New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-13
LESSONS OF AN INDIAN CAMPAIGN

LESSONS OF An INDIAN CAMPAIGN
Captain Lawton's report of the campaign
which has just ended in the surrender OF Geron'
imo and his band is one Of class OF docu-
mcnts which would be useful if Congress were
in the habit of seeking information in such
quarters. 1t shows the expense, the trouble,
the waste of men and material, made necessary
by the laundering policy which allowed these
wild Indians practically absolute liberty to FOL
low their own courses. The whole story is as
strange an example of show not to do it " as
our Indian affairs can furnish, prolific as their
records are of similar bad management The
methods adopted in dealing with the hostile
Chircahuas have been peculiar When, after
leading lives of bIoodshed and plunder they
were brought upon a reservation, no attempt
was made TO distinguish between the reclaim
able and the irrcclaimable. All were treated
with the same indulgence. 1t is true they were
disarmed, but since they could always buy
weapons from the post traders or from the low
class of squaw men who hang about rescrya-
lions. this prccaution was futile. The event
proved its uselessness, for just as soon as Geron-
imo, Nachcz and their followers were ready
to 90 on a raid, they went, and went fully armed
and equipped.
How many times these Indians have been
hunted. caught, disarmcd and turned loose on
The reservation, we arc almost afraid to say
1t looked as If the Government had become IN
capable of learning from experience. No one
who had the least knowledge of the facts ever
believed that the Chricahuas would settle down
on the reservation. Certainly nobody that
knew them ever believed that Geronimo and his
leutenants would cease to employ all their IN
hucncc to prevent the young men from ADOPT
ING civilization These chiefs have for years
been the handspring Of Apache turbulence.
Had they been removed from the tribe ut the
first opportunity the probability is that great
saving in life, property and friction would have
lecn effected Opportunities for such action
occurred several times, but they were neglected
The attempts to deal with the tcachcrous old
chief as though he were a civilized ruler or com
mandcr resulted as should have been foreseen.
Geronimo promised anything when he was in
a strait, and he broke his promises as lightly as
the Russian Government, when ii suited his pur-
pose to do so. But nothing taught the Govern
mcnt, and so the lives Of settlers continued to
be exposed, and the army was nearly worn out
in doing a police work for which white troops
arc in the nature of things untitled.
1t will end, apparently, in the trial and cX-
ecution of Geronimo, Natchez and perhaps some
other leading Indians. But while the justice of
such penalties cannot be denied, The question IS
why was not this course followed years ago,
when there was ample proof Of the crimes OF
these Indians, and when, also, the fact that
they were inccamable was as apparent as a
century Of experience could make it. The
answer Of course is that We had no definite
indian policy that our treatment allcrnatcd
severity with license that 1t was a treatment
cractly calculated hopclcSSly to dcmoraizc say
ages; that even haf-clvilzcd men would have
lecn driven back into barbariSm 10y such man.
agemcnt Even now there is no guarantee
that the future will lie more crcditablc 10 orr
wisdom than the past We are rs far as ever
from casting aside tie absurd distinction he
tween Indians and white men. We are as far
as over from realizing lin action that the only
way to civIliAc these unr1Ily people is to apply
the laws of the country TO them. Under those
laws Geronimo and his licuicnants would years
ago have gone to the gallows as common muir
dcrcrs, and the commonplace ignOminy of their
fate would have had a salutary influence upon
all the hOt-bCodcd young Indians who have
lccn taught to regard the taking of scaIps as
the highest occupation the lords of creation
can follow.