The New York herald., 1922-06-27
In Praise of Indians.
Their Wrongs Recited by One Who
Has Lived Among Them.

To THE NEW York HERALD: There
is one class of people which consistently
libels the American Indian. 1t is the
and which considered that these original
owners Of all our country had no rights
that the white man was bound to re.
spect. AS strongly as I speak I do II
fromtrue knowledge and can prove every
allega tion that I make. I have lived
among the Indians and know them.
The Sioux. poor devils, were driven
by the whites from their beautiful lake
country in Minnesota from pillar to post
broken treaties and promises, SO that
would not have respected them II they
had not fought. They simply did II
from observation-disclosures to aver,
starvation. The white man set the In
dian many bad example by stealing
the Indians cattle. horses, women and
other property Much OF this was done
at night. so that the Indians naturally
suspected the nearest unfriendly whites
and descended upon them.
The Indian first welcomed tho white
man. and even for long periods permit
ted the prairie schooners to pass through
their country unharmed until the In
dians were driven to reprisals by the
many crimes committed against them
by the whites. to say nothing Of the
rapid determination OF their game and
fur animals. The Indian is not game
hog: It is the white man who Is.
Every citizen Of this country owes 1,
to Justice to read Helen Hunt Jackson's
book entitled Century of Dishonor.'
Therein is abundant. damning proof
of the almost unbelievable perndy OF
the white man to the Indian from the
first right down to latter days. and the
outrages are still going on against
these now almost defenseless people
who, naturally highly honorable. moral
loyal friends and generous. hosts, have
been the victims Of one long series OF
robberies and worse by the white man.
Should we not blush with shame when
we know that General Sherman said
that Congress never did keep treaty
1t made with the Indians!
This book Of Mrs. Jackson's Is based
upon proof consisting largely Of Gov
ernment documents.
Leading Generals like Scott, Crook
and Miles, who have been sent by Gov
ernment of1icials to fight the Indians.
held them in high respect. White men
have scalped and mutilated Indians.
have shot fleeing women and tiny chill
dren in the back and left their wounded
to freeze. White men first taught In
dians to fight white men, and the loyal
devotion Of many an Indian and tribe
to the white people In the face Of out
rageous provocation, is well known in
and out Of printed history.
Give the Indian a square deal and
there will very rarely be any trouble
from him. can. give splendid testi-
mony to their honesty. ability and good
ness to the whites.
The man who invented the shibboleth
that "the only good Indian is dead
Indian" was a selfish brute who wanted
to steal what belonged to the Indian
either that or he was misinformed by
designing trlcksters. Good and able
white men who have been long in close
contact with our Indians have testified
to the splendid men who have been lead
ers of the tribes. many Of whom have
fought US because we forced them to,
not because they wanted to. Let us be
just! WILLIAM r. GRIrrrrHs.
DoUGLAsroN, June rs.