The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-26
FUTURE OF TEE RED NAV.
DiGsrinE Opinions rrou, Two Educated IndIars
on the SuiJcct.

The regulation of the Indian tribes under tho
law governing tho Dawes commission has called
out two notable expressions as TO the future
OF the rcd man from Indians who are In every
way competent to speak for the race. The
general reader, in view Of tho gradual hut
steady elimination of the Indians from the
American population and tho consequent sim.
pltfication Of the Indian problem, may he sur.
priscd to learn that there nro educated Indians
who look TO tho absorption OF their race as the
final solution Of the Indian problem.
In n speech delivered near Muscogec, in tho
Indian Territory, recently, the Hon. Wylie Nc.
lntosh. a full.blooicd Creek and a member OF
the House Of Warriors of his tribe. uttered the
following lamcntation:
NO more viii be heard the whizzipC OF tho
fcathered arrow, met In its flight by the bullet
from the white mans rife. The war song is
hushed for eternity, and the smoke OF the coun.
Gil hre hovcrs no longer over the children of the
forest. These are gone.
THE white man now goes unarmcd among the
remnants OF his once terrible foe, seeking
everywhere to plant his vino and fig tree aud
rear n civilized home. outside Of the five civil.
lied tribes OF Indians there is no resistance Of
fcrcd to his taking possession, and he only waits
for the peaceful signal OF his own Government
to enter and possess
We know how II man feels when he first
awakes to the consciousness that a new race, n
new nation, of which he is a part. is horn, be.
cause we have felt 1t; but who can know and
feel. the agony Of a man who stands at the
gravcside of a race, OF a nation OF which he is
a part. and delivers its funeral ora,ionl Mr..
Mcintosh summed up the philosophy OF the
situation as follows:
The fact may be a sad one. but Il is nevertho-
less Il fact. that there is no longer n place ON the
soil of the IniDn mr. mn Indian ne nm Indian
The pathos OF his situation should and does mp.
peal to all great men, but the logic OF fate is not
moved by the prayers OF a fallen race nor their
destiny averted by a tear for their end
In a recent issue OF The Forum Simon Pok.
agon. a very Intelligent Pottawatomic Indian.
discusses with much fulness of information
the Future of the Red Man" His conclusion
that the rcd rlRn has about reached the end Of
his tether Is the same a. that OF MIR. Mcintosh,
but while the later believes in the annihilatIon
or the remnants OF has race, Mr.. Pokngon be.
dominant. and ConQuerinS race.
-Mr. Pokason gives "a historic review Of the
relations OF The white and the red men. He
sioutly maintains that the red man was not
originally the fierce aud relentless savage that
he grew 10 be: that he was kind and helpful! 10
The hrst Europcane who visited the continent,
but that MS gentle and friendly nature was
changed by the treHChery. cruelty, and ayariCe
OF the Eucopei n adN cnturcrs. 1t Is a very III
teresiing suggestion, and some future historian
OF the red race, ANXIOUS that u may be justified
TOT lis .ulR ana courageous. II dl>aStI Gus, CON
tict with the white race, will trace those earlier
relations OF the two peoples out of which grew
t 6sns pT anJ 6 OF Si"4 4ss ,oS Son ~ It. on o,h The Ons
the hnal paragraphs OF his article, after doing
what he could TO defend the course pursued by
his race. MIR. PoknsOn reached the following
conclusion. which is bes' stated in his own pc
Culiar way:
L am frequently asked. 'Pokagon. do YOU
believe that the white man and the red man
were originally, OF one bloodf My reply has
been: &c not know, but from the present out
look the. AtiralN will la The ipInN tinu.r ~
the past and present Is pointing to the future,
showing most conclusively that by the middle
tribal relations Will have PASSED away. Then
ouIr. people Will begin 10 scatter: and the result
Through internarriage the blood OF our people,
Ike The waters that flow into the great ocean.
senerat!ons yet unborn will read the history
o. the RED men o. the forest and inquire,
Nothing could be more pathetic than the
opinions here quoted OF tho Hon. Wylio Mcln.
to,h and Simon Pokagon on the extinction OF
remnant OF it that survives. According to the
census OF 1890 the entire Indian population
numbers only 24a,273 souls, and where they
once had tho whole country as a happy hunt
ing ground. from ocean 10 ocean. and from
now Confined 10 ai2. 900 SQUARE miles Of Ies aTe
vntions. Comprised in the five tribes in the
s s1s sissseS Sa Al nco SG r g. Ssosjo l+'2 Nv Of v whom
with 20.32l has the next largest number,
south dakota with i9;s43; being next Ari-
The sly Nations Ssip, Re~is a. o,t"- 10 -
dians Of New York. number $50 Illinois
Is credited with i: Georgia. .; Missouri, Il:
Connecticut. "a: Tennessee, lc; while the
Seminolcs. Micanopics, and the like of Florida
have dwindled TO "l5. The large state OF
Texas has only 25S. The race is already scat.
tered over the whole country and gradually
undergoing that process OF ahsorpt on pre-
OF the Indians.
In $3.50 the Indians cost tho Federal Gov
crrnicnt - .I63, 75l.24. and with the exception
Of ~ $685. 600 as payment for land in that year,
this may be taken as the fixed charge per
annum. or this 81 ,aS2.li-.la is on account
OF treaty obligations. while S2.o56, 5l5 goes for
the support OF Indian schools. The nation
will not hegrudGc this annual outlay, In view
OF the priceless land values which have been
wrested from the Indians in the progress OF
their determination.