Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-27
AN INDIAN MOSES.
Why Captain Jack Killed Gem. Candy
"A Strange Religion.

Why Captain Jack Killed Gem. Candy
"A Strange Religion.
To any one acquainted with the present
| temper of the Pacific coast Indians the rea-
son for the massacre Of Gen. Canby by
Capt. Jack is obvious.
A belief exists among the tribes and bands
in the States and Territories heretofore
named that the time of their deliverance
| from the domination of the white race is
| close at hand. 1t has long been predicted
by the old warriors and their medicine
men, and within the last three years has
gained an almost universal acceptance.
When questioned, however, by those sus-
tanning official relations with them, most of
the Indians deny any knowledge of these
beliefs or traditions. Nevertheless the fact
that the belief has become almost universal
is well known to all intelligent men having
friendly relations with the Indians
On page 1853, Commissioners Report for
1872, are some statements on this subject
by N. A. Cornoyer, agent in charge of the
Umatilla reservation, Oregon, to which Su-
perintendent T. B. Odeneal, of Oregon, at
the conclusion of his report ION page 1862.
same book, makes the following reference:
A STRANGE AND DANGEROUS RELIGION.
"The Indians mentioned by Agent Cor
meyer in his report as being on the Column
bia river, numbering, in his opinion, two
thousand, are source of considerable an
noyance to the agents at Warm Springs and
Umatilla. They have new and peculiar
religion, By the doctrines of which they are
taught that new God is coming to their
rescue; that all the Indians who have died
heretofore and who shall die hereafter are
TO be resurrected; that, as they then viii be
very numerous and powerful, they will be
able to conquer the whites, recover their
lands, and live as free and unrestrained as
their fathers lived in olden times. Their
model of a man is an Indian; they aspire to be
Indians, and nothing else. About four hun
dred of them belong at Umatilla Agency,
one hundred at Warm Springs, and the re-
mainder The Territories OF Idaho and Wash
ington. 1t is thought by those who know
them best that they cannot be made to go
upon their reservations without at least be-
ing intimidated by the presence of mill
tary force"
WHO SHALL BE THE INDIAN MOSES?
This belief, substantially the same as of
ficially stated above, has led The Indians in
that belt Of country situated east Of the
Cascade and west CT the Rocky Mountains,
to lODgingly look for the coming of their de-
liVerer, and to hail all unusual occurrences
as indications of his speedy advent. No
chief knows but that he may prove to be
the chosen one, and Captain Jack in his
success will be greeted as such by great
numbers of braves. The same idea that
inspired the first gun of the rebellion, name
ly, to ''fire the Southern heart" actuated
these Indians. The treacherous assault in
which Gen. Candy was sacrificed would
never have been made had not Captain
Jack and his associates been guaranteed the
cooperation of the great tribes of all that
section. 1t was the one thing needed to
fire the Indian heart. The fact that Gen.
Candy and other men were slain is as we'll
known to-day to the Indians about Fort
Benton as to the people of Yreka. The
earthquake which shook Oregon and Wash
ington Territory last December was accept
ed by the Indians as prophetic of great
event in their favor. This bloody massacre
will Ee to them the fulfillment of Natures
prophecy. Such is the meaning of the
Lava Bed catastrophe.