The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-07-09
THE REBEL GHOST DANCE AT RICH
MOND.

Some years ago the people were much
disturbed by the prevalence of "ghost-
dances" among the Indians. At these
affairs the Indians would gather in large
numbers from great distances, and spend
DAYS in Exercises where the wrongs
done their people by the whites would
be recounted by eloquent speakers, the
stories of the yalorous deeds done by
gallant warriors against the wicked
pale-faces would be told in burning
words for the youths to drink in, the
scalps of slain whites and other trophies
of battle would be proudly exhibited,
the survivors of the doughty warriors
would be accorded the highest honors,
there would be "cheers for the living,
tears for the dead" and all present
would be worked up into a frenzy.
These performances became so democrat
ling and so threatening of danger that
the Government finally prohibited them
and put them down by force. 1t was
in suppressing a ghost-dance at Wound
ed Knee that bloody fight took place,
when Sitting Bull, the Jeff Davis of the
Indian Confederacy, was killed. Since
their suppression peace has reigned
along the whole of the formerly turbu-
lent border.
The performance at Richmond differed
from these only i'll degree and details.
The spirit and character we're the same.
Men and women, protesting to be
loyal to the Government and flag of
tie United States, met in the Capital Of
the late so-called Southern Confederacy
for a three-days Ghost Dance over the
Lost Cause" Protesting to be glad
that slavery was dead, and the Union
restored and strongly cemented, they
met to lay, with the most impressive
ceremonies, the cornerstone of a monu-
ment to eternally glorify the man who
will forever live in history simply as
the wicked insticator of a rebellion to
destroy the United States and erect on
their ruins another Nation, the corner
stone Of which should be human
slavery. They lauded to the skies
everyone who had done much or lit
tie to aid in CARRYING out this nefa-
rious scheme. They brought out all
the old emblems Of that terrible strug-
gle, and bent in fearful reverence before
them as Catholics do before the remains
of saint OF portions of True Cross.
Not thing was left undone to impress
the minds of every boy and girl in the
whole South that incomparably the most
glorious thing in life was to have done
something to bring about the causeless
war which desolated the land for four
years, and to have fought obstinately and
persistently to win a victory which would
have secured the disruption of the United
States and the establishment of an en-
pire where one portion of the people
would have been bound hopelessly to
unrequited toll for the other. There
was not an expression of regret that the
war had been begun, only that it had
failed.
All this is exceedingly alarming to
every peace-loving, patriotic man, just
as the Indian ghost dances alarmed the
frontier settler. 1t looks like the prepa-
ration of a mine, which may explode at
any time, and spread distress and ruin
all around. If the lessons which were
taught by the Ghost Dance at Richmond
mean anything, if they found Judgment
in the hearts of the young people of a
section comprising nearly one-third of
our country, the future of the Nation
may well ell every loyal heart with |
solicitude, if not actual dread. What |