National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-10-15
SATANTA AND BIG TREE.
AN IMPORTANT INDIAN INTERVIEW


Gsverncr Davis, Of Texas, and Commits
-ioner Smith In Conference with tho
Hiowss and Comunches Aboriginal
Eioaucnoc and Civilized Logic - Tho
Raids isto Texas-The Contritiou Of tho
lndisss - Wanderers on tho stool Of
Peuitcnce-rh Peace Policy on the Rio
Grnsde.
The following Is q verbatim report OF the In
terview between Commissioner Smith, Of the In
dian Bureau, aud Governor Davis, OF Texas, aud
the leading men Of the Comancne aud kiowa
tribes OF Indians which preceded the release OF
satanta and Big Tree;
Commissioner Smith. Ny friends, chiefs and
men q ne ,Sne an sn w,rh M
business, What Ia said and done In this cou neil
will he very important 10 you, your friends and
~hs q We "s ,hns and wsat we Rnow, and nothins
else. Now, to-day let there be nothing but
Truth between Us. II we want good to come out
se u I'M
Governor Of Texas, who is here 10 meet you.
Gov. Davis. People Of the Comanches and Kio-
was: have brought back saianta and Big Tree.
They are all here, and we all see them. They
were prisoners ~ the Texans, and they could
have taken their lives, but did not. have come
hero becausc tho people Of Texas have been
suffering for . long time. want TO have peace,
n possible. We Gre at peace with all others OF
the Territory, and want peace with the Klowas,
" we can. thave come here to make my talk as
lndianAl talk, and then tell them what the
Texans want them TO do. 80 they can consider
whether they want peace OF war with Texas.
hive seen in Texas and how they wero treated.
They will make their talk, and then we will hear
what the Klowas have to say. viii then make
Satantas father to Gov. Davis. I am an old
and poor man. want you to take pity on me
and give me my son. love my children a. well
as you love yours, and want my son.
satsnta. fspcak to Lone Wolf, Kicking Bird,
and all, and want them TO pick up good road.
To the other Comanches now ruidlng In Texas,
,ysn ne 70 .sa S here on inc
Washington TO tell them what the Great Father
wants them 70 do. While In Texas, IN PRISON, !
was treated kindly. No one struck or abused
me. Some one, told my tribe I was dead, which
was wrong. mean what say. I take my
Texas father by the hand and hold him tight.
ON half kiowa and half Arrapaho. Whatever
the white men agree In, that is what he wants
them TO do. strip these things Oh OF me that |
have worn In prison aud turn me over TO the
Klowas, and will live on the white mans road
will all do as tse white men want them. The
Father In Washington has selected good men to
meet hts qtbe and do good. The best thing to
to tho White People; and now win talk 70 ny
.,hle,a. Isaisnta talked no more after Lone
Lone Vol, Kiowa) My people have come
has to say to them, and Afterwards we viii an'
swer.
Gov. Davis, ss!an,s and Big Tree being here
alive shows that l have kept my word; that the
Texans will keep their word. That as prom.
iscd about satanta and Big Tree, and what now
promise, will he held TO. For many years Texas
ment, and has been under the Government Al
washington and apart Of the nation. Since
when Lone Wolf was a little boy. Texas has
The Great Chief At Washington was bound u
protect the lives and property of Texans as wei
as other OF his chitiren. But oil these years III.
capturing ouS women and children and men o
Texas, aus capturing their horses. The Texana
have not made captives OF the women and ch,l'
soss, o. INC Kows, they have no, stolen ,ae
RAID on them. The Texans have not made wal
bn the Kiowas aud Comanches; the Kiowas ant
Gomanches have made war on tue Texans, ~,
selves, and have not followed the Comanchei
and Klowns TO capture and Kill them, but have
staid at homo. They have not followed tho GO
manches and Kiowas TO capture them, no
because they are not powerful enough u
do 40. for sstanta can tell you that the Texan
are rs thick as the leaves IN the forest, and I
hundred times as many an the kiowas and Co
mAnches together. They have not followed then
because they arc all children OF the Great Father
and they had made treaty not to 90 TO Texas
The Great chief at Washington said he woult
make treaty with the Comanches and kiowas
90 that they would not go to Texas, some siA
Years ago, and the kiowas and Comanche
,ion here and not 20 TO Texas. They agreed II
that treaty that they would not capture tn
women and children, and would not scalp thea
'e 81 tSe nave peen F"ns
Texas all those years, taking their properly an
killing the men. The Texans did not violate ina
treaty; they did not come 70 the reservation; ID,
Kiowas and Coinanchcs alone went to Texas
That thing must now stop, and the kiowas an,
Comanches must put themselves In that positiol
that the people Of Texas will be satisfied ina
they cannot 20 there. ] am now going TO Tel
you the terms demand for Texas. Listen y
them:
part OF the reservation where they are perlni
nenily to remain on cultiyatabe land 10 IN
neighborhood Of Fort sll. Their location to b
with view to adopting the habits OF the whit
giving up the use of their horses aud arms
This movement to commence At once, and, u
the meantime, so rs to prevent any misundei
standing Of the conduct Of the Indians on IN
part OF the people OF Texas, or on the part Of tn
United States Government, and 10 prevent IN
possibility that the bad acts OF other Indians
agents 10 remain with them constantly, In thei
respective camps, who can see all OF them dali
and see that none OF them leave on raids. u
further make impossible tea. ansy can saq 20 Inv
aa,,s,r ahyy.a Avs a, n inns cach man beIn
Scens t nresent ~ answer IN his name m
IIrsw his AVN Tsiions, ""'"'' W. ''
aPurther' | demand that the oomauchcs VIII
have recently been raiding intoTexas be deliyere
". w. ~ ,hn.a ca,nanches AMI k,owas who have =,
,,nn mS1 ~ ,,StnI Shsli nm, ,hamseyes nnaer m
s,,a ~ ,ha IIni,a, ~. ,as ,ons 10 ssist n
s.Oa ~ ,hase Snmsnchss 90 tSs, ,hey NAV h
in, ~ NJ Tesss sn.hnr,,ss Tor rial ana 1pr
,shmsn, uorses mai San he Identified "a kaS
,nn hear s,n,nn IN Tsx.s ~ he aevered mn
,nS,ans NAV bsve -'
in ,,l..sr NAY ne M, rr.a wm rsm,I, 1, In
..,, sns,s. ~ rap, s,ii mt, ~. commander n
HuhnnV . ~ ss,isuns IN, ,h,s s,ransan,snt /
ny po es,,.t nns IN aaoJ ,,i,h whsn Re- viii re-
nsns hn, 70 my w,,S ,h.ir ,,,se mi n must h
mnde,.,o"a Nv tSem Thai thev ara moi 10 bs paI
Innea mi viii he suSiect 10 rearresI and retur
aohea' out VII oe sup'gS. W 20 Snrye au s,r ,Se,
s r9,,pna n al anv lima ihn Kiowas Violate hi
.,r,nnswen, MY ''''' ''' "
~ S.ma .ona,ttsd IN, commissioner M
al. NV oom asn, ~, 'a ~. o,nman',jns An ca
s,sa' ~, so ana an ua.,saca yon can co,nnl
III ny ,pasa ond,,,ons !, Son desirs reace ami I'm
WIN ,ne' a. Theas tssrms rnms from mo ,
,.nvernor ~ Texas. and moi from those onicer
,a,.ss nson,o 81 Taxss whn ara the sufYere,
y. ~, se hsS iondnct ~ Ma men ri Inc Comanch,
IA E,o~ss 10 have onen war AMI settle IN
nuu :. nrcs Tssve noih,ny mora IN say :"
s,',,,h Tns Governop 81 Tenss has Given the
,.s,,.. sna no, tbe cnmmia.ioner ar as,ents vii
,. as aa,hinn shon, ,ha Gnvarnnp'. ierma nnI
s shev h no, asem to.tisy ''''''' ''' "''
s Ia, ~ al ,he c,ny.rnnr n.Sc n ma NJ
neiu ,ns , .ao IAN ami ~lss ts,s and We ha,
lnsuo W su - . 81. ~ - ~ a. ~
0na ~ nv s,ye ionteS throngh that taIs An