The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-21 00:00:00

1H =' SUN, LON! ON, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 21, 1867.

On clause 4,
Mr. J. S. MILL rose to move as an amendment that the
word "man" should be left out in line 16, and the word
"person" substituted. The hon. member said he rose to
propose an extension of the franchise which would excite
no party or class feeling in that house, which could not
give umbrage to the keenest advocates of property or num-
bers—an extension which had not the slightest tendency
to disturb what they had heard so much about lately, the
balance of political power—which could not afflict the most
timid alarmist with any revolutionary terrors, nor offend
the most zealous democrat as an infringement upon popu-
lar rights, nor as giving an advantage to one class and le-
Dying it to another. There was nothing to distract their
attention from the simple question whether there was any
justification for continuing the exclusion of an entire half of
the community, not only from actual admission, but from
the possibility of being ever admitted within the pale of the
constitution, although they might fulfil all the conditions
of legal and constitutional citizenship. Within the limits
of the constitution this was a solitary case. There was no
other example of exclusion which was absolute. If the
law refused a vote to all except the possessor of £5,000 a
year, the poorest man might, and now and then would,
acquire the franchise. But neither birth, nor fortune, nor
intellect, nor exertion, nor even that arch disposer of
human affairs, accident, could ever enable any woman to
make her voice counted in those national affairs which
touched her as nearly as any other member of the commu-
nity. Before going any further, he might be permitted to
say that a prima facie case had already been made out. It
was not just to make a distinction in rights or privileges
without sufficient reason. He did net mean to say that
the political franchise was an abstract right, or that the
withholding it froM any one without reason or expediency
was a public wrong. His argument was entirely one of I
expediency. But there were different kinds of expediency.
All expediencies were not exactly on the same level.
There was a very important branch of expediency termed
justice; and justice, although it did not necessarily re-
quire that political privileges should be conferred upon all,
did require that they should not capriciously and without
cause withhold from one what they gave to another. But
it was not only general principles of justice which were
set aside by the exclusionof women merely as women from
the suffrage, but also a particular doctrine of the BritiSh
Constitution. According to that doctrine the exclusion
violated one of the oldest and most cherished of our con-
stitutional maxims— a doctrine dear to all rat-rimers,
and theoretically acknowledged by almost all Conserva-
tivei—the doctrine that taxation and representation
should be co-existent. Did not every woman pay
taxes? Did not every woman who was 814 juris con-
tribute the same amount of revenue as every man
who had the same electoral qualification? If a stake in the
country settled it, then every possessor of leasehold or free-
hold property had a stake in the country, whether that
holder was a man or a woman. No one could possibly
pretend that women, many of whom were responsible heads
of families—women who managed estates or conducted a
business, who paid rates and taxes with their earnings, and
many of whom in the capacity of schoolmistresses taught a
great deal more than a great proportion of the male eled-
tors ever learned—(a laugh)—no one could pretend that
they were not fit to exercise the political functions which
every male householder was supposed to be capable of.
(near.) Was if-to be supposed that if woman were to be
admitted to the franchise they would reeolutionise the
State, or that there would be worse laws or worse govern-
ment than at present? It was most justly and truly sail
by his right hon. friend the member for South Lancashire
in the most misunderstood and most misrepresented speech
he had ever heard—(hear, hear)—that in order to lay a
ground for the exclusion of any ono from the franchise, it
was necessary to allege personal unfitness or public dan-
ger. Neither of those things could possibly be alleged in
the present case. There was evidence in our constitutional
records that women had voted for counties and for some
boroughs at a distant period of our history. But the house
would expect that he should not rest his arguments chiefly
on general principles either of justice or of the constitu-
tion, but that he should allege practical reasons. There
was one practical reason which he frankly confessed was
totally wanting in the case of women ; they did not hold
meetings in Hyde Park —(a laugh) —nor political de-
monstrations at Islington. (Hear, hear.) But practical
reasons of another kind were not wanting, and he was
prepared to state them, if he might be permitted. First,
to ask what were the practical objections? The sympathy
which most people felt was not a practical one. It was a
mere feeling of strangeness. " The proposal," they
said " was new ;" but that was a mistake, for it was a
very old one. Some things which were very strange
three months ago, and many things which were strange
now, would not be strange some years hence. They lived
in a world of novelty. The despotism of custom was on
the wane. They were not satisfied to know why a thing
was, but whether it ought to be. lie was bound to sup-
pose that in this house an appeal lay frees custom to a
higher tribunal, in which reason was the judge. The rea-
sons which custom gave on this subject were very brief.
It was not easy to refute au interjection, but interjections
were the only arguments heard on the subject, which were
difficult to refute. The others generally presented them-
selves in such aphorisms as those that politics were not
women's business, and would distract them from their
proper duties; and that they did not desire the franchise
and would rather be without it ; that women were suffi-
ciently represented by their male representatives, and that
they had power enough already. (Cheers and laughter.)
They were told that politics were not a woman's business,
but he rather thought that politics were not a man's busi-
ness, unless he happened to be one of the few who were
paid for devoting their time to the pub'fo or as a member

General, but after 'a short conversation was carried on a
division by 201 to 157.
A.t this point the Chairman was ordered to report pro-

of either House of Parliament. The great majority of male
voters had their own business, which engrossed nearly the
whole of their time ; but he never heard that the hours
occupied in attending once in a few years the polling-
booth made them neglectful of their shops or counting-
houses, or that those who had votes were worse
merchants, worse lawyers, worse physicians, or even
worse clergyman than others. The ordinary occupation
of most women is domestic, but that this incompatible
with a knowledge of public affairs is as absurd as the
old argument that artisans would desert their work if
taught to read. This political exclusion is really formed
on an old social hard-and-fast line between man and
woman belonging to a bygone state of society. We talk
THE Ill'All V E LIQUOR LAW.
a great deal about political revolutions, but take little
__-4.-_- •
note of those which are social. For the first time in
Last evening the Hon. Neal Dow, of Maine,
the history of the world men and women are now com-
panions. (Hear, hear.) All their disabilities have de- United States, usually called General Dow since the
scended from the time when they were separate in their Civil War, delivered' an address. in the Guildhall,
lives. Man of old passed his time among men ; but now in the city of London, the 1130 of which had been
the wife is his companion and friend, and often his most granted, on application, by the Court of Commod
trusted adviser. Is it good for man morally to live with
Council for the occasion, on "the Legislative Pre-
one who is studiously inferior to himself ? No one can
suppose that this can happen without. detriment to his vention of Intemperance, Pauperism, and Crime."
character. If woman be not lifted up to man, man will in- 1 The chair was taken by Mr. Alderman Hale, and,
evitably fall down to the moral level of woman as degraded I though the weather was Unfavourable, there was a
by society. The two sexes must rise or sink together. It very large audience, many of whom were women.
may be said that a woman may take an interest in public 1 There were on the platform Sir J. F. Davis, Arch-
affairs without having a vote: Undoubtedly she may ; ,
deacon Sandford, Mr. Whitworth, M.P., Professor
but how many of her sex do it ? This is seen in the edu- I
Newman the Hon. and Rev. L. Noel, Dr. F. L.
cation of a woman. A girl never takes the same interest '
in national history as her brothers. We are told that Lees, Mr. Samuel Pope, Mr. J. H. Raper, Mr. W.
women do not desire the suffrage ; this would only prove C. Fowler, Dr. Saunders, Mr. Rudking, the Rev.
how the mind may be benumbed by unjust laws ; but that J. P. Sargent, Mr. J. E. Saunders, Deputy Per-
many women do is a fact beyond doubt. None are so kins, Mr. Whiteside, Deputy Fry, Mr. J. Figgins,
well schooled in making a virtue of necessity as women. Mr. Bedford, Mr. Kelday, Mr. Robert Stapleton,
Those who do not wish for the suffrage will not use it,
chairman of the City Lands Committee of the
or under the influence of male relations; and in this case, I
Cor-
as the general advantage would be equally balanced, no poration, and many more. On entering the hall
great harm would be done. Meantime an unworthy Mr. Dow was loudly cheered. He was briefly in-
stigma would be thrown off the sex, which would no I troduced to the meeting by Mr. Alderman HALE,
longer be classified by law with children, idiots, and luna- I who in doing so related some of his experiences as a
tics. (Laughter.) If only one woman in 20,000 exercised magistrate as to the prevalence of crime and misery
the suffrage it would be a boon to every woman alive. arising from drunkenness, which he believed to be
(Hear, hear.) But then it is said that women do not increase. Referring to Mr. Dow, lie
need direct political power, inasmuch as they exercise greatly on thel
so much indirectly through their influence over men. It , said he had done honour to his race, and conferred
is desirable to carry this argument a little farther. Rich 1 immense benefits on the country which gave him
men undoubtedly exercise great influence over society ; birth, 13 of the States of the Union having, chiefly
and on equally sound ground it might be maintained that through his exertions, adopted the Maine Liquor
there is no reason for giving them votes. (hear, Law, and he (Alderman IIale) should rejoice to see
hear.) Unless this ground of exclusion is to become
such a law enacted in this country.
the rule and general, it must fall to the ground. It
is true that women do exercise great power over men, First of all, on the motion of Professor F. W.
and that is part of the case now urged. 1 NEWMAN, seconded by Archdeacon SANDFORD, a
He wanted to make that power responsible, resolution was carried by acclamation offering a
for it is exercised now under the worst moral conditions. hearty welcome to Mr. Dow "as an American
lie wanted to interest her conscience in the exercise of
statesman and philanthropist, who had been greatly
this power, to show her that it is a thing not for personal distinguished through many years by his arduous
advantage, and to awaken in her the principle of political
honour ; for her power at present over political things is labours for
the cure and prevention of intern-
like the back-stairs influence of a favourite. (Laughter.) perancc."
Again, it is said that women do not feel any practical in- General Dow then stood forward to speak, and
convenience from the franchise being denied to them, for I was enthusiastically cheered. Premising that that
grand old civichad never been more worthily
it is now in the hands of a father, a husband, or brother, 1 ' • hall
who have the same interest, and know much better now 1
to use it than a woman can do. This is saying:no more • occupied than on that occasion, he said poverty,
I
than has been often said of other classes unenfranchised. 1 pauperism, and crime were more prevalent in this
It might be as truly affirmed of artisans that they are i country than in any other, and that no English
directly represented, and with the same mutuality of in- I statesman of any great prominence had ever at-
I tempted to deal with them in a statesmanlike terest, by their employers. But then this would be the
, .While. in the city of Boston, where,the Maine.
man-
horrible crime of setting class against class. He should Lner.
Liquor. Law had been adopted, poverty,: pauperism,
like to procure a return of the women: who have been
kicked or trampled to death by brutal husbands; a second
column to show the number who have come off scot-free ; insanity, blindness, idiotcy, and crime applied to
while a third should show the comparative estimate in the less than one per cent. of the population, in Eng-
sentence of judges for offences against property under land they affected nearly 5 per cent. He stood be-
laws made by male legislators. (Hear, hear.) We con- fore them, he said, to hold up the example of his
stantly hear it said that we must improve the education
country to us in this respect. knowing and feeling
of mothers because in their hands is the education of men.
But do we act on this belief ? Do we spend as much on that traffic in intoxicating liquors was in deadly
1 opposition to the happiness and progress of the na-
the education of our daughters as on that of our sons?
and where are universities and colleges far their training ? . tion, his countrymen, he said, devoted themselves
What has become of the endowments which our ancestors to its extinguishment, and they succeeded. On
intended equally for the education of both sexes ? for it is behalf of his countrymen he undertook to say that
•on authority that old deeds speak of education generally they not only meant to have Englishmen for friends
without distinction of sex. At Christ's Hospital, for in-
stance, expressly endowed for the education of both, while rather than enemies, . but they were determined to
there are 1,500 boys, there are exactly 26 girls. .Ve have them for friends. (Cheers.) Alienation, he
have excluded the educated female from all employments said, if it happened at all between the two coun-
save one, that of a governess. The case of Miss Oar- tries, should never proceed from
rett is a notable one in point. In a sincere wish to other side of the Atlant'e. He traced the history
anything .on the
aid iu alleviating human suffering she desired to enter of the Maine Liquor Law from 1837, when its
the medical profession, but she found all doors closed
establishment was first attempted,
save that of the Apothecaries' Company. No sooner had
resent time, when he said all the States north of
P she got into the profession than it appeared so objection- down to the
able that a woman should attend upon a woman that the the Potomac had declared in its favour. During
wicket was closed. It was only the other day that women the rebellion, when the American people were
were admitted as associates of the Royal Academy, and won engaged in a struggle, which would be memorable
a high place in talent in competition with men, but that for all time, to save their country from being
privilege is now withheld front her. By the common law _0 _
IA tted out from the map of the world, the agi-
everything the wife has becomes the absolute property of
ration on this question necessarily slackened, but
the husband, and may be squandered by hint in debauchery, i
and unless under judicial separation he may, after aban- now t was being maintained with greater vigour
Boning h-'r and her children, seize on the savings of her ' than ever. In this country, he said, there were
industry. The r:ch man, it is true, protects his daughter 168,000 places where intoxicating liquors were
by a marriage settlement, but why do they not provide for sold—all tending to pauperise and criminalise the
the daughters of the helpless poor the same justice they
community. They, in America, wanted the Eng-
therein, ortntheeyQWleoeunl'ds
can do for their own children? Circumstances less than
lisp people to put the liquor traffic down. The
these have provoked revolution. We ought not to take _
failadv advantage notogre
dutyof the i
ns etchuirsi tyca.isvee. feelw frome
oughtthat
notto atlol o
deny to
to subject
misery, and
speenh,
but they
t hneeyv never
would
uyl
de t
have
p eittr
pauperism,lBB,oo, 00, he said,
women what we are giving to every one else—the cern- know the reason why. (Hear, hear,' and cheers.)
It was high time British statesmen turned their
mon privilege of a right to bo consulted—the common pri-
vilege of having what every petty trade possesses—a few .
members of Parliament who feel specially called upon to
attend to their interests, and to see how they are affected
was spent in England every year in strong
crimer i the attention
among
fla 0 tong theth e causespeeple
.o f
by any change in the law. No more than this is asked by
the present motion; and when the time comes—as it must drink, £60,000,000 of it by working men. They,
come—when this is granted, lam sure you will never re- the Maine Liquor Law advocates in England, were
gret the concession. I move, sir, in clause 4 to omit the determined to have the liquor traffic out of the list
word "man," in order to insert the word "person." .
of the licensed trades, and they would do it.
(Cheers.) (Cheers.) To men about to invest money in dis-
Mr. KAUSLAKE having paid attention to the speech,
and read the writings of the hon. member for Westminster, tilleries or breweries he would say " Beware," for
said both obviously point, not merely to the admission of he gave them fair warning that they would Comp
spinsters and widows, but'also to the admission of married down upon them before long like an extinguisher
sA.,,ehev.eosrerrvrflaeistrlfrai(Cheers and a laugh.)
women. He had received petitions of all kinds, but never on a candle. The other
received one for the admission of women to the suffrage. day, he said, an old gentleman' asked him when the
, If, •however, spinsters attach so much importance to the United States' Government were going to pay off
1 possession of the franchise as the hon. member for West-
minster says they do, how will they give it up when they
are led to the altar and beemne at once debased and de- the rebel bonds. Ilis answer was, " When you
pay off the Fenian bonds." Talk of the enfranchise-
graded creatures, something like the poor compound ment of the people of England by Parliamentary
the
farthing.
presentotns,,hgise.sllh:
hLatsoha,utesii
getgnahhet
leteuentr.
endow,"
i)foszt h: 7
he,
But
manehrsseuespl law,
herself,
ytoakassand
isupposing
g"withfd Scotcharoome .
sva
nnr
his
omti writer
all
marries
giverworm
niibefye-s .
householders, of whom the House has heard so much ? Reform ! The enfranchisement of them from in-
liquors was a thousand times more impor-
tant. Pat the liquor traffic down, and the people
would enfranchise themselves, and would rise in the
social scale. He warned the meeting that Great
a woman with ten children he is obliged to support them, Britain woulfl not occupy the same position in the
and when he marries a wife who takes a drink when she future as it did DOW unless it put down the accursed
ought not—(oh, oh)—speaking of the lower classes of liquor traffic. (Cheers.) One-hundred and seventy-
society—he tray be locked up as a disorderly person. The six million being lost every year (said the speaker),
law is that the wife shall be absolutely and entirely under
mthaeypolowckerhoefrhuepr. husband.now
1.. I t e nS cheep. Int
this and 60 000 of our people killed every year, the na-
iys
state
ttegaodf
tahbioeUgts,
be
rhea- '
and strong°. as it was, was literally borne
couched with the differences of opinion that would arise down by its deadweight of poverty, pauperism,
tion, rich
and
when, as frequently happens, the wife would always vote crime. We could not run the race for national
blue and the head of the family yellow ? Under the plan of greatness with his countrymen unless we threw off
the hon. member for Westminster, hon. members would that load. He
have spent every Sunday evening during the past six weeks enumerated four counties in the
States the prisons of which ware emptiedin four
—the only evening they have to themselves—in logically months after the enactment of the Maine
Liquor
discussing with their wives whether the compound house-
e Law. One county prison he visited would have
holder should survive or not. The "unerring instincts
of men are against this innovation. The hon. member said, been empty also, but that it had been turned into a.
" Woman, when she obtains the franchise, would be able henhouse and the gaoler kept his hens in it. (A
to protect herself against the brutality of man." Man must laugh.) In another there were five prisoners, and
be unbrutalised by some other means. You want to make three of them were grogsellers. (Renewed laugh-
man better than he is, but not to alter the condition of ter.) Many of the workhouses he visited were
empty in the smaller towns and rural districts. He
women. The hon. member for Westminster will do well
to import not so much of political economy into this ques-
people to try the experiment,
tion, and a little more of comeloa sense. The hon. member advised the English
is wrong in his first principles, for ho says there is no more which had been successful in the States, of putting
for
being difference between man and woman than between human the
beings with black hair and red hair. I contend that a man,sold penaltiesthe
liquorand
dng drunk on the man who
made another man drunk.
if he is only worthy by nature and by qualities i.o possess 'd h Bald e Or, s let , the law stand as it was
the franchise, is ennobled by its exercise. A woman, on
the other hand; would, I may almost say, be debased and lstrike " —on y -
detsraded by it ; for by the possession of the franchise she stitute . toruinseller"—the victimizer for the
would lose that which is one of her finest virtues—her victim. (Cheers.) i Though the Americans might
gentleness and affectionate disposition. Not a single lady not have the gift of prophecy, it was well known all
in the county of Essex asked me to obtain the franchise; over the world that they ' ues.s," and, if the
I therefor© conclude they would prefer to remain as they could " g
reporters would • "guessed "
and not have the franchise, but rather look forward,
.•kindly put it down, he
'wirehetlier spinsters or widows, to a happy home and the that if Providence spared his life and health he would
advantages they now possess. be over here again in five years, and help us again,
On clause 4, the county- franchise clause, and, it might be, to rejoice over the emancipation
, Mr. MILL moved his amendment, • embodying a female of this grand old country. (Cheers.) Dixige, "1
suffrage, which, he argued was a logical consequence of lead," was the motto of the State from which he
the constitutional maxim that taxation and representation came, and she called on England and all the world
go hand in hand, and of Mr. Gladstone's dictum that every to follow
where she had led, and they would find
one should have the franchise who was not unfit, or would
perfect
not be dangerous to the public good. Women, ho asserted,
in old times, had been allowo I to vote for some counties miseries and evils resulting from the traffic in
.in-
and boroughs, and as to the arguments against it, they toxieating drinks. (Cheers.)
were utterly unpractical, and had no foundation except in At the couclusion of the address of General Dow,
the feeling of strangeness. To the argument that politics of which the above is necessarily but a summary,
were not women's business, he replied neither were they o nthe motion of Mr. B. \\'IIITWORTII, M.P.,
the business of any but very few luau, and no man was
held to discharge his professional or business ditties the seconded by Mr. SAMUEL POPE, a cordial vote of
worse because he took au interest in electioneering; and thanks was passed, congratulating hint upon the
having combated the objections that women were already signal benefits—domestic, moral, and political
sufficiently represented and had sufficient power, he pointed secured la the adoption and enprcement of the pro-
out various grievances under which women laboured, such hibitory laws of Maine and other States.
as the unfair share allotted to men of educational endow- m w
Mr, HITWORTII, M.P., in speaking to the
merits, and in the distribution of employments. motion, confessed that Euglaud was not at present
In the discussiOn which followed, and which for the
most part was more jocular than serious in its tone, prepared for the adoption of the Maine Liquor
the amendment was opposed by Mr. Laing, who pointed Law. The State of Maine, he said, was prepared
out that it must be followed by the admission of women to for the enactment when
the
other States were not.
the House of Commons ;by Mr, Onslow and Lord Galway, The Permissive Bill of the United Kingdom Alliance,
who pressed Mr. Mill to withdraw it, as it placed many however, would meet the case, he thought. They
admirers of the fair sex in a false position. Mr. Fawcett, ,• ,
a m not propose to urge that bill as an Imperial
Mr. Denman, and Sir C. Bawyer supported the amendment
measure, but as one which sought to give the power
which on a division was 'ejected by 196 to 73.
An amendment by Mr. Colville to reduce the copyhold to any district to adopt its principle where the people
franchise to £5 was faintly opposed by the Attorney- i or a considerable majority of them were in favour

gross.
In Committee of Supply a number of votes were agreed
to in the Civil Service Estimates, completing sums already
taken on account for the expenses of the Public Depart-
ments.
The National Debt Bill passed through committee.
The Army Enlistment Bill was read a second time.
Some other business was disposed of, and the house ad-
journed at 20 minutes to two o'clock.

casion.

of its adoption. He had lost all faith in moral ' i
suasion as a means of putting down the gigantic i
evils arising from drunkenness, and he predicted •
that when 50 or 60 members of the House of Com-
mons met in the Tea-room, and told the Govern-
ment that they might not longer reckon on their
support unless they attempted to grapple with those
evils, a remedy would not be long in being applied.
Mr. SAMUEL POPE complained that at present it
was in the hands of a bare majority of the magis-
trates to refuse to grant a licence, and what the
advocates of the permissive principle said was that
they were not the best tribunal, because they did
not always know what might be the wants of the
people of the locality. The meeting might have
read in that day's paper what the landlord of a
public-house, and who had once been a policeman,
thought of the independence of the licensing ma-
gistrates, when, wanting to get a license, he wrote
a polite litter to one of the body, enclosing £4O in
bank-notes. The Permissive Bill had for its object
to consult the neighbourhood into which it was
sought to be introduced before it was adopted. A
majority of the justices could refuse a license, and
what the advocates of the permissive principle con-
tended for was that the people of a locality should
have the right to refuse all licenses.
The meeting was next addressed by Dr. LEES,
who complained of the manner in which, he said,
the newspaper press had often misrepresented the
objects of the United Kingdom Alliance, especially
singling out the Times, Telegraph, and Standard
for comment in that respect. " Talented as were
newspaper writers," he said, " they had not the
brain to perceive the eternal principles of truth, and
could only discuss truth by misrepresenting it."
Mr. RAPER, who followed, said at that moment

there was not a. single licensed liquor shop in the
State of Massachusetts, and, as a party, they, in
England, with that great fact before them, were
determined to go on. Upwards of £40,000 had
been subscribed towards agitating the question, of
which Mr. Whaworth, M.P., had subscribed £3,000,
and Sir Walter Trevelyan had promised £3,000
during the next five years.
The thanks of the meeting were voted to the
Court of Common Council for the use of the hall,
and to Mr. Alderman Hale for presiding on the oc-
With that the proceedings were brought
,o an end.

IN7ERVIEW BE? WREN GENERAL HAN-
COCK AND TALL BEAR AT FOR?
LARNARD.

The following description of this interview, from
an eye-witness, will be read with interest. The
Indians have recently proved troublesome, and the
expedition, under General Hancock, is for the pur-
pose of either receiving or extorting assurances from
them that they will remain peaceable in the future.
The troops, under General Hancock, Lave been
camped for nearly a, week, „troops and animals
needing rest before continuing their- march up the
Arkansas. Although no invitation was extended
to the Indians, numbers of the minor chiefs have
come to the camp to say " Ugh," and get some of
the white man's sugar and coffee. The Indians have
a decided penchant for the little luxuries of the
camp, and seem averse to dog when they can get
beef ; or it may be, as they say, that the winter
has been very severe, that dogs are scarce as well as
out of season. Just at nightfall, on the 12th of
April, a number of chiefs of the Cheyennes came to
the headquarters to have a talk. General Hancock
was quite ready to have the confab at once. Not
so the Indians. They would not say a ward until
they could have time to eat, smoke, and decorate.
A Sibley tent was pitched, in which a fire was built,
and food was sent to the Indians, who immediately
proceeded to one of those astonishing gastronomical
efforts for which they are celebrated, i.e., eat a
sufficient quantity in an hour to last a week, if
they indulge in no more than their ordinary exer-
cise.
While this performance was going on a huge
camp-fire was built of cottonwood logs. About this
fire officers assembled in a semicircle, seating them-

selves on logs arranged for the purpose. Groups of
officers, standing apart from the others, were dis-

cussing the probability of being ordered East, or to
the Smoky, or to the new possessions. Others were
determined to have a feast of buffalo meat just as
soon as they were arrived in a country where the
herds were feeding.
Some of the officers were got up in uniforms suffi-
ciently gaudy to make it doubtful if the Indians
would not find it neceS3ary to retire to their tent
for a second attempt at paint. As a general thing

the officers were halfited in their best garments,
wearing also their sabres and revolvers. Two hours
passed in waiting, when Colonel Wynkoop arrive Ti.
The colonel is an Indian agent par excellence, of
whom a slight description will not suffice to convey
any just idea. He is a Plains man, and the best
handler of Indians that has ever been on the
Arkansas. The Indians have every confidence in
his integrity, and respect him for the " heap fight"
that he is known to be capable of making.

Entering the Sibley the colonel found•the Indians
enjoying a little preliminary smoke. He remarked
that the big sword was full of talk. This seems a
doubtful compliment to General Hancock, who,

though sociable, is not a great conversationalist. A
grunt and numerous ughs followed the announce-
ment. The pipe took another circuit and was
finished. The Indian seems averse to the waste of
tobacco in any other way than a puff. Leaving
the tent they formed in a single line, walking not
in the customary Indian file, but abreast. A• few
steps in advance walked Colonel Wynkoop, with
the two chiefs of the " Dog Soldiers," White Horse
and Tall Bear, on either side of him.
As they advanced toward the fire, General Han-
cock suggested to the officers seated at his right
hand that they vacate their seats on the logs to the
Indians. The leading chiefs were introduced to
General Hancock, General A. J. Smith, Generals
Custer, Davidson, and Gibbs. " Ughs" and Amkes
of the hand followed, and the Indians seated them-
selves, wrapped their robes or blankets about them,
and proceeded to study the fire with intentness.
General Hancock rose from his seat, stepped to-
ward the fire, which lit ti his figure, now rather
more portly than the campaigners with the Army
of the Potomac remember him. The General stated
to the Indians, by means of an interpreter—
Edmund Guerier--that he had come to their country
to see them, not to fight, unless they did wrong,
when he should be obliged to punish them. He had
heard that they had proposed to stop travel on the
roads. If they did this they would do wrong, and
the Great Father in Washington would be very
angry and hit them hard. If they attacked the
trains on the Pacific Railroad they would do great
injury to themselves. The buffalo were going away
very fast ; they would all go away eventually, when
the Indian must depend on the white man for food.
If the white man was angry with the Indian, he
would not give him food. If a white man did wrong,
he should be punished by the laws of the white man;
the Indians must not punish him. If the Indian
did wrong, the Indian should be tried in the same
way. The General remarked that he had expected
to see other chiefs, but they had not come. "He
would start to-morrow morning and go to the vil-
lages, where he would have a big talk."
While this.' talk" was being made, the Indians
had been passing the pipe, which had been several
times emptied, Colonel Wynkoop taking his whiff
with great regularity and evident satisfaction. The
generals did not indulge in the luxury of the calu-
met, but confined themselves to cigars. A silence
of some minutes' duration followed the General's
talk, when Tall Bear, a splendid specimen of an
Indian chief of the Cheyenne kind, rose, strode up
to General Hancock, and shook hands; stepping
back a pace or two, he wrapped his blanket about
his body in such a manner as to permit the folds to
be graceful, when he spoke for a moment, slowly
and distinctly, though not loud. The gestures were
simple and extremely graceful. Ceasing to speak,
he gazed steadily into the General's eyes, while the
interpreter told the sense of what he said. I say
sense, for it was but a skeleton of the words spoken.
He had made his treaties and had kept them.
The buffalo were becoming scarce ; they had never
been so scarce as during the past winter. The white
man had made them scarce. When they were
hungry he had gone to the fort for food. The officer