The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-05-02

The present seat of war is on the line
between Oregon and California, and the
Indians are but a handful, yet they
have succeeded in killing the only man
In the army they feared, except Crook,
and they know he is too far off and too
busy to interfere.
10 any one acquainted with the
present temper of the Pacific coast
Indians the reason for the massacre
OF Gen. Candy by Capt. Jack is OBJ
vious.
belief exists among the tribes and
bands in the States and Territories here
tofore named that the time of their de-
hverance from the domination of the
white race is close at hand. If has long
been predicted by the old warriors and
medicine men, and within the last three
years has gained an almost universal ac
ceptance. When questioned, however,
by those sustaining official relations
with them most of the Indians denya
knowledge of these beliefs or traditions.
Nevertheless the fact that the belief has
become universal is well known to all
intelligent men having friendly relations
with the Indians.
On page 1863, Commissioner report
for 1872, are some statements on this
subject, by n. A. Cornoyer, agent in
charge of the Umatilla reservation,
Oregon, to which Superintendent L. b.
Odeneal, of Oregon, at the conclusion
OF his report Con page 800, same book,
makes the following reference:
The Indians mentioned by Agent Cor
meyer in his report as being on the CO.
lumbia river, numbering in his opinion
two thousand, are source of consider
able annoyance to the agents of Warm
Springs and Umatilla. They have
new and peculiar religion, by the doc
trines of which they are taught that
new God is coming to their rescue that
all the Indians who have died hereto
fore and who shall die hereafter shall be
resurrected; that, as they then will be
very numerous and powerful, they will
be able to conquer the whites, recover
their lands, and live as free and unre-
strained MS their father lived in olden
times. Their model of a man is an In
dian; they aspire to be Indians and
nothing else. About four hundred of
them belong at Umatilla agency, one
hundred at Warm Springs, and the re-
mainder in the Territories of Idaho and
Washington. l understand that re-
peated Intellectual efforts have been made
to induce them to return to their reser-
vations. 1t has not been practicable for
me to confer personally with them. 1t
is thought 10y those who know them best
that they cannot be made to go upon
their reservations without at least being
inundated by the presence of mill
tary force.
This belief, substantially the same as
officially stated above, has led the In
dams in that belt of country situated
east of the Cascade and west of the
Rocky mountains to longingly look for
the coming of their deliverer and TO hail
all unusual natural occurrences as indi-
cations of his speedy advent. No chief
knows but that he may prove to be the
chosen one, and Capt. Jack in his sue
cess will be greeted as such by great
numbers of braves. Thesame idea that
inspired the first gun of the rebellion,
namely, to fire the Southern heart,
actuated these Indians. The PREACHER
GUS assault in which Gen. Candy was
sacrificed would never have been made
had not Capt. 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 well known to
the Indians about Fort Benton as to the
people of Yreka. The earthquake
which shook Oregon and Washington
Territory last December was accepted
by the Indians as prophetic of great
event in their favor. The bloody massa-
ere will be to them the fulfillment of
Natures prophecy. Such is the mean
ing of the lava bed catastrophe.