Along the line of the constantly receding frontier the two races have faced each other for centuries sometimes as open enemies, and always as rivals.

The various national and State gov- ernments in North America have struggled with the prob- lem of pacifying and protecting the Indians without perma- nently checking the advance of the pioneers.

The treachery of which the white people have been accused has been, for the most part, due to the struggle between these opposing forces the desire of the government to satisfy the In- dians, at least temporarily, and the irresistible expansion of the white race.

When the English colonists first came in contact with the natives three lines of procedure were open to them: (1) to recognize the sovereignty of the Indian tribes and their ownership of the land; (2) to recognize their political sov- ereignty without recognizing their right to the soil; or (3) to refuse to treat with them as independent nations in any way.

At first the English were inclined to adopt the second policy, at least in theory, and made treaties with the various tribes.