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Show Goshute T H E N AVAJ O S 5 3 W E S H A L L R E M A I N : U TA H I N D I A N C U R R I C U L U M G U I D E THE NAVAJOES The Navajoes. That fierce and untameable tribe of red-skins, the Navajoes, whom we have been fighting for the last eighteen years, are reported to have lately surrendered to our forces in New Mexico; and on the heels of this news, we have the announcement from Washington that an ap-propriation of one hundred thousand dollars is asked for Congress for the subsistence of the tribe. It is thought in official circles, we are informed, that it will be more economical to support the Navajos than to fight them. We doubt the accuracy of this theory; though on grounds of humanity, we might concede the wisdom of giving these galloping wretches rations of bread and beef rather than of bullets and cold steel. In the meantime, our soldiers, who have just got through with a big fight with the Navajos, are dividing their rations with them being themselves put on short commons for the purpose of feeding the savages. This is certainly very nice. In future it is proposed to give each individual of the tribe, numbering seven thousand in all, a daily allowance of one pound of flour and one pound of fresh meat, which, if they consume it all, will, it is thought leave them little stomach for the fight. But the Navajos are very treacherous, and pay little regard to treaties or agreements with white men. Col. Doniphan beat them and made a treaty with them in 1846, but they soon forgot it; Col. Washington did the same things in 1849, with the same result; Col. (subsequently Major-General) Sumner repeated the operation in 1851, but we have heard of their depredations almost every year since. The fact is, fighting has been the ceaseless and immemorial occupation of the Navajos; and we fear that the bread and beef now furnished to them will only give them strength and muscle to fight us again the coming summer. New York Times, Apr. 9, 1864, p. 4. |