Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-04-13
The Indian.

| ocean to ocean A few weeks since Col.
Maynadier invited some Of the Sioux Chiefs
| to conference at Fort Laramie, in order to
arrange terms Of peace with the Government.
They accordingly attended, and after having
pledged themselves to bury the Ratchet, and
having smoked the pipe Of peace, several of
them made little speeches. They were not
such speeches as the white chiefs would have
delivered. The dusky orators made no al
lusions to the virtues and intelligence of
! themselves or their people, or to the size of
their country, nor did they profess their de-
yotion to any flag, or their loyalty to any i'm
aginary Constitution. They simply stated
their grievances, and in concise and plain Ian
guage, Spotted Tail said, mournfully, eve
have been deceived, and have been led into
the war and have had much trouble for many
months, but all of the little things that have
occurred in that time must be forgotten. |
am very poor and cannot pay for anything
that my people may have taken from the
whites" He then briefly referred to his
troubles and sufferings. He said g My
Great Fathers land, is all fenced around, and
the white man is angry if only an animal
passes through his farm. I have the same
feelings. would like to have my land fenced
too, but am too poor to do it; and SO many
men and wagons pass through my country;
that all the buffalo and game are scared away.
The Great Father sends soldiers to my coun-
try they are scattered all over it to watch
me and my people they do us much harm
and cause much wrong to be committed by
our young men If these soldiers were ia
ken away we would be much better, and our
hearts would be very glad. You know that
we are very poor and have nothing to feed
them; we cannot 60 after the buffalo. We
have nothing for our women and children to
eat" Standing Elk, who has been known
as the friend Of the whites, laid aside his robe,
stepped forward and expressed himself with
dignity and earnestness. He stated that
his people had been swindled, imposed upon
and most cruelty wronged by bad men sent
here to act as agents for them; that the
Great Father sent them many presents, but
they never received but very few. His peo-
pie were starving for what the Great Father
has sent to them, but which the agents APP
propriate to their own use and squander in
luxury" Of the justice Of these complaints
we entertain no doubts. And thong we
regret to have to say it, we are very sure
that, so far as the Indians are concerned, they
may read their future in their past.-Balt
Gazette.
EXP osTMAsTER GENERAL REsGAN.-The
New Orleans Crescent Of the 29th ult, pub
fishes private letter from Hon. John H.
Reagan, Postmaster General Of the late Con-
federate States, written to a gentleman Of
that city. We publish an extract to show
how the author adapts himself to the present
condition of affairs, and as an example of in
dustry in gentleman who has occupied high
public station, that others would do well to
initiate:
On ny return home I determined that it
would comport most with my self-respect, |
and with what was due to my friends, for
me to avoid all participation in public affairs
and I choose not to engage in the practice Of
my profession, for the present at least, and
have quietly settled myself down to farming.
[ found my farm in bad condition, though |
am now getting it into good state of cult-
walton, ana have improved it much since the
first of January ] have one white man and
seven freedmen at work have planted some
fruit trees and shrubbery, and most of the
vegetable garden and Irish potatoes, and bed
ded out my sweet potatoes, and planted thi, :
ty-iye acres Of corn, and have as mu>h |
more ready to plant have sowed down twelve |
or fifteen acres in small grain, and shall plant
about thirty-iye acres in cotton. | am Or
chardist and gardener myself, and when not
engaged at this, OF in the necessary superin-
tendcnce Of the freedmen, work on the farm
constantly with my own hands, and can DO
as much work with apparently as little ia
tigue as any Of them. / make fence, grub,
and pile and burn brush plow, etc., and am
as thoroughly bronzcd as other laborers.
You can hardly imagine the sense of relief
and repose Of mind enjoy in tie absence of
the cares and perplexities Of official and pub
lie life, or the great interest | take and the
enjoyment [ experience in my retired and
quiet life And if our country was again
blessed with constitutional government and
civil liberty, and my loved chief and few
other dear friends were restored to their lib
crty and families, should feel perfectly con-
tented and happy.
EXCITEMENT IN WESTERN VIRGINIA.
LARGE DISCOVERIES OF SILVER REpoRrFD.-
Moorefczd, Hardy Couafy. ~, March p,
Notwithstanding excitement is now
prevailing here. Politics has given place to
search for the precious metals, which have
been discovered to exist in large quantities
among the rugged mountains in this vicinity. |
Rich specimens Of silver ore are shown, and
large bids are made for sections of country
which, but short time since, were valueless, |
except for the scrub oaks and negro head
stone upon them Many leads are said to
have been found, which, their discoveries
feel assured, will yield full fifty per cent of
virgin silver. \ perfect stampede is being
made from the oil regions, in the hope Of
better luck in prospecting for silver ore than
oil deposits. ! have seen many specimens of
the ore, which, from its weight and slvery
look, should think was rich with the pre-
cious metal The mineral exists in apparent
seams OF the rock, and it is deemed Of very
easy extraction The excitement is running
very high. | have just heard that a party
of prospectors have struck a vein near Elk
Horn Knob Of immense value This is in