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Show DESPISING THE ENEMY- i Tlio extracts published ia this issue hilut've to Mudoc matters ibrin faiuful reading. Two Luiidred and twenty men, women and children cowjirihi: the number of those fur whose exturmiua-tion exturmiua-tion a wild cry haa rung through the country, aiid who have been seriously defying tho power of forty millions of people. Of tho number, about uixty wero considered warriors; sixty men,ull told, holding at bay tho United Status forces sent against them, maintaining their position week ai'cor week, perpetrating perpe-trating a oja.i.-iaero that aont a thrill o( horror through the Kupub!ic, and mill nontcHtiog the ground with tho troops, or eluding their vixilanee. The laot in humiliation, and it enforces two truths that arc frequently ignored. Id dealing with a weak coo my tho polio; ia too often adopted of sending a proportionately pro-portionately weak forco against him. Kiohelicu's policy, as declared by But-war, But-war, was 'all meana to conciliate; that failing, all means to crush." Aud this policy.if it had been adopted, would long ago havo settled this Modoo business; for tho injustico to which they wero subjected would never havo boon committed; and when hostilities did commenoo they would havo been j)romptly crushed by an overwhelming ibroo. This would oothavo suited the epeoulatord and oonlraators, but it would have satisfied the oountry. Tho other truth taught by the facts is one that has been often reiterated that it is cheaper to feed than tight Indians. Wo aro gravely told by a Chronicle- correspondent that "If tho Indians do cot make a stand, this country (tho California and Oregon bordor) will bo in a horrid stato this hummar. Kauchcrs wilt lose all their cattlo and perhaps bo compelled to abandon their ranches. Fifty desperate savages roaming through these rocky fastDOHScs oan and will work incalculable incalcul-able damage to property, and cause f arful loss of life. They will lay wasto the oountry, whilo tho soldiers will bo comparatively powerless, because they cannot hunt them." This is certainly a gloomy pioturo, yet wo fancy it is not overdrawn. Nor is it to bo oxpco-ted oxpco-ted that tho Indians will make a stan-1. Tbat is not their peculiar stylo of making mak-ing war, whoro there are rooks, trees, or anything olso that will form a shelter shel-ter to skulk behind and take deadly aim from. An Indian's bravery docs not oonsist in exposing his person to win admiration. His aim, in war, is to destroy life and take as many scalps as possiblo with tho least personal exposure; ex-posure; but ho will meet danger and dio, when it becomes ncoassary, with a stoioism poouliariy his own. So tbat jt is safe- to conclude that tho half-hundred misorablo Mod oca, who havo so long doiiod and still defy tho forces sent against thorn, will not bo exterminated extermi-nated with thoir women and children without an expenditure of blood und means of an amplitude littlo calculated on by thoso most eagerly advocating a general polioy of Indian extermination. Apart from tho humane and civil-; ized aspect of tho case, eoonomy and statesmanship would not only sustain tho peace policy of President Grant, but would deal out striot juatioo to all who foment Indian disturbances. This Modoo "war" has already cost more, far moro, than should havo sufficed to subjeot thorn to tho power of tho government. gov-ernment. It is possible they could havo been surrounded really sur-roundod sur-roundod long ago, and finding overy avenuo of csoapo cut off might havo boon more willing to oomo to terms. But thoy wero first wronged and aggravated, aggra-vated, then maddened, thon trilled with, and now, in a state of desperation, despera-tion, bid fair to oludo tho troops and their Indian allies, and keep a wide region of oountry in a oondition of alarm, whilo they commit outrages, ravaging, destroying and murdering. |