On Civilizational Destiny

Colonel: I realize whatever was there, and I gather it wasn’t much, it’s all gone down in ash again. (Referring to a settlement that was attacked)

But the Apache haven’t put a scratch on this, have they? (Pointing to the leaflet with the advertisement for land; on it a mighty, flourishing settlement)

You just have to stand at the river and you can see what the men and the women up there see.You have to bear in mind, they don’t come out here the way we do. These people have been pushing the same wheel back home around and around till they can’t bear another turn on it.That’s the path they inherit…and if they try to change it at all, they have to do it by inches.

You may recall that’s what drove us across the ocean to this country, in the first place. You and I are standing guard on one of the last great open spaces.There’s no army of this earth that’s gonna stop those wagons coming…little as they’re wanted.

Lieutenant: So I guess you’d like to explain that to the Indigenous.

Colonel: I know. That may be a thing that never does get explained to them. Now, your Apache, he thinks that if he can salt the earth with enough of our dead, that he’ll stop those wagons coming. Spoil the place for us.
But you study the newcomers. They’ll look out at ever so many graves and it won’t make the least difference…because all they see is this. (Pointing to the same advertisement again)
The place isn’t unlucky, it’s just the poor bastard under it. And that’s what a man will tell himself, tell his wife, and they’ll tell their children that if they’re tough enough, smart enough, and mean enough, all this will be theirs someday. That’s all they’ll reason in the face of fear.
They’re the ones that are gonna hold out. And guess what?

Some of them will.