4
Volume 1. ABIZONA CITY, YUMA COUNTY, A. T., SATURDAY, APEIL 13, 1872.
Number 5.
d entin el.
Speech of Gen. 0. 0. Howard at
Arizona City.
On Monday evening, the 8th
inst., at 7i o'clock, as previously
announced in the Sentinel, the
Court House was lightened, and
the people commenced bending
their way to the place of meeting.
The attendance was such the tit
could be seen at a glance that the
people had turned out eng masse
to exchange views with that good
and great mau, Gen. O. O. How
ard, The seats were chiefly occu
pied by ladies. "We learn that Mrs.
Gen. Crook, in company with Col.
Lee and his lady, was also pres
ent. The meeting was called to
order by H. Alexander, and Judge
T. J. Bid well unanimously elected
to the Chair. Judge Bidwell,after
H few introductory remarks, in
troduced Gen. Howard. The Gen-
ral's remarks, which we give be-
ill speak for themselves.
ird'introduced Rev. E. (
ItS VIIlMKVil Ul JlllIIIL'.'Mnil,
who spoke of the peace policy of
the present; that it differs from
the old policies in being an earnest
effort to lift Indians into civiliza
tion,by dealing justly with them,
protecting them on reservations,
and insisting that all agents and
employees sent to them shall fair
ly represent and execute the pur
pose of the Government. Indeed,
tins peace poucy so-called is a
new policy mainly in the fact that
it changes the characterof the ap
pointments of the agents and em
ployees, who deal directly with
the Indians. These appointments
arc now made on the nominations
of the various religious societies
of the country, which societies
hold themselves responsible for
their character and conduct, and
also furnish additional aid in
schools and teachers. Thus there
may be1 'established on every re
servation a colony of sober, indus
trious, honest laborers; a farmer,
blacksmith, carpenter, miller,
physician and teacher, and their
families. These all teach bv ex-
as well as precept, and aftei
fie are able to reach the In-
gradually win their conii
farms are opened, houses built,
schools set up, and the Indians
brought slowly out of barbarism.
If the children can be kept at
school, and this process continued
two generations, barbarism is
cured. That's what the new policy
proposes, and it is succeeding be
yond the expectations of those
who undertook it two years ago.
As a result, the moral sentiment
of the country that demanded its
adoption, now insists more than
ever on its fair trial the country
over. So strong and deep and uni
versal is this demand, that it can
not be resisted. It is the Presi
dent's policy. His instincts and
forecast of public opinion led him
to adopt it. The Secretary of the
Interior approves it from convic
tion and expediency. The people
will have it, and any party or ad
ministration, or General in com
mand, who attempts to resist it,
will go down before it.
The speaker had a right to say
this, because he represented one
of those religious bodies to whom
this work had been assigned by
the Government, and knew how
that body and others feel on this
question. The moral sentiment of
the nation is fairly aroused, and
in the long run is not to be baffled.
The demand is that there shall I
be a change from fraud and cor-!
ruption to honest dealing. Men
are to be put in charge of Indians
who can be trusted to make a
pound of beef weigh sixteen
ounces. The old tinle administra
tration of affairs, under wlv.eh an
office whose salary is fifteen hun
dred dollars, has readily sold for
fifteen thousand dollars, is to give
way, and under the new, just, hu
mane and Christian effort, even
the wretched,, barbarous Indians
of Arizona can be reached.
GEN. HOWARD'S SPEECH.
General Howard said the pre
vious speaker had anticipated him
somewhat, in reference to the
wide-spread, quickened mfh
sentiment of the country on the
Indian question. He had had spe
cial opportunity to know how the
pulse of public feeling beets, from
his contact with so many of the
very best men in the land, with
whom he had been associated in
the work for the freedmen for the
past seven years. This sentiment
is not confined to parties the
country feels it, Democrats as well
as Republicans. The unanimity
which demands a change is won-
proposedfor the freedmen, Gen
Sherman said: "You have under
taken what cannot be done."
believed it could be done. At any
rate I knew it ought to be done
and we went to work on the prin
ciple that a man is a man, and by
the results demonstrated the prin
ciple. It needed a definite theory
aimed at, and an adherence to it
right through to the end.
The new policy does not consis
in a change of agents only. The
old theory respecting- Indians is
wrong at the bottom. We hold up
a set of savage tribes as indepen
dent nations, and make treaties
with them, as if they were capable
of being a treaty-making power.
What does the new policy pro
pose? It takes up the Indiana as
the wards of the nation,and makes
an honest practical effort to treat
them as human beings, capable,
after proper instruction and help,
of living In a civilized way. What
can be done with them if we do
not elevate them? I have heard
men talk of extermination. Well,
if that's it, then begin with the
first Indian you meet, kill him on
sight, aud so on until the last red
man is gone, or introduce poison
among them. This is extermina
tion in a straight forward way.
But this nation is not to do that,
nor anything like it. There is but
one mind on that question. I am
asked to decide between two poli
cies. There is now really but one
policy, and it is not, mixed. The
Secretary of War and the Seere
tary of the Interior agree with the
President. What he desires you
will see from his letter. They all
mean to give the peace policy a
full aud fair trial. I have letters
from them all. They insist on
peace if it can be had, and they do
not propose meanwhile to leave
the citizens of Arizona in the ter
ror of robbery and murder by sav
ages, but to protect them, find at
the same time give the Indians a
fair chance under honest agents
derful. Through all the years of and in security from the attacks
great expenditure, nothing has
been done, and the reason is,
nothing has been aimed at Ave
of hostile tribes or hostile whites,
to come under the influences of
civilization on reservation of
dian question in Arizona, to
suit with citizens and officials and
army officers as to the best course
to be pursued, and also if found
practicable to take a delegation of
Indians to Washington for confer
ence and to impress them wih
the hopelessness of contendr
against the United State3. Yoi
will see how earnestly the Presw
dent feels on the subject from his
letter by me to Gen. Schofield.
Gen. Howard then read th(
letter in full.
The President assigns as tl
reason for sending out the Coil
mission his own anxiety, and thl
felt by the public generally,
m the future Indian hostilities
shall be avoided, and that tin
policy to civilize and elevate the
Indians shall prove successful. It
is not proposed by the. Commis
sion to interfere p3igfeilitary
movements orderet
authority, but the!
ed that a sympatbjSg
be entertained bel
ers of the army andpn. Ho ware
It is not proposed to abandon usl
f r r ii -t ... I
ui iurce ii uie Jinaians will nol
come under such restraint as wil
insure the security of white
tiers, neither is it proposed to giv
protection all on the Indian sidei
but if they will submit, protection
by military force shall be giver
alike to all. ,
The (general continued: Is theivl
anything in that letter to whicn
. . . . . 1
tne citizens ot Arizona will ol
ject? You do not doubt but tha"
this policy might be tried on thel
Cocopahs and the friendly tribes
along the river.
But the Apaches! you say; the
murderous Apaches! what is the
sense of trying- to civilize snob
savages? Nothing can be dont
with them until they have been
whipped, by which is meant that
you must kill a certain number to
make the rest submissive. I be
lieve in war when it is necessan
but it must be for a definite
ami ousneci with 'i?nr
brought to an end. Some
say because I am a Christ
fact I never deny, but rejohl
induce them Jo boirm
HiriuMau iiuuiuij;. he,
that therefore
.i