The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-02-13
THE INDIAN QUESTION.
Editor Free Press:

Editor Free Press:
1t is, / think, always pleasure for
an humble citizen in the private walks
of life to find himself, sometimes, at
least, in perfect accord in his opinions
upon some important question of pub
lie policy and public interest, with
some great mind or leading journal
lists, and that was my feeling, in per-
haps a slightly modified degree, on
reading the editorial in the Foneer
Press in the same issue and immediate
ly following the editorial to which /
referred in Saturdays communication,
which so severely deals with Govern
ment management of Indian affairs.
And so imperatively demanding the
strict compliance with an honest,
prompts execution of all treaties with
the Indians, / was indeed pleased to
find, that if there was wide offer
ence between us as to the duty OF the
Government to protect 100000 CT col
ored people they had set free in their
enforced ignorance and made citizens,
endowed with citizenship, and keep
| it's pledges with, we did agree, that
so long as the government continued
| to pursue the curious ''wheel within
a wheel" paternal ward treaty making
policy with the Indian, SO long every
treaty or bargain made with the Indi-
ans should be religiously fulfilled |
endorse to the fullest extent of my
power the demand of the Pioneer Press
for justice and honest dealing with
the Indians, and / don't think the
same dealing with six millions of col
ored people of the South would work
any injury to the Government. Nor
do | dare to question the truth of the
statement that many Of the Indian
outbreaks where the innocent are al
most invariably the sufferers, have
| been caused by careleSSneSS of govern
ment or dishonesty of government Of
| ficials in the execution of treaties,
and no man in Minnesota will more
] sincerely desire to see the present OPP
| pOrtunity to settle the Sioux trouble
in some more satisfactory and states
manlike manner and which will give
better promise of giving some degree
of civilization and obedience to law
and order than the old policy has as
| yet developed. [ don't know as this
is in consonance with the Proneer, but
it agrees with myself very well and
every man ought to be if he can, con-
sistent with himself And it really
seems to me that when [ demand JUS
tice for 100000 Indians, when | de-
mand that pledges to them shall be
sacredly observed, it is not very incOn-
sistent to ask that 100000 who are
conStitutionally citizens of this repub-
lie shall be protected in the enjoyment
of their rights as citizens. That they
are not to be left to the tender mer-
cies of Gully tribes or Mississippi red
shirts and white caps of any othef
| State, or worse still, to the dictator
ship of such men as the Alliance Gov
ernor of South Carolina. If the policy
of the government is to drive this g.,
100000 into the same state of savagery
and desperation as the Indian feels,
then let them go on as at present.
The end will be attained in due time.
Their emancipation in 1863 will come
to be rightly considered as the first
step in this direction. And what
about the purity of the national es-
cutchion?" Will Senators be deter
red from supporting law to protect
the colored citizens in the exercise of
the citizens right to vote free bal
lot because some ex-rebel shouts it is
a just cause of ''wah." or several of
them threaten to boycott the ma
tional fair? On one other point we
agree with the Pioneer Press that is
the free silver coiuage. / am glad
happened to think of that. B.