Show the red ked mans arraignment of the government the speech of the indian chief spotted tail before the treaty commission is isa a striking of simple natural oratory it is isi hov however elver ciVer much more than this for it conta arraignment of the united states statis government upon charges of bad faith falth and duplicity y which are aro unfortunately but too wel well foun founded ged oed and the recollection aion alon of which should blid tild bring mhd h blush of thee thoe heek beek of every eveny honor able abie man knan it Is a bitter comment bom eom ment ary upon our treatment of the indiana indians that they them in ln a poal un tion te to declare with perfect truth that they are afraid to 0 o sign 8 with the government because it A bas has broken faith falth with ithem so frequently quent ly and that they only sign now because they are ara placed between two fires the soldiers boldi ersin eisin in the front and starvation in the rear after sueh auch an address as that tha t oi of spotted tail it might have haie been supposed by an uninformed observer that some ape te iCom missioners missi ners onera would haye risen ant and vindicated thet the cause of the government ern munt ment but tho the ugly truth truiel i it that not one of p them wa wab capable of making ii a defense or refutation and for the simple but sufficient clent elent reason that they knew the charges to be true we doubt whether there is asin aingie gle gie in 1 1 n stance on record in which our promises to the indians have been loyally performed and there are ate not many instances in which the ag ions lons which goaded them into t tress gresa osti lity co could U id no not t have hayd been traced to tot the doom doors of white men the indians have been acclis accused ed of treachery and cruelty cruelly but out all the first ahby they have borrowed from white men an bno aa as regards the hec see second their contact with so called civilization has not tended to convince them that it promoted hu manity I 1 at this very moment we wp U are eligi engaged aged in a war with the sioux wh which leh ieh has been p precipitated by the most flig flagrant rant broches breaches of faith on tho the part of the government and to secure ourselves against further complications wet wei are now forcing the red cloud bandalo bands to ign sign treaties tie 8 which are presented to them oil on the point of the bayonet whether the new treaty will be better kept than former ones remains to be seen but there Is nothing in the history of the past to warrant sanguine anticipations ve know that it isi 19 the desire desiro of the government to fi transfer these tribes to the indian india n territory and we alteo know that the majority jo r i ty of them do not wish to go t there h e r e at this moment they are ostensibly offered an alternative 3 but the strong presumption Is that t they thuy will eventually be compelled to take the course cot irge prescribed by the government and that if they olt orect or resist they will be coerced the most exasperating characteristics of the prevailing indian policy is its lack of well defined principle there appears to be no permanent standard by which the indians indiana are fudged and no man can undertake to describe their relations or their status at one time they are treated as though they constituted an independent power and a solemn pretence predence pre tence is made of ratifying treaties with them the moment however that any motive arises for trespassing tres passing upon their reserve territory or taking it from them in the interest of white men the treaties are broken regardless or all considerations of honor or decency and when the red men resent this and rise in defense of their rights they are howled at aa as bloody minded say bay savages ages and the cry of extermination is raised against them it is a burning disgrace to the country that it should be amenable to such bitter reproaches as the chief spotted tail gave utterance to the other day but unfortunately the disgrace does not seem to be felland fel tand the old bad course is likely persi sited into the ted tail tall made a very natural and sensible demand when he urged that the government should deal less in words and more in deeds and when be suggested that it should give some substantial earnestness nest ness of its intended liberality heretofore it has been lavish of promises in the council tent but when treaties have been once on ce signed it has usually become forget has allowed rascally indian agents to plunder themselves rich out of the stores provided for the indians while the latter have been put off with any refuse that came to hand As a matter of course to othis dishonest policy has proved au ayi extravagant one it has resulted in indian wars which have cost the country scores of millions of dollars it has rendered abortive all efforts at civilizing the native tribes it has retarded settlement I 1 rendered life lire and property pre cari carl 1 ous on the frontier brought the in olau into contact with the wont and most demoralizing vices of the white men ana duall in all ali ways contributed to complicate and entangle the problem iemand lemand and render its ultimate solution more difficult considering si that duding during all this time I 1 we have had the ad vantage advantage ofa of a very din dif terent different experiment as pursued by our canadian neighbors and have been enabled to perceive with wha tease teabe and aud success indians can be controlled through good bood faith and loyalty it is surprising that at this late day we are in search of an indian policy and still as reluctant as ever to adopt that which time has so well approved i we fear that even now the last of the trouble with the red bed cloud bands has not been se enaud enand enaud enand that it will prove an arduous undertaking to remove them to the indian territory that they will not willingly exchange good lands for bad may be regarded certain ascertain as and if an atte attempt ampt is made to coerce them they will take the war path all this present and prospective trouble could have been prevented by infusing a little honesty and gooi booi faith ino the government gramme pro some years ago but it may be doubted whether it is not now too late to undertake reforms of that nature and it instill is still more questionable whether the government entertains any real desire to amend or remodel our ind indian la n r relations e sacramento record union sept 22 |