New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-04-02
THE INDIAN WAR ON THE PACIFIC.

PRE- minary OuslnteS, III L. ~ =
cot the House into Committee and called up a Dill
Inst reported BY him from the Ways Snd Means
hssed on Gen. LANES Oregon War bill that ne
undertook to rush through on Friday, but failed
The bill, a. reported, spproPriate' s1VV'OoV 10 De
used by the President in making peace, or IN pre-
serviDr amicable relations with the tribes whlch
have thus far been friendly and Sl2OOvo more
for the purchase Of powder wherewith to prose
cute the existing war In what proportions the
money and the powder are to be used Is NOT inai-
Gated Otherwise than by thereatve amounts ap'
nronrated in each item; but il is safe TO calculate
that the Indians will get precious little of either
powder or money however amply they may De sup
piled with ball. Mr.. ALLISON Of Pa. spoke against
the appropriation, quoting from Gen. WOOL
dispatches TO prove that this War is an lniqultous
fraud; Gen. LANE Of Oregon aud Mr.. ANDERSON
Of Washington spoke volubly on the other side,
and general discussion ensued, which l LETT IN
ftll blast at 81 o'clock. The House sat much
later. but to little purpose Ipresume the bill will
be finally got out of Committee and passed to-
morrow. Fight the war out, subdue or e1terml-
nate the enemy, and then inquire whether ou'
people were right or wrong in commencing it-th''
sentiment was distinctly avoTed in the debate,
though not so haughtily in the Mexican War
And while Congress is going through the forms oil
putting into the Presidents hands money mat ne
has not asked for, to be- used no one tells u' how,
let me endeayor to CLEAN from an Official document
Exec. No. 90 tie origin AMI causes OF this de-
plorable conflict.
do not believe Indians all saints any more than
white men. On the contrary, they are barbarians,
often cruel sometimes treacherous, but seldom IN
grateful for kind, considerate treatment. Three
humane Quskers, sent into Oregon as Indian agents
five years age and kept there to this date, with
funds and full powers, might have kept every In
dian tribe west of the Rocky Mountains kindly dis
posed toward our people for one quarter OF the sum
this war will cost, and extinguished their claims to
at least half their lands Instead of this, our emf
grants are pitched in upon them without arrange
ment or notice-many of them rough western specl-
mems, who consider the rights of Indians on par
with those of bears and wolves. These emigrants
take unceremonOus possession of the best lands,
fisheries and every other resource, driving of the
saysges who hold them b. immemorial inheritance,
as if they were so many flies. OF course, hatreds,
collisions, reyenges, massacres, are all but in-
eyitable.
On the 10Th of August, l854-more than eight
cen months ago-t appears that party Of emf
grants TO Oregon were attacked by band OF
Snake Indians on the Boise River near Fort Boise,
and several of them massacred-the number does
not distinctly appear-and q considerable amount
of booty taken.
Last Summer small detachment Of regulars,
uqder Major Halter, was dispatched to the scene of
this slaughter, where they were met by the tribe
TO which the offenders belonged. Their Chiefs
after a parley, agreed to surrender the Offenders
and did surrender fOur-all hey could hnd-"ho
were tried by court martial, sdmt.d their guIlt'
were convicted and sentenced TO execution. lnree
of them were hanged on the graves Of their VIC
TINS the other, attempting TO escape, was shot.
The alleged cause Of their attack on the White
party the preceding year was the carrying off of
aquaw by white man who was killed in the mas
sacre. II seems that the man had bought the
squaw for horse bu. the seller could give no title,
but it is probable that plumber was one Indictment
TO the crime. But it does not seem that this crime
and its punishment were cause of the present
war.
As early as July last, the U. s. military officers
in Oregon reported 10 their superior, Gen. Wool,
that the whites were behaving badly. Here is
specimen, from Gen. Woods official reports:
children have collected for protection the military
reserve at Fort Jones. Captain Judah informs NE
that there constant threats o. night attack upon
his post for the purpose of killing these inohensive
people, but that he has made known that he shall repel
force by force II Is found necessary 10 issue -four and
beef TO the indians thus collected on the reserve the
Superintendent Of Indian Affair." declining to subsst
them.
AT council held by the Oregon Superintendent,
thirty miles from For. Oxford, Indian shot q white
man. As usual, the Indian was demanded, that he
might be hung. He protected BY the detachment
Of troops from Fort Oxford; and, while being con-
charge Of constable, and guarded by coporsrs
guard, the boat in which BE- was, was pursued by
party of whiter, who fred into the boat, killing the
prisoner and the Indian who was polling the canoe.
The corporal warned the party, before they fired, 10
keep off, and returned their ire, killing three OF them;
the iest gave up the pursuit.
On the Oath Of October last, Gov. Curry Of Ore
gon wrote TO the Secretary of War that he had
reliable information that the Yakima, Klikitats
and dissfected sprits from other Northern tribes,
had United to make war on the Whites--that A. J.
Bolor, a sub-IIdian Agent lad been treacherously
ELrdered by the orders Of Comiarkin, a Yakima
ci .i: that Msj. Halter, ST For. DslIes, had
very inadequate force; end that Maj. RAIN, COM
usHding on Columbia River AID Pugets Sound,
had Lot n.n enough to meet and beat the enemy;
J.. &C. lad esIie3 onf aiuh.