The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-11-27

OrOuS Policy.
Twenty-Five years ago the Navajo
was as troublesome all Indian as
the country held. He was by ma
ture a bully and marauder, and as
far back as the history of New
Mexico extends figured as a ram
pant and intractable enemy to civ
ilization, going on raids with amaz-
ing regularity, and whooping up
things on the Rio Grande whenever
he felt disposed. The lamented
General Candy, who believed in
soft sausion and soap, tried the
red-blanket policy on this tribe
with the dismal result Of doubling
the number of depredations. Can
by's idea of settling trouble was to
invite the head chiefs to Santa Fe,
harangue them mildly on the error
of their ways, pomise to send them
more missionaries and load them
up with blankets, beads and pro-
visions galore, accepting in return
their word of honor that the ton
serial experts of the band should
be held in check. The simple
hearted Navajos soon learned that
every raid meant a new treaty and
fresh blankets, and went into the
business with a painstaking enthu-
siasm which made the good Gener-
als heart very;sad. In 1861 another
officer relieved Candy. He called
the chiefs together, told them he
wanted no treaties, but did want
the raids to come to an abrupt
close; that if news of another de-
probation reached his ears he would
light a war on their heads they
would never forget. Neither red
blankets nor Government beans
accompanied this announcement,
and the astonished chiefs returned
to their Businesses to think matters
over. A raid soon followed to test
the question, and in response Gen
eral Carleton turned Kit Carson
loose with several thousand Cali
fornian and New Mexican volun-
teers, with the simple instruction
to destroy all these Indians found
off the reservation at Bosque Re-
dondo, together with their herds,
villages, crops and orchards" Kit
Carson was the man of men to
carry out these instructions to the
letter; the Novajos were pursued to
the bitter end, lost nearly half their
number by war, starvation and
exposure, had their accumulated
wealth scattered to the four winds,
and were glad to make an uncon-
ditional surrender and settle down
where the Government directed.
BY this one stroke the Navajo
question was settled. In twenty
years they have multiplied rapidly,
have watched their flocks and
titled their fields, and not in one in
stance have they gone upon a raid,
or committed the slightest depre-
dation. Mariana, the head chief,
told me in an interview at Wingate
that his people recognized the over
whelming power of our Govern
ment, and the fact that peace and
plenty were better than war and
destruction. The Navajos have now
about 5000 acres under cultiva-
ton, and nearly all fenced, raising
10000 bushels Of corn for their
own support. They own $4,000
horses, 900 mules, 1 100000 sheep
and numerous fowls, goats, burros,
or donkeys, etc. They weave, and
the work Of their looms is of mar
velous beauty and strength. They
have almost trebled in number
since their surrender, and are now
entirely self-supporting. For a
community of 21,OOO souls this is
certainly fair showing, and is the
direct result of a sound thrashing
and complete subjugation, and
second, careful care under military |
For years, while the late
Mai. William Redwood Price of the |
Eighth Cavalry was at Wingate, he |
was referee on all points of dispute
among the Navajos, who called him
Captain Chico {" Little Captain ~. |
and respected his opinion and
counsel above all. If these Indi-
ans had been tampered with by a
foolish peace policy, and delivered
into the hands of pious and fru-
gal agent with capacious pocket
there is strong possibility that
hey would still keep the hatchet
above ground.