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| | 1 | Author: | H. H. | Add | | | Title: | The Wards of the United States Government  | | | | Published: | 1998 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | | | | Description: | THAT the Indians should be called "wards" of the United States
Government, would seem a natural thing, significant of the natural
relation between the United States Government and the Indian. The
dictionary definition of the word "ward" is "one under a guardian,"
and of the word "guardian," a "protector." For white orphans under
age, guardians are appointed by law; and the same law defines the
duties and sets limit to the authority of such appointed guardians.
The guardianship comes to end when the orphan ward is of age.
This is one important difference between the white "wards" in our
country, and Indian "wards." The Indian "ward" never comes of
age. There are other differences, greater even than this; in fact, so
great that the term "ward" applied to the Indian, savors of a satire as
bitter as it was involuntary and unconscious on the part of the
Supreme Court, which, I believe, first used the epithet, or, if it did
not first use it, has used it since, as a convenient phrase of
"conveyance" of rights, not to the Indian, but from him; to define,
not what he might hope for, but what he must not expect; not what
he is, but what he is not; not what he may do, but what, being a
"ward," he is forever debarred from doing. Among other things, he
may not make a contract with a white man, unless through his
guardian, the Government. He may not hire an attorney to bring
any suit for him, unless by consent of his guardian, the Government.
Strangely enough, however, though as an individual he cannot make
a contract or bring a suit, he has, until six years ago, always been
considered fit, as a member of a tribe, to make a treaty; i. e.,
if the treaty were with the United States Government, his guardian. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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