The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-22
THE VIRTUES OF THE INDIANS.
DIR. GRAHAM POINTS OUT THEIR
GOOD QUALITIES.

GOOD QUALITIES.
They Would Appear to Much Better
Advantages if Treated Like Human
Beines-Cheated and Robbed by
Politicians and Tricksters-They
Will suffer for Their Religion.
Their Treatment of Their Wives
and ChiIdren-SOme Interesting
Facts About Them as Soldiers.
A recent editorial in the Morning News
asks: What is the Indian good for?" I'm
Arizona they say the Indian makes a
splendid corpse" That they are per
sistent ward of the nation" and about
a failure as soldiers, for the United
States. That Civilized methods Of war
fare do not appeal TO the red skin. There
IS not in it enough Of the element Of as
sassination to suit them" The above will
admit Of a reply. as the article was writ
ten in all fairness from a standpoint, no
doubt, of one unacquainted with the IN
dian from personal encounter and obser-
walton. Tho writer spent several years
among Indian tribes as a representative
OF the government in a professional ca
pacity, and has had the opportunity TO be-
come intimately acquainted with their Ian
guage and legends, mode of life and Gus
TOMS
Not alone in Arizona, but fairly well
scattered over the west there are numer-
GUS representatives of the white genus
homo who have had the opportunity for
better deeds and who, if obliging law
would make into good corpses, the com
munity in particular, and country in gen
eral would be vastly improved by the
change. The Indians are not the only ones
in Arizona who would make splendid
corpses
The Indian is unlearned in what we term
Christianity, and IS, therefore, called ly
The people a savage; of course, speaking
only of un-Christianized and uncivilized
Indians. Whose fault is it that he is a
savage and who made him what he Is?
He is not responsible for his nature and
temperament and derives little or none CT
the advantages of Christianity. The white
race. however, have the opportunity OF
all the learning, skill and advancement
that the world has ever known, while the
Indians advantages have been not too
many and none too great.
Why is the Indian ward of the nation?
The United States found out long ago
that 1t would no doubt be cheaper TO
feed the Indians than to fight them. So,
after many hard fought battles, in when
the Indians were rarely, If ever, whipped,
and then only overcome by vastly superior
Numbers and superior arms. A great
council of peace was called at Fort Lari-
mie Wyo-, in 1868 The many tribes and
10 bury the Ratchet. They were to relln-
quish the Black Hills, laden with its
millions of treasures in silver, gold ami
tin and precious stones Chat the white
man wanted), to leave forever the
best big game hunting ground
Of the world, in consideration
to reservations to the east, which though
very large, were, at that time, valueless;
they We're there to be supported on the mil
lions OF dollars that this treaty put in
the treasury to their credit. To be edu-
Gated, clothed. instructed and fed, until
they became self-sustaining. Only a few
tory of broken promises Some politician
thinking to make great stroke for him
self and wise in his own conceit, advocates
cutting down the Indian appropriation bill
money that does not belong to him or to
his people; but money guaranteed by trea-
fy for lands relinquished Thus do they
get less to eat and less wherewithal to be
clothed than they were promised. They
leave their reservation to hunt for food
and perhaps kill cattle belonging to the
people who broke their promise A clamor
goes up, trouble brews and troops are or
dered TO bring the Indians in. They refuse
TO come and blOodshed is the result. The
Indian was not first to break his promise
They are wards of the government because
they are entitled to II and yet have not re-
virtue of prior ownership and the courage
TO hold it against heavy odds. They stay
wards of the government because
of the starvation policy carried out with
them. They are issued just enough rations
TO maintain them in idleness or from very
bard work, and yet not enough TO keep
them from hunger for two days out of
every. week. They have no occupation eX-
cepting that of farming, in which calling
the most hardworking of whites in their
districts fail Civilization cannot be forced
upon a people without education, followed
by Intelligent occupation, and the proper
environment Of Christianity and social
standard Their children are educated at
Hampton and Carlisle. and after much
hard work in attaining II to high degree
(Which they are perfectly and easily cap
able of, they are returned to the wilds
of a reservation, where they can make alb
solutely no use of what they have gained,
and can rarely find any employment what
ever; thus they are forced by their sur
roundings to go back to the old life again
They are skilled artifcers even in the
wild state. for they fashion many things
for ornament and use which the best me-
chanic with costly tools can but poorly
initiate If factories for the manufacture
on small scale at first, of the goods they
consume, were established among them
and they were taught to work and get fair
pay for it; II educated Indian children
were given employment away from the
reservations and taught to save and use
properly the wages resulting therefrom,
they would soon become civilized; for de-
spite their environment, they have a high
and superior order of intellect. BY par
oal support in 1dleness they are kept
wards OF the government and viii so
stay, as long as the present policy is fol-
lowed. Give them, when capable of ap-
preciating il fully, equal rights with the
white man; give them employment and
honest pay. Raise him up and support
him till his own dormant strength be-
comes awakened by new education and
oinerent surroundings. and the native
American viii some day be like everything
else purely American, an honor to the
soil that gave him birth. For we do not
believe he came from Asia across the
Behring straits, any more than we think
did ny
What is the test of a good soldier or