The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-01-23
THE INDIAN PROBLEM

becomes the problem, yet no serious
embarrassment is Apr ehended at
present"
And that is very important point in
the matter, whether this opportunity
to settle the future relations of the Sioux
nation to the United States in the COM
mon sense methods, which have from
Noah's time to the present day prevail
ed among the most enllghtend and civil
lized nations of the earth, subjecting
the conquered country and its people to
the laws and government of their con-
querors, and as our government did in
its war with Mexico and it's purchases
| fir ON Spain and France, recognizing no
class, nationality or color, except Indi-
| ans, too good to be subjected to the laws
and government of the copquerors; or
whether the past policy of dealing with
the Indians as an independent nation
within the United States, but not sub
ject to it's laws, as all other persons are,
but as a nation to whom the United
States government is under tribute. A
nation that is a superior order of being,
who may be conquered, but never made,
like other conquered people, subject to
the same laws. The Indian g as able
| bodied IS the white man, as able tC cul-
! tivate the soil as the white. He is en-,
lowed with a degree of intelligence,
susceptible of fair degree of cultiva-
ton, or the reports Of schools establish
| ed like the Carlisle school, for his bene-
| fit, and the ticiious, fanciful pen plct-
ures of romaDcists. The long assumed
policy of the governmental Indian man.
agement, treatv-making, tribute, paying
them for lands after corquenng them,
pardonipg their massacres of thousands
of innocent settlers on our frontier b7
increased privaliges or tribute money,
New agents, new agencies, new farmers,
blacksmiths, carpenters, school teach
ers and all the attaches and comcomit-
ant of this i'll conceived policy
of visionary sentimentalists, and
who hope to profit from it in some way +,
as agens, traders and contractors in
some capacity to make the greatest pos
sible amount of money they can make
for the least possible investment. That
the Indians are often swindled and
cheated there is no doubt, for If the
policy is not designed for that, it is Pc
culiarly we'll adapted to excite the cupi-
dIty of men of elastic conscience, who
are quite as eager and perhaps as likely
to secure some of the slnecures as better
men. But when the Indians raid the
frontier for vengeance, as it was on the
Minnesota frontier, of the l 200 to 800
men, women and children slaughtered
by these same murderous Sioux, not ten
of the number had ever wronged an In
dian. This weak, miserable, unstates-
manlike and costly policy has been fol-
lowed from the Black Hawk war to the
present time, and how many consecutive
years have passed during the whole time
without an Indian outbreak in some
part of the country inhabited by In
dams. With all the efforts made by
school teachers, Christian missionaries
of all denominations, what notable pro-
gress in civilization or Christianity has
been made? Civilization and Christian
ity are very close companions in the i'm
provement of the human race. And
now after all the sacrifice of innocent
blood of gallant soldiers and hard earn
ed money in support of this miserable
abortion of national policy, it is to be
devoutly hoped that this opportunity
for adopting moro sensible, manly and
statesmap-llke policy, with the Sioux at
least, may be adopted. Make the Sioux
subject to United States laws, give
them an opportunity to make citizens OF
themselves. Let Uncle Sam give to
every head of family or male Indian
over 81 years of age, a quarter section OF
land as an inalienable homestead, as
much as he eyer gave any Of his white
nephews, but to the superior Indians
give in addition team, wagon, all need
ed farming tools, a years provision and
/ CiOtuOSs dhu tLiuS ClcC yOu plcStSC ,
take away his arms, make it death
penalty for any man to sell him gun
or drink of liquor, and let Mr.. Indian
understand that he is subject to the laws
of the country, the same as the white
man, and must give up his dependence
upon tribute support, and get his living
as the white man does in the sweat of
his brow, eat the bread of his own earn
ings, build as many schools and church
es as they need and fix the standard OF
education high enough for ordinary
business, prerequisite to citizenship.
Let the sentlmentality, that sentimental
congressman of Mississippi, who is so
anxious to haye Sitting Bulls murder"
investigated, have photograph of the
treacherous old scoundrel to frame with
the old Christian heather Gully, his fell
low citizen who was principal in the
murder of the Chisholm family, to hang
in his room as counterpiece in this
oo larry of ga nouizad salnta I or tho cap