The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-04
THE INDIAN WAR.

oppression and great national crimes of the
past but by the cruelty of the powerful in
the living present also.
Onhapphy our own great republic fur
nlshes one of these most deplorable in
stances in its treatment of the American
Indians within its borders In making the
assertion we are governed by no morbid
sentiment that questions the right of the
white man to make his home upon this
continent, after his discovery of it. We do
not believe that few broken tribes of
natives should have been left in complete
control of it, while Europe was grooming
under over-population. On this continent
at Its discovery there were millions of acres
wanting hands; in Europe there were mil
lions of hands wanting acres; and it was
but right that the two should be brought
together, and this splendid land given back
TO civilization, that it might accomplish the
purpose of its existence.
But when the white man came to this
continent with his high civilization, and
ABOVE all with his Christian religion; when
In the name OF GoD he took possession of
the land and subjected the aborigines to
to his power, and later took them osten-
sloiy under his protection, made them the
wards of his government, promising them
as an offset for narrowing down the boun
aarles OF the lands they still occupied, Z
ratlons, clothing and protection from the
INVASION both of hostile native tribes and
white men, the Indians had right to ex
pect that the white men would keep invio-
late these treaty stipulations. That they
have not done SO is proven by century's
experience, along which is strewu
broken pledges, disregarded treaty
obligations, and numerous NANTES
| tations of Punic faith When the
| simple minded savage rebelled against
such treatment, and appealed to the only
arbitrator he knows anything about-the
strength of his own right hand-it has
only been to be overpowered by the supe-
rior forces of the whites, followed by still
further reductions in his possess ions, and
made to accept still harder terms of peace.
AS our American civilization grows in
years 1t seems to increase in malice. AS if
the wretched cruelty and oppression to-
ward the indians in the past were not
enough, we must in this last decade of the
nineteenth century add still more to the
deep damnation of the record by deliberate
acts not only of oppression, but of murder.
Such was the late killing of the Sioux
chief, SITTING BULL. 1t was assassination
deliberate, cold blooded, and nothing
short of it; a stain of blood on the escutch
con of the United States
A hi
VI all the grave apologists may write,
And tho bishop try to cleanse the stain
He rubs and scours the crimson spot in vain.
Remember that we have but the story of
the perpetrators of the deed from which to
form our Judgment in the case. But even
with that &C pdrte evidence what appear to
be the facts! SITTING BULL withdraws a
short distance from the agency at Pine
Ridge; he was suspected of hostile inten-
lions, and it is decided to put him under
arrest" that is the ostensible determine
ton. 1t would scarcely be polite for even
nation to proclaim its intention to commit
murder. Mark how the arrest, is
planned. The lifetime enemy-BUL1
HEAD-of the man to be taken, is the one
of all others selected to make the ARREST
He finds the camp of SITTING BULL,
and without word of negotiation or warn
ing he brakes in upon the old mans tepee
and undertakes to drag him off by force.
HIS friends undertake to rescue him; a fight
ensues: in the melee the old chief. with his
son, is killed, and by this time the troops
lurking just behind the Indian police come
to the rescue of the perpetrators of the
deed. Now, who is there so bat blind. even
with this one-sidad statement of the case
that does not see that those who planned
his arrest knew what would happen?
Those Indian police in the estimation of the
rest of the Indians were little letter than
traitors. 1t was known beyond the posi-
blllty of peradyenture that such an az
tempt to "arre 81" Chief SITTING BULL bv
the Indian police, under such leadership
and in such a manner, would result in lust
what happened, and those concerned in it
are welcome to all the glory there is in it.
Instead of driving the rest of the Sioux into
a submission, it has driven them from
anger into a frenzied desperation
and the government finds itself engaged in
a conflict, let it end how it may, from which
it will derive neither profit nor glory.
That the government has provided fairly
for the support of the Indians, even gener-
ouslyin some instances, is granted. Tt is
in allowing its agents, scheming adyentur-
ers, land spectators and bloated cattle cor
porations coveting Indian lands-it is in al
lowing these to violate its treaty obliga-
lions for which the government is chiefly
to blame. In the dispatch of yesterday q
prominent war department official is rep
resented as saying that "the Indians never
willremain contented as long as the Indian
agencies are political appointments. An
Indian agent knows that he must make his
pile in four years, and 600 pounds of beef
weigh only 400 as result Then the In
dams go hungry and get restless, and are
easily led off by the fight-loy-
ing bucks" That of itself is
sad comment on our methods.
but that it is true is abundantly proved by
the statements of Father CRAFT, brought
over the wires yesterday Father CRAFT
is a Catholic priest and missionary among
the Indians, who has lived for some years
with the Sioux, and who is now, perhaps
wounded unto death in one of the recent
engagements. He writes to the New York
Freemdn's Journal as follows:
In the beginning the Indians hoped for much
aid from the government TO enable them to be-
come like the whites. They were, however IN
every way abused, Knocked and DISCOURAGED
Instead of being wards they have felt thew were
the victims of INSCRIPTIONS politicians who
benefited by their misery. know what saw
for L have shared their sufferings for manv
years. In their despair General CROOK brougbt
them hope. Their confidence in him led then,
to hope he would be able to realize their hores
His death was their death blow and thew felt II