—“If you want to civilize the Indians you must keep from them schools and churches.”
If you want to civilize the Indians you must keep from them intelligence and morality.
If you want to civilize the Indians you must keep from them civilization itself.
The first remark above was made by a somewhat celebrated scientist at a great meeting of scientific people in Boston, last summer. The last two we simply intended to give emphasis to the first. We think the biggest argument that we can make against this scientific conclusion is to say nothing about it.—Exchange.
—On the 6th of November, the Indian school at Carlisle, Pa., welcomed fifteen new students: four boys and three girls from the Menomonees at Green Bay Agency, and four boys and four girls from the Sisseton Sioux Agency; an exceptionally bright and promising delegation. An Apache boy, captured by the 4th Cavalry in Arizona, six years ago, has also been admitted to the school, thus making the total number 212.
—Recently, at the Cheyenne Agency, Walter Matches, one of the Florida boys, was married to Emma, formerly a scholar at the boarding-school. The teachers of the school, where the wedding took place, prepared an entertainment to which all the Florida boys were invited, and the occasion is described as having been a very pleasant one. The newly married couple are to live at the school, where they are both employed, and we wish for them a life of great happiness to themselves and usefulness to their people.
—On the 6th day of October, the Carlisle Indian Training School completed the first year of its history. At a little impromptu gathering of the school and its teachers and helpers, on the evening of that day, the children were asked to vote for, or against, continuing the school work. Every hand went up in favor of continuing it, and some of the boys even stood up and held up both hands. Speeches were in order. Everybody was happy and many reminiscences were brought out with much incentive to continued effort.
—That a great wrong has been done the Poncas, all parties agree. Who is responsible for this wrong is not at present so important as the question whether as Bright Eyes asserts, and the Boston Committee believe, a still greater wrong is attempted in the effort now making to have them relinquish their title to their own homes in Dakota on the false pretence that it is their own desire to do so. That the Hon. Carl Schurz, so far from being a friend of the Indian, is the most unscrupulous enemy he has ever had, we shall believe only when the proof is overwhelming. The delegation which has gone out to investigate, goes with some very decided convictions on this subject, but its report, whether favorable or adverse, will doubtless be accepted as just to all concerned.