The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-06-20
AN INDIAN ADMIRAL
Or Commanding General. Why NOtl A
Red Mans Views,

j,
a few weeks ago, OF Miss Ella Lillard's
letter puneently describing the condition Of
affairs In Indian Territory, an editorial par
agraph-which is reproduced below-in the
New York Sun, arrested the attention OF
the editor OF the DAILY JOURNAL, and it
was sent to our correspondent as something
that might entertain II not instruct. Miss
Lillsrd handed the clipping to her Indian
friend, Oochalatah, the Medicine Map, from
whom IL has drawn the subjoined letter
which, the readers OF the JOURNAL will
agree, affords In respect OF force and intel
ligence, a substantial basis for the query,
"Why should an Indian sailor not fly an
Admirals flag, or an Indian warrior the
colors OF commanding general?" Oocha-
latah Is in error in crediting the clipping to
this paper, but his letter is printed as writ
ten. We esteem the error happy one in
that 1t has been the means Of calling out q
letter to the JOURNAL that will highly in
terest all its readers.
Cookson, L. T., June 6, 1900.
Editor Of Wdtchnan and JourndL:-The
following clipping from your paper was
handed me by young paleface teacher,
who is great favorite with my squaw and
myself:
Two interesting bills have been intro
duced in the House by Representative De
Graffenreid of Texas, and have been re-
ferred to the appropriate committees, pro-
viding respectively for the appointment to
West Point and Annapolis of cadets from
the three judicial districts into which the
Indian Territory is divided. The appoint.
ment of the cadets from the central district
Is to be made by the Governor OF the Choc-
taw tribe, that in the southern district by
the Governor of the Chickasaw tribe, and
that in the northern district by the Govern
or or principle chief of the Cherokee and
Creek nations.
II this bill becomes law we may yet see
nnr Ia1 hxy drtt
KnowIt- Was-Losded, who entered West
Point from the Chickasaw Nation, and Ad-
miral Wind-from- -the-North may yet lead
the American feet in the naval battle OF
the century.-New York Sun.
With the obtuseness of my race towards
anything In the way Of a joke, at first 1 was
inclined to consider 1t slur cast upon my
people, and to feel insulted thereat. But,
in the simple, childlike language Of Her
bert Spencer, Spontaneous apperception
gave way to reflective perception" and l
realized 1t was intended as good-natured
jesting. Many la true word is, however,
spoken in jest, and in the future you may
be classed with the prophets and punched
with the wise-and all on account OF jest.
1t Is the unexpected that happens, and
the dreams Of one decade become facts in
the next, and the widest imagnings OF one
generation are more than realized by the
one succeeding.
in Paris, l was pointed out in cafe gen.
tleman who it was said, had written two
improbable romances, beyond the bounds
of reason. The gentleman was Jules
Vernes, and tbe stories alluded to, "a Tour
Of the World in Eighty Days." and "Twen-
ty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea-" The
Trans-Siberian railway more than realizes
the first, and in the Holland submarine
boat we witness the fulfillment Ct the lat
ter. Why should an Indian sailor not fly
an admiral's flag, or an Indian warrior the
colors Of commanding general? By nature
he Is warlike, and all his instincts are those
OF soldier.
Who led the advance Of the Rough Rid
ers at La Quasina, where the gallant Fish
and the lamented CaprOn fell? Tom Isbell
and Ed. Culver, full-blood Cherokees. The
former first discovered the ambuscaded
by seven bullets; afterwards he crawled
eight long miles to Siboney to have his
wounds attended to.
Cherokees and other Indians are today
upholding the flag in the far off Philippines
and their kindred have no cause to blush at
their record. Owing to the peculiar status
Of my people, being neither fish nor fowl,
citizens nor aliens. we have no influence
with the powers that be-the war nepart.
ment-and our young men, although brave
as Hector and wise as Ulysses, must be con-
tent with chevrons instead Of Epaulettes,
duu carry guns l. plhC6 Vi 5WOrub. LII Is
matter OF pride to the Indian that the tao
tics adopted in the late war were closely
modelled on those Of his people. In other
words, the white tactitians and strategsts
OF today seem to be ascending to the plane
OF the Indian strategy OF hundreds OF years
ago. British tactics in South Africa and
American in Luzon, are those OF my people
and the general who would hurl solid lines
OF troops upon entertainments or charge 8
battery with bayonet, would be looked upon
as little better than madman.
I am beginning, to have hopes, for the
white warriors. They profit by their mis-
takes, and in few years, trust, they will
be educated up TO the ideal standard of In
dian warfare. Even now 1 can imagine the
| braves of the olden time, who have beer
capering In the war-dance Of "the happy
hunting grounds for years and years, sus
pending their amusements for few min
utes and devoting their attention to tn,
movements OF Lord Roberts in Africa o.
Gen. Macarthur in Luzon; and after wit
Messing the open formation, the khaki uni
form and the advantage carefully taken o
each rock, tree or brush, ant bill or &opje
nudging each other in the ribs and saying
They've got there at last" II knew
they'd come TO it," and, didn't l tell 20,
| SOP"
Ny people have much to learn from tn,
pale faces and the latter can, with great ad
vantage to themselves, learn many thing
from my people. 1hey can learn NOR
generous religion, than their missionarie
generally teach, and to endow the Grea
Spirit with only the noblest attributes, moi
with the follies and frailties of man. Las
Sunday heard fervid missionary inform
his congregation that no one who failed Il
be immersed could. by any chance secur
a home in heaven. Another, the evening
of the same day, told them "to believe" wa
all that was necessary, and that any chang
in manner of life was entirely unnecessar!
and that If horse thief or bandit only be
lieved correctly his calling and election
were assured; and, OH and alas It's sue
sky pilots as these who are supposed 4
blaze out the trail Of eternal salvation TO
the Indian, and issue to him tickets of ad
mittance, which will be honored by St, Pete
at the turnstile of the New Jerusalem
Selah OoCHALATAH,
The Medicine Man.