The Weekly Arizonian

OF THE APACHE.

The Indian troubles in Arizona are of late assuming an aspect very different from that presented during the years 1866 and 1867. In 1866 Indian raids were few but generally successful, while raids upon the Indian had hardly yet begun. In those days the noble red man doubtless looked upon us as a people striding to extermination, and quite satisfied with appropriating whatever property we possessed, did not consider it sound policy to destroy a people whose largely ministered to his support. This must indeed have been, in substance, the opinion formed of us, as instances are known where the Apache, after having captured teams, 'had yet the power but not the will to hurt,' and permitted those of the party who survived the combat just decided in his favor, to depart unmolested; an instance of this kind occurred at the time of the Maj. Miller massacre in the spring of 1866: the Indians, in this instance, once in possession of the wagon, seemed as though they wished for nothing more, and permitted the survivors to escape. One of the party stated afterwards, that three Indians, in succession, and within a distance from him of less than ten feet, aimed each an arrow at his breast, and springing the bow with his right hand caught the escaping arrow in his left.

In 1868 the Apache seems to have learned beyond a doubt that his theory of extermination was at fault. He saw his camping ground of the previous year wrested from him and either under cultivation or otherwise so altered in appearance as to convey to his misty intellect the startling fact that he was no longer 'monarch of all he surveyed.' Hence in savage hate commenced he his career of murder, and in return, raids upon the Indian now fairly commenced, for up to 1868 but little had been done toward chastising him; and even up to the latter part of '67 his shrewd, duplicate schemes blinded the eyes of many who believed that it required something keener than savage intellect to practise duplicity to perfection. However, 1869 has brought with it a mutual understanding: the Indian is now satisfied that we are not a mere few who are destined eventually to perish at his hands, and we are satisfied that the Apache is guided by reason which, however crude, is yet reason as distinguished from instinct; that he possesses many of the mental rascalities cultivated by Caucasians without possessing a single virtue which Caucasians cultivate, and that war and only energetic war can lead to permanent peace. The results which have arisen from this understanding are now evident to all. A deadly hostility without disguise or restraint is being carried on and is as well understood to be such as if formally declared. This, however unpleasant, must continue for a little time; it is a necessary evil, an evil which is being sent before to open the pathway through which must pass the whole future prosperity of our people and progress of our Territory.

The period of time which must yet elapse before the subjugation of the Indian is brought about must necessarily leave records of many other scenes similar to those which mark the victories achieved by troops under Cols. Green and Barnard within the past few months. Nothing short of such wholesale slaughter can ever bring to terms this worst of all Indian tribes. Nor can we determine with any degree of accuracy the length of time which may be required to produce this result as the real strength of this tribe is to us as great a mystery as the amount of treasure yet undiscovered in the country over which it roams.