Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/446

 "about, and Kansas become distinguished as a land in which the complete and thorough civilization of the red man was worked out and accomplished.'"

Sir, it is the violation of treaties, and the bad faith of the white man and his aggressive course, that cause the inquietude of the Indian, and we feel it very much in the section of country in which I live. There is a remedy, and that remedy must be applied, or the Indians exterminated, at an expense ten times beyond what would civilize, in half a century, every red man who walks upon the soil of America. I have seen tribes rise from a state of barbarism to a condition in which they are as civilized in their institutions, in their religion, and in their social refinement and habits, as citizens of the United States, and all this has been done within half a century. These things are as possible now as at any former time; and a sum, very easily calculated—less than the amount estimated as necessary to raise these troops and subsist them for one year—would civilize every Indian on the continent, set him down on a piece of land, and give him "a local habitation and a name." Is it not worth an attempt? Is it not worth accomplishment? Sir, let me give you some experience in relation to Indians.

The United States have regiments in Texas, and Texas is considered by some as a burden on the Treasury. Texas, it is said, exhausts the Army of the United States, and withdraws them from more eligible stations to protect her frontier. I will show you, sir, how that is. In 1842 and 1843 Texas had a war on hand which had been brought about by an exterminating policy proclaimed by a new Administration, and peace was not restored until 1843, when the head of the Government of Texas went about the work of their civilization. He went into the wilderness, on the prairies, and there met the Indians, who would not trust themselves within the timbered land, nor, near any place where there was a possibility of ambuscade. A treaty was there made, which not only stayed the tomahawk and the scalping-knife, but preserved peace and safety on the frontier until 1849. We were for six years without massacre, without conflagration, without prisoners being taken. Not a Texan was killed in that time by the Indians. One man was killed near the Indian country, but whether by the Mexicans or Indians was a doubtful question; at any rate, he was not scalped.

Now, sir, how was this done? By what means? By pursuing a policy which had been initiated in 1836, but was disrupted in 183S, and a war brought upon the entire borders of that young Republic. The old policy was re-established in 1843. Resistance was made to it, as there was to every attempt made to establish a government. There was an attempt, on the part of some lawless men, to resist everything like order and organization, and throw the government into anarchy and misrule; but they failed. These Indians had been our enemies; they had been exasperated by unprovoked aggressions upon them; but the proper conciliatory disposition soon won their regard and affection. What was the expense of all this? I am almost afraid to state it, for I fear it will not be credited when we see the enormous estimates now made for the expense of treaties with the Indians. Sir, every dollar given to the Executive of Texas to consummate these treaties, to feed the Indians, to make presents, was annually $10,000; and he rendered vouchers for the last cent. For this sum peace was