They
were the inheritors of the land that we live in. They were not capable
of developing it, or of really appreciating its possibilities, but they
owned it when the White Man came, and the White Man took it away from
them. It was natural that they should resist. It was natural that they
employed the only means of warfare known to them against those whom
they regarded as usurpers. It was our business, as scouts, to be
continually on the warpath against them when they committed
depredations. But no scout ever hated the Indians in general.
There have been times when the Government policy toward the Indians has
been unwise and unjust. That time, I trust, has passed forever. There
are still many thousand Indians in the country, most of them engaged in
agricultural pursuits. Indian blood has added a certain rugged strength
to the characters of many of our Western citizens. At least two United
States Senators are part Indian, and proud of it.
The Indian makes a good citizen, a good farmer, a good soldier. He is a
real American, and all those of us who have come to share with him the
great land that was his heritage should do their share toward seeing
that he is dealt with justly and fairly, and that his rights and
liberties are never infringed by the scheming politician or the
short-sighted administration of law.
THE END
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of An Autobiography of Buffalo Bill
(Colonel W.
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