The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-04
CIVILIZING INDIANS.

ilize number of Apaches from. "A rizona
! has, according to the statement of Secre-
| tary of War Lamont in his annual report,
been attended with the most gratifying
| success and shows that similar methc DIS
| of dealing with all the savage tribes of
this country might have been the means
of bringing the great majority of the red
men of the United States under the be-
nign influences of civilization, instead of
| the waste of blood and treasure which
attended all the earlier efforts to subdue
| them. Almost from the landing of the
| first settlers at jamestown in 1907, Il war
| of determination was begun against the
| Indians, who were either ruthlessly
! slaughtered or driven Westward before the
advancing forces of civilization, and,
whether justly or not, the general opinion
of the white men has been that the abor-
| iginees of this country were incapable of
domestication. The first attempt of set
tiers to live peaceably with their red
neighbors resulted in bloody failures.
The latter were found to he treacherous
and implacable in their hatred of the
white men, whom they regarded us inter-
lopers, and thus the war, which was be-
gun Oh the Atlantic coast, was kept up
with the development and progress of the
country, until ut last, when there was no
west for the Indians to go to, it gradually
dawned upon the Government that it
would be well to try the experiment of
combining them to certain reservations.
where they could be watched by soldiers
and kept from the pursuit of their muir
derous practices rs much rs possible. ~
The experiments of placing the rem
nants of some of the Eastern tribes in Il
territory west of the Mississippi had al
ready been tried, but with Indifferent
success, it being the prevailing opinion
that the American Indian, like the
buffalo, was doomed eventually to cxtinc-
ton, and that all efforts to civiliZe and
reform him was only waste of time and
money. Hence, although many tribes
were held to their reservations but little
effort was. made to improve the condition
of the Indians thus confined either So
cially or morally, while an inccssant war
fare was kept up against such of the red
men as refused to submit to the rcstric.
tons imposed upon them. In the mean
time, by pursuing Il more just and hui
name policy, our ncighbors in British
America soon won the confidence of the
Indians i'll that country, thereby saving
to the Dominion government thousands
of lives and millions of money. At last
however with the example of Canada be-
fore them and the knowledge that the
red men could be driven no further west,
the Government began to adopt differ
ent policy
Instead of feeding the Indians like so
many cattle in winter and allowing them
under certain restrictions to hunt during
the remainder OF the year, it was deter
mined to give them the benefits of instruc-
ton and other advantages of civilization,
III the hope that after a time they might
be willing to live like white men upon
land assigned TO them Individually. These
plans have been followed for some wears
with varying success. until it is at last
admitted that in the course OF time the
Indians will be brought fully under the
enjoyment of.the blessings of civilization.
The case of the 800 Apaches who were
brought from y rizona in 1886 and trans
ferred to prison reservation at Fort Sill.
i'll what is now Oklahoma Territory. is n
striking illustration OF what kindness
an1 M tinnrp will do IN ,nanne.;,,,.
dams. These Indians on their original
hunting grounds were the worst among
all savage tribes of this country. They
were murderers and robbers by breeding
and instinct, and lazy to the last degree.
They raised nothing to live upon scarce
~, and subsistcd mainly by plundcring
and numbering whit men and Indians of
ether tribes. When taken to Fort Sill
they were so fcrociOus and turbulent that
any effort to civilize 1hem.. Seemed absurd
ind hopeless The task was undertaken.
however under the supervision of army
officers, and at the cud of eight years She
wisdom and patience OF those who made
the experiment was tri,tmphantly vnd.
Gated. The reservation which these pris.
oncrs were placed upon consists of about
5000 acres, ana the land when they took
possession OF it was hard and desolatc
they have overcome the difficulties con.
fronting them however, and are now pros
porous and contented farmers. Their
number has been reduced by death and
other causes from 800 to $40; but the sur.
fiyors are thrifty and industrious and