tcniptu()iisl and tells him to “ciuit cr-rning; he’s gonna kill ou an\a.” Hernthen clefiantK rehnkcs C’,eronimo: “Wernmake things ont ot this conntn. Therernwas not hill’ here before ns, and therernwonld neer ])e nothin’ if we left it torn()u!” The Indians at onee enfilade thernentire group, exee[)t for the defiant miner,rnto whom CTeronimo replies: ‘”^ou arerndfooll But at least on are brae. (k’toffrnA|)aehe land! I he next Hme, I will killrn()u.” John Milins has eleerK used thisrnlone miner to summarize the luiropeans’rnargument tor their right to dispossess thernIndians: The Indians’ rehisal, or inahilit,rnto enltiate and develop the land forfeitedrnan’ right ihc onee might hae had torneelnsie |3ossession. In odier words, erdiirnation, eities, and eiilization hae arnhigher and better elaim to tlie land thanrnprimitie barbarism does, regardless ofrnw ho got there first.rnTwo of the Amerieans aetualK eoneedernthat the hidians hac a right to defendrndieir lands with iolenee, althoughrnthe’ do not eondone the massaere ofrntheir ei ilian eountnmen. One is the eteraurnscout and hidian fighter Al Seiber,rnwho tells his friend Oencral Crook:rnr e fought ’em a long time. General.rn,nd I figure if I was one of em,rnI’d be standiu’ right next to Ck-ronimo,rnshootin at the blueeoats. ButrnCiod made me who 1 am, and beh^rnecu them or us . . . I figure it’s us.rnSeiber seems to reeogni/c that neitherrnside ean elaim a mono]5ol on irtue orrnjustiee, but he is .still going to stand b hisrnpeople and fight tlie hidians for the land,rnl ie is loal to raee and kin, a rare irtuernamong his 21st-eentur descendants. Ofrncourse, Seilier’s loa]t docs not meanrntiiat he w ill take part in —or een countcuaneern—atrocities just because thc’ arerncommitted h his own people orbeeairsernthe ietims hap]3en to be Indian. Seiberrnis a deepK moral as well as bra’e nian,rnand he lives b a code of honor. In onernscene, Seiber, Mangrrs, and Lieutenantsrn(Tatewood and Davis come across a burningrnIndian village whose inhabitants,rnmostK women and children, have beenrnbrutalK massacred and scalped b whiternbonntv Inniters. In disgust, Seiber observesrnthat the perpetrators nuist havernbeen I’exans, “the lowest form ot whiternman there is.” Seiber and the othersrntrack the murderers to a Mexican v illage,rnwhere thev gun them down. Seiber isrnproved right: I’hev are ‘I exans.rnrhe other character who expressesrnsinpathv for Geronimo’s dcterminahonrnto fight to the end is I,t. GhaHes B. Gatewood.rn(^,atew(K)d is a Virginian who po.ssessesrnthe irtucs of the aristocrahc South:rnhonor, probitw chivalrous bearing, andrn”unfailing good manners.” The screcnplavrnleax-s no doul)t that Ciatewood’srnSouthern upiiringing and historv hcl|3rnhim develop a relationship of trust, res|)rneet, and friendship with Geroihmo.rnSeiber believ es that Gatewood lacks sufficientrnanimosit toward the Indians.rn(Seiber mav understand whv thev arernfighting, but he still hates them as the enemv.)rnlie even rebukes G>atevvood whilernon the trail of the hoshles: “You’re a realrnsad ease. Lieutenant. You don’t love whornvon re fightin’ for, and von don’t haternwho vou’re tightin’ against! Ciatewood,rnalwavs the gentleman, replies, “Pediaps Irncould learn to hate with the proper rigorrnfrom von, ,l.” He later cxj^lains to BrittonrnDav is whv he cannot hate Geronimornand whv, even though thev are foes, hernstill considers him a Iricud.rn1 le s a warrior. Lvcrv bit born inrnbattle. Fightin’ a lost cause. I’m familiarrnwith the tvpe. Mv two olderrnbrothers and mv father fought forrnthe .nuv of Northern N’irginia.rnKh oldest brother was killed. Nhrnfather was wounded, crippled. .Afterrnthe war, he took me aside andrnsaid, “You’ll earn- the new flag.”rnSent me off to the Academv”. Firstrnof mv familv north of the iVIasoul^rnixon line. So like mv friend, Irnknow what it’s like to hate the bluecoat.rnOf course, Gatewood is as angered asrnSeiber bv the sight of an Indian massaere.rnWhen he and Lieutenant Davis comernacross an abandoned stagecoach, thevrnstop for a moment and view the scenernfrom a distance. From Gatewood’s tightrnfacial expression, von realize that hernknows that the passengers have beenrnmurdered bv the Apache. .After riding uprnand finding three dead in the coach, arndisgusted Davis remarks to Ciatewood:rn”Thev didn’t have to kill them to get theirrnhorses.” Gatewood, his fmv carefullvrncontrolled, laeonieallv but bitterlv responds,rn”No, thev didn’t.”rnGatewood is not die onlv Soudicrnerrnsvmpathetieallv portraved in the movie.rnWhile searching for Geronimo south ofrnthe border, Gatewood conies across arnSouthern expatriate living in a smallrnMexican village on the edge of thernluountaius. The expatriate has informahonrnou GTcronimo’s whereabouts, whichrnhe is willing to reveal for some gold eagles.rnHe tells Gatewood, whom he recognizesrnas a fellow Soulhcruer, his storv:rnBeen down here almo.st 20 vears.rnWas in the war. C>onfederate officer.rn,fter the hostilities ended, IrnThe Re-Birth of a Classic!rnOutline of Sanity by G.K. ChestertonrnAfter 75 years, this brilliant, engaging work is now availablernas a single volume, in quality paperback…oniy from IHS.rnIn Outline of Sanity Chesterton reveals…rn• The pitfalls of both socialism and capitalist monopoly.rn• The modem economic tendency to deprive people of real wealthrn• That “Distributism” is the common-sense answer!rnLow introductory price! $12.95 plus $2.50 S/H Money Back Guarantee!rn.% K^^.rn”” Polosva*rnTo order: call (757) 623-0309.rne-mail: orden2iihspress.com. or send check tornIHS Press, Dept. C, 222 W. 21 st St., Suite F-122rnNorfolk. VA 23517rnAlso available in bookstores.rn.^5,- The exclusive pubKsher…dedicated exclusively to thernSocial Teachings of the Catholic Church.rn,N(.)VCMi;rK 2001’4.!rnrnrn
January 1975April 21, 2022By The Archive
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