, 1856-10-10
The Lale WaIIa-WaIIa COuncn. &c.


News from the country of the hostcs east of the
Cascade mountans-week after week for the past
few months, concerning peace, or continuance Of
h1stes has been varied, and most singuarly contra
dct,ry-partakng, doubt, of the then feelings or
impressions of persons who have, from time to time,
teegraphed u the settlements information relative
thereto. At one time the syrean song of peace has
been sung u be but perhaps cut short at its heighth
by the startling news that hostties have broken out
in some new quarter-that some new aggression had
been committed-that the hOstlcs were strengthening
their combination &c. Thus alternately have we had
the hatchet buried and the pipe of peace smoked
between the whites and red skins and then again has
news been spread abroad of the clash Of resOunding
arms" That wish being father TO the thought, most
Of Us have giyca too willing credence to the various
prdcs reports which have reached here and there has
come to us from the hostile country altogether too
great Il cry of peace, peace, when there was no
peace nasmnch as it now appears is, and has alt
along been an utter illusion.
In consequence Of the apparent imperative attitude
assumed by the hostiles on the other side, for some
time it was thought by too many that they were
sIbdued-thlt they were tired nf the war and when
Gov. STEVENS, as Superintendent Of Indian Affairs,
announced his determination to push out in that d.
rccton with stores, supplies &c, for the purpose If
possible Of bringing them to such terms Of good
understanding Us would be just and honorable to the
government concerning their treaty stpulations end
the murders they had committed, 1t was anticipated
that he would in at least degree, be successful
that his errand would not prove an ENTIRE failure
and although somewhat disafccted, that the Nez
Perce nation and portions of hostile tribes would be
induced firmly to adhere to their original pledges.
But as will be seen by another column, containing
what we doubt not Is strictly truthful memoranda
Of the proceedings Of the late Waa-walla council (as
far as it is gven), just exactly nothing at all was
accomplished That instead Of anything like a PEACE
being attendant the deliberations Of the council
after its concuson-wthn three miles Of the council
ground whilst the Superintendent Of Indian Affairs
was en- route for tue Dalles an attack made upon
the train with an object of surrounding capturing it,
aud massacreing the party and that, too, by the
very Indians who had participated in the council
oNE.FoURrH OF WHOM WE'RE NEz PERcEs AT THAT.
| After such demonstration, wherein then does
there consist any sense of longer talking about a
peace with the hostlles until they are most summa-
ry chastsedl OF what has It availed to the service
TO the prospect Of early adjustment Of our lndL
an difficulties that Col. wRIGHr's command has been
tagging after these Indians, feeding clothing and
ing them for peace all summerl In what manner has
the vain boast profted Gen. Wool with the govern
ment, recently made through the National Intclli
gencer," that in his next dispatch, Guy) he hoped
to be able " communicate that PEACE had been estab
li-hed throughout the Department of the Pacific :
What have all the real wellntended excrtions Of our
Territorial authorities through the volunteer service,
thus far amounted to, in bringing the war to final
close Unaded by the regulars-sandered and vilihed
by their chief and his coadutor, they have been but
able to hold the enemy at bay-they have but scotch
ed the snake-not killed it," The spirit for oontin-
uance Of the war the part Of the Indians, Is now
more plainly and unmistakably apparent than at any
previous period and we might as well look the matter
squarely in the face a. not.
| What new suDterfugc Gen. Wool will now resort
to, in effort TO explain the unaccountablc conduct
Of HIS FRIENDLY ~ Indians at the late treaty, it Is
impossible even TO conjecture. His peculiar faculty
for meeting all such emergencies, however, will no
doubt enable him, without difficulty, to lay hold on
something appropos. But to save him from further
tergiversatons in this respect-as an act Of charity
for his age and past services, and kindness for his
rapidly declining years. 1t Is to be hoped that General
HARNEY, or some other COMPETENT head for the De-
partment, will be designated by the government to
supply his place The inexcusable bunders and in
consistencies Of Gen. WOoL-the innumerabe maiiest
contradictions contained in his dispatches-his mali.
cous falsehoods and ISLANDERS heaped upon author
ties aud volunteershs healtless regurdessness for
the safety of the lives of the people of two Territories
his criminal sins Of omission and commission, most
peremptorily demand his recall from the head OF the
Department
Long ere this II sane facts and circumstances must
have convinced his better judgment that his plan Of
the campaign wrong from beginning to end, yet
with tenacity and superciliousness peculiar to old
age, he has lost the manhood to acknowledge his
errors but, like an Emperor of the Oriental world,
suffering deviation lrom established usages in inn
provements, &c, so Gen. Wool continues TO bur
row along in the same hole at which he originally
started regardless of the number Of times that he
finds himself coming but thereat If he is not
deranged he knows full well that he is and has been
radically in error thus far during the war, and if he
had the least desire to preserve unsled any portion
Of his past history he would desire to be recalled.
1t will be recolected that Gen. Wool, last fall,
repudiated the idea Of WINTERS campagn-assu-
ming that the summer months, only, were the ones
in which to carry on the war vigorously against these
Indians, and that within short time after the break
ing up of winter he would push it at once to close
How he has kept lrs word has been but too painfully
maiiested, as we have Observed by keeping Colonel
WRIGHT doggng after them from prairie to prairie
Offering every and any terms to bring about peace
whilst he continued throughout at his headquarters
at Bencia California in all the enjoyment of mastery
inactivity.
The consequence now Is, that the gallant Colonel
srErroE, in conjunction with others, brother officers
Of the regular service preparing to enter upon
IN he