Such things did occur
in our days, but they never will again.
As nearly as I can estimate, there were in 1865 about nine and
one-half million of buffaloes on the Plains between the Missouri
River and the Rocky Mountains; all are now gone, killed for their
meat, their skins, and their bones. This seems like desecration,
cruelty, and murder, yet they have been replaced by twice as many
cattle. At that date there were about 165,000 Pawnees, Sioux,
Cheyennes, and Arapahoes, who depended upon these buffaloes for
their yearly food. They, too, have gone, but they have been
replaced by twice or thrice as many white men and women, who have
made the earth to blossom as the rose, and who can be counted,
taxed, and governed by the laws of Nature and civilization. This
change has been salutary, and will go on to the end. You have
caught one epoch of this country's history, and have illustrated it
in the very heart of the modern world--London--and I want you to
feel that on this side of the water we appreciate it.
This drama must end; days, years, and centuries follow fast; even
the drama of civilization must have an end. All I aim to accomplish
on this sheet of paper is to assure you that I fully recognize your
work. The presence of the Queen, the beautiful Princess of Wales,
the Prince, and the British public are marks of favor which reflect
back on America sparks of light which illuminate many a house and
cabin in the land where once you guided me honestly and faithfully,
in 1865-66, from Fort Riley to Kearney, in Kansas and Nebraska.
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