COLLISIONS BETWEEN THE WHITES AND THE INDIANS.

Otago Witness, Issue 84, 25 December 1852, Page 4

COLLISIONS BETWEEN THE WHITES AND THE INDIANS.

Collisions between the white people and the Indians was on the increase, both as to numbers and sanguinary character. The following article, from the " San Francisco Herald" of July 15, sets the subject in a light sp striking, and at the same time so just and humane on the whole, that we copy it without abridgement :—: — There is scarcely any subject connected with the interest of California deserving of more at-

tention at the present time, than our relat&tKK, ■with the Indian, tribes within the limits ofCoim / territory. Nor is there any subject which re- >• \ quires more delicate handling, in order to pre-;/v : vent a war from breaking out between the two r> races.

At the present time these relations are not 6f^ ; " the most favourable character, owing, we ares., 1 '! sorry to say, in a great measure to the whites,"; / whose treatment of the red man has not been, > such as to make him tlieir friend. It is notorK '4 ous, that in some portions of the State the life, '; of, an Indian is considered of no account, and', . ( is taken with little ceremony and compunction. "< -< If he commits a murder, vengeance is visited, ] not only on him, but on others of his tribe, in opposition to all show of justice or reason. It was only the other day that nearly 150 Indians, of all ages and sexes, were indiscriminately ' slaughtered in cold blood, as punishment for a' crime committed by one or two of the tribe^ Such treatment and such butchery are by-nb means calculated to preserve peaceful relations " between the two races, which is so much to be desired ; but rather to awaken in the breasts of the whole Indian population of the State, a feeling of resentment towards the whites, which, under the direction of an able head, would not be allayed until many a peaceful hearth would be laved with blood, many a valuable life lost, and many a quiet homestead reduced to ashes. It must be borne in mind, that though the skin of the Indian may be a different colour from ours, he possesses the same feelings and passions as the whites, which, when aroused, are not easily allayed. If viewed in no other light, it is manifestly the interest of the whites '>' to treat the Indians kindly so as to maintainamicable 1 ' relations with them. It would be a serious matter if we were precipitatedlnto a general Indian war, which we may expect sooner or later, if we are not careful. Were such a calamity to overtake us, the consequences would be terrible, and it would be the work of years to restore peace. The Florida war is fresh in the recollection of the public. Every one knows how tedious it was, the great sacrifice of life it caused, and the large amount of money that was expended during its continuance. Similar results would follow an Indian war, in California. Should the red man be driven to desperation, should he be forced into a wild resentment against the whites, what sei curity would the immense overland immigration haye — or what s. curity would there be to our settlers that they would not be killed in ! their beds, and their houses burned during the night ? In addition to this an Indian war would have a disastrous offect on business of _ all kinds. Mining could not be pursued to ad- \ vantage, or to the extent to which it is nowfofcw 1 lowed. Our citizens would be forced to abanHj j don their vocations and become soldiers. NolH could it be predicted when hostilities would™ itaminate. In all probability thm-e would bo™ i no peace until the whole Indian race were cxi terminated, or were so much reduced in nurpbers as to be incapable of making continued resistance. It would require a long time and a vast outlay of money to effect this. California as well as Florida has its fastnesses to which the Indians might fly, but which could not be reached by the whites. In the recesses of the mountains he would be secure from attack, and he could descend from them from time to time and accomplish an incalculable amount of mischief with comparative impunity. With the scenes of the Florida campaign fresh in the recollection of the public every one will pray that California will be spared the calamity of a general Indian war. It must be confessed, however, that we are pursuing a policy that tends more to war than peace, and this may be discovered when perhaps it will be too late. Within the limits of California, and on the borders of our State, are tribes whose warriors can be counted by the thousand, and who would be desperate enemies. It is clearly our policy to preserve peace with them. The General Government in this as in other respects has neglected to take care of our interests. We are comparatively defenceless on every side — from foes within as well as enemies without. But danger from within need not be apprehended if we only pursue towards the Indians a humane and civilized policy. It isargued on all hands that danger need not be apprehended from the Indian tribes if they are treated properly ; but if not — if they are slaugh^ tered on the slightest provocation — if Avhole families and portions of tribes are sacrificed for the crimes committed by one or two — if such treatment as this be continued, we may naturally expect to see sooner or later a bloody and destructive war between the two races, which will arrest the mighty progress of our State, and be disastrous to every kind of business. • Life and Deatii in England. — Few knowthat in every seven minutes of the day a child is born in London, and that in every nine minutes one of its inhabitants dies ! The population of London is loundly estimated at 2,762,000. If the averages of the past fifty years continue, in 31 years from this time as many persons as now compose its population will have died, in it, and yet in about 39 years from this time, if the present rate of progress continue, the Metropolis will contain twice as many persons as it does now. The whole population of Liverpool in 1851 numbered 255,000 ; while the increase of inhabitants in the Metropolis between 1841 and 1851 was 413,000. It is truly marvellous. Where it will stop, and how food and shelter are provided for these masses, are subjects for speculation.— The Builder.