New-York tribune., 1886-04-26
THE INDIAN QUESTION.

rUr HISTORY OF TIE WARS IN TIE WEST.
MAss,CREs OF THE MOUNTAINS: History OF the
ntiau War; Of the Ear West: by S l. DUNN '''
A. pnnu has written = book Of painful aud pc
cuhar interest. different III It's scope from any pre-
v;ons work upon the subject. He has studied the
couscs and history of all the principal Indian wars
of the far west. from our first occupation OF 'he
Rocky Mountain region to the present tlme' 'ah'hs
official rcports and other authoritative puo"o"-
tions rs the basis of his narrative. aad orawihe "P
Elementary and illustrative Information iiVN" :"
great variety of sources. The systematic -,
of authorities which he prints In an appeoaiA
show how conscientiousy he has doho MS
In norticular instances he exhibits strohS p'''"u.
aud his udgmeut docs not seem 10 us Il, "S
hu, be presents an array of facts which cannot ne
D.n,at v;,b comnosnrc by any who cares for
.ao, rone Of his country and the prosperity oi
.hoso S,ates and Territories where the reia'ohs ol
A. rod man and the white have still to De settled
A. hmm is neither q sentimentallst" nor an
"ex.ermlnationst." lie indulgcs IN no Illusions rs
70 ,he Indian character. His ideal OF management
for the savage is realized IN General Crook VINO
never spares his hand IN war; ana never oi'"A'
faith in peace: and he quotes with warm appiot"i
n statement made by Crook III 1917: Durihg ,io
.,vo,tv.scvcn wears of nv experience with the In
dian question have never known pahd vi Iiui
ans 10 make peace with our Government ana '''eA'
break it, or leave their reservations, "l'ho"' So'o
cronnl of complain but until their co'nP'a'h''
ore examined and adjusted they Will constantly
..,.o onnoro,ce and trouble" This Mr. Dunn
rightly considers an important declaration "enerai
Cook does not say that the Indians are always
,;cht mr. always wrong. but they never make war
from pure dcvltry.
The confidence of those who recently announced
IN Congress that the Indian difficulties are now
"se,tled seems rather bold In view OF the iac'
that while the number of Indians within the iiints
of the United States is probably ihcrc"s'oe' '"0
schemes for educating and clvlllzins theii piou"o,
mo tbe meaccrest results, and the rascalities OF
.hov,sh aeents.sill going on the policy which mas
been the direct cause of all the most destructive
Indian wars of the past thirteen years Is per"lslcu
in by the Government despite repeated ana uisas-
,rors fa;lures Mr.. Dunn does not write as the ad-
vocate of any particular plan 1or governing '"o
sovares but he makes vehement protest against
III, so-called concentration" scheme wnicn came
in rs a supplement- to the "pcace policy" OF 1913
and yos nushed to its greatest length under the
administration of Secretary Schurz. This concen-
+,stion aimed at massing all the tribes on few
large reservations and it was carried out win ag-
pravated cruelty. fraud, and violation OF trea'les.
The tube. were driven from homes TO winch 'hcy
,vore stronrIv attached, and placed upon lands
which they detcsted. Mountain Indians from the
Northwest were brought downintO malarlous plains
of the South where many of them died under the
changed conditions. lnvetcrate enemies were se'
down side by side and expected TO be happy. Inc
Modoc war was caused BY keeping the Modocs on
reservation with the Klamaths who maitreateu
them so that they could not raise food. The Sioux
war Of 1876 resulted from an order for that nation
IN abandon the Powder River country which we
had cuarantecd them as a hunting ground. Inc
Nez Pcrcfs war Of 1877 had a similar origin. All
tbe tronbles with the Chiricahua ApacheS since
1876 have sprung from the attempt to concentrate
them at the San Carlos agency, an uoheathN anu
intolcrabc place for mountain Indians occupleu
moreover bv their enemies. The war WIN thc
Nor. hcr, Chevennes followed an attempt TO make
tnem stay in the Indian Territory where the climate
was fatal to them. The dIsgraceful aiiair OF the
Poncas was step in the same tyrannlcai couise'
The Hualpais were removed from their old country
20 reservation on the Colorado River so IN
healthy that they fled from itm a BODY. lhe "hlte
Mountain Coyoteros, always our friends, were re-
moved from their farms to the hot unhealthy valley
Of the Giia the rihe was demorazed their advance
in agriculture was stopped; and part OF tGein be-
came wanderers The concentration policy Is not
earned out at present with the fanatic resolution
of Mr. schurzs day; but it has never been apan-
doocd. and may he expected to produce from time
TO time its usuai fruits
Mr. Dunn touches lightly upon the grave question
of agency frauds. and still more lightly upon the
result, accomplished by the missionaries or various
denomina ions. some Of whom nave unuoup'euiy
.,oeded IN forming moral thrifty, and intelligent
Indian communities These matters the good ard
,he evil consequences of contact W.T. Christianity
,pnst be considered Ill any full investigation OF the
Indian problem. Mr. Dunn nevertheless has sup
plied within his sef-impoSed limits mass OF val
uable information which one could lind nowhere
else without a long and troublesome search.