WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1857
416
inducement to lead him to quit the associations of his past life and go to the forest to encounter and experience the inconven- iences of a pioneer. It is avarice that draws him; it is cupidity that prompts him. He views the Indian as his victim, and the United States as his purser. Place among the Indians as agents, honest men-men who are acquainted with frontier life-men who have had some associations with the Indians-men who may have formed friendship in former days with Indian boys, and can sympathize with them as human beings, and you will find them ministers of mercy to the Indians, ready at all times to pro- tect their rights, and vindicate the honor of the United States. But when you send a profligate, abandoned man to the frontier, or men who have no sympathies, who know nothing of an In- dian's character or disposition, who do. not conciliate his confi- dence and demand his respect, you had better send a regiment to slaughter the Indians, because those whom you send there are worse than incendiaries if they have no sympathy with and no knowledge of Indians. They view them as subjects of their rapacity-as objects of their hate. They have a contempt for them, because they have not the refinements to which they have been accustomed, and they extort from them whatever they can. They interpose and arrest everything that should pass through them to the Indians. The Indian is deprived of his dues, and the Government is disappointed in its object. I have asserted be- fore, that out of the $110,000,000 or $115,000,000 that have gone to the Indians since ours was a Constitutional Government, they have never realized $20,000,000 of advantage. Had it been wisely and judiciously expended for advantage to the Indians, and in a manner which would conciliate their feelings, and draw them in attachment to the Government, it would have been a great deal better! There is no doubt that the Indians can be civilized, but you must learn them the arts of peace. First you must get their confidence. The Indian is not going to imitate his enemy if he can avoid it. Convince him that you are his friend, and he will readily adopt your advice and pursue the course you indicate to him. Until that is done, the improvement of the Indian is hopeless, and the objects of the Government a failure. It is vain to suppose that by sending superintendents to the different agencies, and increasing the expenditures of money, any advantage will flow to the Government. There ought to be a superintendency, but first, I would say there ought to be honest agents and honest superintendents. Is a man more honest and
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