So one agent carried out to California some annuity goods to pay off Indians, according to treaty, and among them were several thousand elastics; and yet no Indian wears a stocking!
The bad Indians must be punished, just as bad boys, who do wrong; and the army alone can deal with refractory Indians, whose tender mercies are most cruel to white men, women, and children.
General Sherman came out here in 1868 as one of "the Peace Commission," to personally investigate the whole matter. On his arrival at Cheyenne and at Denver, a large number of pioneers were ready to insult him, because he would not make a speech, and authorize them to band together and kill Indians wherever found![4] ]
This idol of the American people they were not willing to trust to do justice to both parties, after visiting among the tribes on the plains, and in New Mexico, and seen things for himself. Such is human nature. But the general could wait his time, and the judgment of the whole people will be, to give him credit for a far-sighted policy, the result of a wise head and an understanding heart, that swerves neither to the right hand nor the left, so it be in the plain path of duty! Why not believe and trust him in the future, as we have in the past? We are to take care how we draw down upon our nation God's anger for previous years of injustice and bad treatment; and if General Grant had done nothing more to signalize his administration than the appointment of honest agents to look after the welfare of Indians on reservations, while leaving to Generals Sherman and Sheridan the dealing with wild, refractory bands of pagan savages, roaming over the settlements on the plains, to do their murderous work of brutalities that sicken the heart to contemplate, and make to the sufferers a welcome death as speedily as possible,—he would be one of the greatest Presidents we have had.
I have thus tried to give an impartial history of the "Indian Question," showing the characteristics of our white settlers in their treatment of the Indians; and, on the other hand, painting the savage as he is, in his wild, cruel nature, and with whom we have to deal with all the wisdom our government can devise. I have done so with a purpose. This is to show how little Christianity has done thus far to make white men just, fair, and honorable, and to gain the respect of the red man for the Christian's God. It is a sad reflection, too, that we are doing so little, and that the world's conversion is so far, so very far away in the future. There is a dreadful responsibility resting somewhere!
If our religion is not a sham, we must meet the question as it has never been met before. Infidelity has no surer or more deadly weapon than that which it wields to-day against our professions of love for the souls of our fellow-men, while we content ourselves with expressions only of that love. It is hollow, superficial, and full of cant. If our religion does not take a deeper form, and go out in active sympathy and work, it will surely perish, and deserves to perish. Men ask for results, and it is right they should. The tree is known by its fruits. We cannot gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles. This is Christ's standard. Do we belong to Him, or are we false, hypocritical children of the Evil One?
Our Saviour said, "It must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" Now, if so be that God, who is just, shall require that we atone for all the wrongs perpetrated upon the red men ever since the Mayflower landed her pilgrims on the shores of New England (for there is no repentance for nations at the day of judgment), or that our children shall suffer in some way for it,—who shall say it is not a righteous retribution? "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord."
4 ([Return])
A man whom I had some respect for, said to me at this time, "If we can get up a smart Indian war now, wouldn't it be the making of Cheyenne?" He had an eye to an army contract. General Sherman would probably have called him a "bummer."