old one Ii il to-day admitted by almost
all who have studied the subject enough Ia
have intelligent opinions that the endowment
of the Indian with land in sevcralty, the extcn-
sion over him of the common law, and the with
drawal of the cmascuating support which holds
him to nomadic habits. constitute the most
necessary measures of the future Indian policy.
But and we are glad Senator Dawes recognizes
il. b, tween the adoption and the execution OF
such a policy there Is difficult barrier to over
come. In theory all the measures cited are
quite practicable. In practice 1t will be- any
thing but easy to put them in operation.
The Indian cannot be suddenly pumped
down in the middle OF American civilization
and left to shift for himself. If he is given
land in sevcralty and then told to make his own
living. it does not follow that he will be able to
do so. Even civilization does not always pro-
tramp. a plain case of rcyeIsion to barbarism,
and quite as hard to deal with rs the savage.
If the tramp is as yet IN unsolvcd problem, 1t
cannot be expected that the transformation of
nOmadS into settlers, Of savdgcS INTO civilized
men, can be Effected easily or without pains and
perseverance and patience. Senator Dawes
SAYS that the Indian is not disappearing, but in
creasing and that he is evidently here to stay.
So much the better, for then the time necessary
10 effect the change i'll him can be taken. But
if must be reckOned with or the new policy
may be condemned as a failure before it has
been half tested. Nature is always very les-
urely in making her changes. How many
thousand years did she take to evolve the pres
ent form of the horse, for instance, and yet
the rctraction of the original free toes and the
development of the hoof seem IA small business
| compared with the metamorphosis of Il Sioux
warrior into pcaccable American householder,
| believing in majority rule, voting his party
| ticket, paying his taxes, aud perhaps passn &
| the plate at church on Sunday.
This would mean success in the experiment,
| bnt il ought to be understood that something
/ far short of this would not be failure. For
! generations pro badly the iicrcer and more in
! dividualizcd Indian tribes will be turbulent
and restless citizens; perhaps not greatly
different from those American foes of conven-
ton whose advcnturOuSncss drives them to the
free life of the frontiers. II they could be
utilized for frontier work perhaps moro could
be done in that way with the least tanned of the
tribes than by pressing them down at once into
the sobrcty and steady toll of agriculture or
stock raising. And there is need for judiciOus
discri ninaton, seeing that there are Indians
and Indians Some tribes will take to settle
ment easily, because they have nearly reached
it in their own evolution. Others will find it
very hard because It il stage IN advance Of
! their preparation. There will have to be IL
feeling of the way taking of sOnndlngs, so
to speak, for time and it is probably not de
sirable that during this probationary period the
| special protection of the Government should be
wholly Withdrawn. Children cannot be taught
to walk alone by merely showing them how II
is done and then leaving them alone. They
must have help and support while they are de-
velopine aud training their muscles. SO must
the Indians be helped, but only Sd much as ii
necessary to protect them from falls which