Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-30
LATEST NEWS.
ID LElALV1NAEH
Ue EIE SgORCEsTER DAxEy sRg
The Indians at Washington.
President Grant Gives the Delegation IA
Hearins-''Ehe Grass Tells the Great
Father What his People Want.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2S.-The delegation of
Indians now here, representing the UncOpapas,
Blackfeet, and Upper and Lower Yanctonians,
had an interview with the president to-day
After having shaken hands with them, the pres
ident inquired Of them if there was anything
special which they desired to say to him "The
Grass" stepped to the front, and through an
interpreter said he never had anything against
the white men. You sent for me before but
did not like to come; you sent for me again, and
| came. have seen you; l have been pleased;
we want room at your reservation, and don't
want to be crowded; we will mind the great
father, and do what he tells us; our people are
all working, but are very poor.
The president inquired as TO the nature of the
land on which the tribe is located, and inquired
if anything had been said to them about NOV
ing them into the Indian country.
Secretary Cowan replied in the affirmative
The president then, addressing the Indians
said he would like 10 see them ON fertile lands
where it would be easy for them to make a liv-
ing; and when they should be willing to 90 on
such lands, the government would send them
and learn them to build houses. The Young
especially, should be instl uCted. 1t was for
them to think about, and unless they wanted to
go he did not want to make them; they could
90 back to their homes now, and talk the mat
ter over this year to their people; il they would
not agree to go he would not compel them.
Above all things, they should be at peace with
the white people, who outnumbered them
a great many times, and if conflict should
come, it would be much worse for the Indians
He did not want to fight them, but to protect
them and care for them. Above all things, too,
they should have their young people instructed.
The white people were increasing rapidly and
in a few years it would be much worse for the
Indians than now; anything they wanted now
could BET asked of the commissioner Of Indian
affairs, and the secretary of the interior, who
would act for him.
The Grass said the land of his reservation
was bad, but he was raised in that country and
wanted to stay there; he knew il was not good,
but wanted to stay on it, and did not want any
white men to come on it; they also wanted to
have Mr.. OConnor, their agent, remain there.
The president assured them that no change
should be made in the agent, and further that
he did not want to force them from the land.
He would do all he could to instruct them and
protect them, and hoped their young people
would grow up instructed in all the arts of civ
ilization.
The result of the official inquiry instituted by
the military authorities showed that the recent
reports of threatened troubles in the Creek ma
ton, in which it was alleged that troops from
Fort Gibson were sustaining one side, was false
Grerson telegraphs that the troops did not in.
terfere at all in the trouble in the Creek nation
H6 alone met the head men of both factions, at
their special request, and succeeded in bringing
them together in friendly council, when all
difficulties were amicably settled by themselves.