The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-12-15
Our Florida Indians,

The Seminoles now in Florida are sim
ply refugees" from various other tribes
conquered at different times 10y us, and
now in the State simply by sufferance of
the Government. Among them are very
few who can claim descent from the
original owners of our soil, and even
these are now lost among the MusCogees,
Talladegas, Tuscaroras, Choctaws and
Chickasaws. who took refuge in the
Everglades as their last stronghold
against the power of the white man.
When the large majority OF their beaten
tribes were sent West after the Seminole
war, the most intractabie spirits refused
TO go, and were allowed to remain only
because they could not be sent away.
But the Government for years has all
lowed them TO exist on lands no white
man wanted. and the State has also
given them certain prescriptive rights
among us. Now that we want their
lands which have been brought closer
to civilization 10y the improvement of
the Disston purchase, let us at least dis
possess them hy method and without
violence. They are here only by suf-
terance, but they are ignorant and be
lieve they hold their woods and waters
from their fathers, and in this faith
the Indignation born OF sudden wrong
may push them, not into war, bot the
commission of such outrage on their
spectators as would entail fear and loss
on us. The oppressor may be shot, and
then even an Indian cannot be hung
without expense To the State. We do
not want the sensation and advertise
ment such an event would give us. Let
the door he shut before the horse il sto-
len; let our authorities box up these poor
devils and send them 10 some remote
nook where they may starve and freeze
in peace. The only good Indian Is a
dead Indian we know. and this is no
case for the tears of Bergh or the senti-
mental sympathy of women. II they
cannot be sent West let our militia shut
them up in their Businesses till they
suarve. II will afford orr citizen sol-
diers the opportunity of learning how to
live in camp and how To stand on guard
even when the mosquitoes are about.
and the damage TO uniforms and accou-
trements might easily be made good by
a little extra application Of cleansing
materials after the campaign is over.
Our Governor has already taken such
steps as the law allows him, to correct
the wrongs which have driven them to
protest and complain. Further than
this they will not go unless com
PEELED by such sufTerr as drives
the lapdog mad and puts courage
into the heart of the patient OK. Ii
longer TO wander at will amid their ma
tive swamps and the saw-grass sulitudes
sacred To the crane and the alligator. hat
let the hand of the Government formally
remove them. 1t needs not that indi-
vidual citizens should incur danger or
fatigue in the process, for neither their
poor cattle nor their lands are worth
such effort. The Indian must go. but
let him seek his grave in the midst of
his brothers in the Far West and not in
Florida among the scenes hallowCd by
the desperate struggles of his fathers and
the hours Of an infancy happy because
he then did not know he was an outcast
dependent on the will of another for lib
erty to breathe. After they are all dead.
we hope a society will be organized for
the suppression of cruelty 10 the Indian.