The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-12-06
The Army as a Civilizer.

The consensus Of opinion among army
officers who have inspected the cavalry troops
and infantry companies made up Of Indians.
is that the experiment has more than sue
ceeied. The indians make very good soldiers.
They learn the drill readily. they are obedient
and they have developed IN marked degree
the esprit de corps without which soldiers are
merely so many men in uniform. The good
results thus far achieved with Indian soldiers
are not surprising to Secretary Proctor
nor TO many officers familiar with the Indian
character, but they move the astOnishmeut
Of many civilians. more especially OF that
Western element that holds there Is no good
Indian but dead Indian. Yet this very
civilian element ought 10 have reflected that
men who are warriors and athletes after the
fashion OF their race are capable OF being
good soldiers when their courage and skill
are organized aud directed. 10 is but little
more than century and half since Great
Britain began TO learn that the Hghlanders
could be drilled into frst-class regulars.
There was a haunting rhyme, popular
in the Lowlands and in England, to
the effect that the fiighlanders. though
clever men with claymore and the shield.
We're but simple men upon stricken field.
The author of this couplet did not reflect that
the tribal organization of the Hlghlanders
was essentially military; that their social ranks
were at once convertible into grades IN time
came a regiment with scarcely a change IN its
personnel, whenever hostilites broke ont.
There is. OF course, a marked distance be
tween the tribal organization OF the
Indians and that OF the Highland
ers, due 10 the latters greater
familiarity with civilization. but IN
both long established habits of social subOr-
dination predisposed the masses of discipline.
The IHghlanders took discipline drill and
,ryaufyatign raadilv bepauga they real yed
that these meant more effective fighting, and
the effective fighter was their highest ideal Of
manhood. What was true OF the Highland
ers has proved true thus far of the Indians.
SO much for the military aspects OF
Indian scholarship: its effect on the
Indian problem Is even farther reach
ing. The belief of Secretary Proctor is that
the Indian trooper will learn civilization.
or at least will learn to appreciate its power
during his term OF service, and that when no
goes back 20 his tribe he will be "A preacher
OF civilization. a convert TO the ways Of the
white man He will certainly have acquaint-
ed himself with the ways OF the white men
while following profession that appeals 10
his pride and is in consouance with his ac-
customed ideals Of manhood As a soldier.
as wearing ncle Sans blue. he may have
ceased 10 be an Indian. but he has not ceased
10 be q warrior The uniform the arms,
the consequence he enjoys among
his own people, all will contribute TO make
him a marked man Sergeant Bear-W Who
Don't Walk, who is cOmptimented by his III
spector a. an ideal non-com. Is proud man.
and Mrs. Is. w. u. W. is proud woman. and
both are willing 10 acknowledge that the
white mans ways are good from military
point Of view and are inclined 10 think that
their civil life may be worth looking into.
Inc indian troopers and infantry men who
are thus being civilized into regulars should
not be confounded with the Indian scouts,
who are an extremely useful and extremely
irregular force.-Boston Transcript.