It is a logic which
confutes itself, and needs no _sillygism_ to prove its lying.

Why should we not bravely and manfully, with all the wisdom we possess,
confront and reform the evils and iniquities of this system? It is a
part and parcel of the work committed to our charge, that we shall
wisely deal with this people, until God, by His own mysterious means and
agencies, removes them finally from the continent and the planet. There
is no room for the red man where the white man comes. He _must_ give
way. It is destiny, and there is no help for it. He knows this as well
as we do; and he gnaws the grim fact with the teeth of the hopeless
damned. But why imbitter him needlessly against us, against the
Government, against the people among whom he resides, and over whose
dear lives and properties he holds suspended the scalping knife and the
flaming pine brand? We are unworthy of the sovereign possessions
reserved for us from before the foundations of the world--making the
title deeds, therefore, unusually sound and wellnigh unquestionable--if
we cannot deal like rational men with the hordes of savages, whose lands
we have robbed them of, whom we have reduced to mere pensioners upon
our caprice--not bounty--and so satisfy them and their claims that the
business of human life may be carried on safely in their vicinity and
actual presence. 'Who art thou that saith 'there is a lion in the way'?
Rise, sluggard, and slay the lion! The road has to be travelled.'

We are certainly not afraid of any lion, whether he be red or black;
and, until lately, _both_ these monstrous red and black animals lay in
the direct path of the nation, on which it must travel or perish. We
have pretty well mauled and knuckled the black animal, and wellnigh
settled with his keepers, one and all! but this red lion is of a
different sort, and requires altogether another kind of treatment. We
shall yet save the bruised and bleeding black to the service of
civilization and humanity. He never was half a bad fellow at the bottom
of his leonine bowels, and he already takes to white civility and
customs, like an educated, intelligent, and trusty dog of the 'poor dog
Tray' sort! And I, for one, have more than a sneaking affection for his
old black mug, and a world of hope in his future behavior, if we don't
spoil him for the field and for watch and guard at home, by our infernal
'culture,' as the thing is called.

Is this red lion a more terrible devil to comb