Alexandria Gazette & Advertiser

THE RICAREE WAR.

The late hostile operations of the United
States troops, under the command of
Col. Leavenworth, against the Ricaree
Indians, if we are not mistaken in their
origin and tendency, ought to form an important subject of consideration for the national government.

It appears by that
officer's account of his proceedings, that a
considerable number of Indians were killed
in the attack he made upon them, and
immediately after he left the place and
went down the river, that their towns were
seen to be on fire, and he had no doubt
they were consumed to ashes—and he has
as little doubt that they were "set on fire
by a couple of men, one a partner and the
other a clerk in the Missouri Fur Company. He then adds the following remarks:
—“Had not this been done, there is no
room to doubt, but that the Ricaree Indians
would in future have behaved as well
towards our countrymen as any other Indians on the river. It is now my deliberate opinion that those Indians will be excited to further hostilities.

This quarrel commenced between these
Indians and a hunting party—a circumstance commonly of a suspicious nature.
The chances are at least equal in favor of
the Indians in a case of this kind. In consequence of an attack by the Ricarees upon Ashley's party, Col. Leavenworth moved
his forces a great distance up the river,
attacked the Indians, destroyed a great
number of them, and paved the way, tho'
undesignedly, for the entire destruction of
their towns by the above-named incendiaries.

We are unable to see by what authority
a military officer can justify hostilities
against a tribe of Indians upon his own authority. These Indians are, as it regards
their relation to us, an independent people. We make treaties with them, purchase land of them, and in many particulars recognize them as such. A declaration of war does not belong to any military
officer, be his rank what it may. Even
the President of the United States cannot
declare war against any nation or people.
The Constitution has wisely left that power
with Congress, and they alone can exercise it. This enterprise was to all intents and purposes a war; & if Col. Leavenworth's apprehensions of its consequences are realized, it may prove to be
a disastrous one to the country. A serious Indian war, carried on at that immense distance from our settlements,
would be an expensive and troublesome
undertaking for the national government.
Whatever difficulty occurs between our
Fur Traders and Indians, the first step
should be a strict and faithful enquiry into
the causes of it—whether it commenced
with the Indians or the Traders, and the
course to be pursued should be directed
according to the result. But if, upon intelligence of such difficulty, a military officer who happens to be nearest the place,
is authorised or permitted to march at
once against the Indians and without stopping to enquire who was the aggressor,
treat them as such, and lay them waste
with fire and sword, the consequences may
be very serious to our country.