Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-05-02
The Indian Question.


Utterly contradictory accounts come to Us
from apparently equally reliable sources
The New York Independent, in leadlng
editorial in its last number, gives a con-
densed history of the dealings oil the whites
with the Modocs, the substance oil which Is
a follows;
In 1864 treaty was entered INTO between
the United States and the chle1s OF the
Klamath and Snake Indians, and Schonchln
and three Others of the Modoes, who repre-
sented n small portion of that tribe, by
which they agreed to cede to the United
States all the country claimed by them, and,
in lien thereof, to accept portion OF coun-
try known as Klamath Reservation. Cap
tain Jack and four-ffths Of the Modoc
tribe refused to recognize this action OF
their chief. and the treaty was not ratified
or proclaimed until 1870.
Klamath Reservation is large tract OF
country in Southern Central Oregon. 1t
lies at a high altitude; much Of 1t l. IN
hospitable and barren; it is almost unIn-
habitable during the winter months, and Is
visited by frosts twelve months in the year
In December, 1863, Captain Jack and ms
followers, to the number of two hundred
and fifty-eight, after liberal promises OF
blankets and provisions, were induced 10
90 upon the reservation and JOIN the rem
nant of their tribe, then and still there.
Blankets were issued them. and for while
provisions were given them-the trst and
only benefit they derived from the treaty
They at once went TO work to get out logs
for cabins and rails for fencing, intending
10 become settled. After they had made
some progress, the klamaths. their Old
enemies. became insolent, tauntlng the
Modocs with the fact that 1t was the Ma
math country, and that the logs ana rails
and everything belonged 10 them. The
agent decided to change the location oil the
Modocs. and they abandoned the fruits Oh
their labor, and in the new location as
signed them, they again went to WORK To
build cabins and fence little plots OF ground
Arain the klamaths followed them, and TINS
time demanded a tribute a portion OF all
the logs and rails they cut, of all the fish
and rame thew took, and pay for the grass
tbeir monies consumed Instead of pro-
tecting them, the agent again decided to re
move them to more distant part OF the
reservation. and again they were ordered 10
abandon their partally-built houses, their
fields and fences. At the same time, amid
the SHOWS of winter. the issue of provisions
was discontinued. After four months OF
proftless labor in a cold, unprotected noun
tain country; after quietly bearing insult
and oppreSsion. with no prospect Of pro-
lection and no means of subsistence. the
whole band in one night folded up their
tents and went back TO their old homes.
The agent was not one of the appointments
under the present policy.
Later in the winter of ISL the local In
dian authorities tried to induce them to re
turn to the reservation; failing in which
.,,n- Il, Id.
walton in their own country. This the In
dions readily assented to. but no action was
taken in regard to the new reservation, and
the first intimatiOn the Indians had that
they were not to remain was an order from
the local authorities for their removal TO
the Klamath reservation. Captain Jack
refused to 20, and at daybreak his camp OF
fifteen or twenty warriors was surprised by
party of thirty soldiers and some citizens
and hunters, resulting in fight, IN which,
it is reported, -four or five Indians were
killed and several wounded" The Indians
deeming it their turn TO surprise, then
made raid upon the nearest settlements,
killing three men and boys and permitting
all the women and children to 60 unframed.
This was the beginning of the 'Modoc
War"
Now this is very plain and positive
story, and it makes out the case of the Mo
docs to be one of continued hardship, OPP
preston and outrage at the hands Of the
United States.
But here comes an intelligent and appar-
entity well informed and fair minded CORE
spondent Of the New York Times, who,
writing from Sacramento, California, tellsa
very different story He says Capt. Jack 5
band are a few rene gade Modes with a
sprinkling of Snake and Pitt river Indians !;
that old Sehonchin, the head chief and the
most OF the Modocs reside on the Klamath
reservation are peaceable and contented,
and express as much disapproyal of the
course of Capt. Jack and his gang as any
body. When these renegade Modocs, he
says, went on the reservation, they had 4
long talk with the Klamaths, and " buried
the hatchet" Indeed he says the enmity
between them was never serious, a. they are
offshoots of the same family and speak the
same language lie says further that they
had no cause Of complaint against tho
whites. We quote:
1t is positively true that those renegade or
outlaw Modocs never have had any cause Of
complaint against the whites. When on
the reservation each time they were well
fed and considerably treated. They made
some complaint that the klamaths were un
kind to them. but the reservation was sixty
miles square, and contained abundant room
for ten times the number Of Indians located
upon it, and the tribes and bands could be
independently and separately located on
different streams, with abundant land avail
able to cultivate along each river. The
waters of the reservation are so abundantly
stocked with excellent fish that the Indians
can be easily subsisted on fish alone all the
year around, and they could also hunt game
in the Cascade Mountains adjoining them.
Jack and his men say they were promised
good houses to live in, and did not get them;
but they did not remain long enough to
make the test as to whether they would be
furnished.
This has a very different sound from the
independents account. We copy further
from this letter:
AT Yreka they came under the influence
of a willy and dangerous man named Elijah
Steele, who had, | think. been an Indian
agent in California. lie advised them that
they owed no allegiance to the Indian De
parlnent of Oregon. This man deserves to
be made responsible for a great portion of
the troubles with the Modocs Jack band
hung around Nreka for another purpose,
rot lery reputable or nice TO dwell upon.
They found market in the vicinity of min
ing camps AID among the loose and haser
sort of whites for their women In this
Modoc Land the women 0utnumbered the
men at least three to one, and when we
figure on the numbers engaged in the first
hattie at the lava beds we must calculate
that there were twice as many women as
men who took part in the battle. The Mo-
doc women are Amazons enough to handle
gun well and fight like devils.
Jack : band roamed about the island rivers
and lakes near the California and Oregon
line. The settlers were in terror of them.
and paid tribute IN various ways The In
dams would come to n settlers house and
demand food. When the wife offered them
n lunch they declined, and demanded that
meal should be cooked as white folks cook
for themselves, and, of course. the woman
dared not refuse. When settlers were cut
ting hay Jack would come along and de-
mand that beef should be killed for the
privilege, and, Of course, the settler dared
not refuse. The Modoc idea of gratitude
may be estimated from the TACT that after
they commenced hostilities they killed if
teen settlers upon Tule Lake, men at whose
houses they had been fed and kindly treat
ed.
All the tribes are watching. from Brit
ish Columbia southwark. to see what the
government will do with Capt. Jack and his
Modoes. They all demand that firm meas
ures shall be pursued. The liberal terms
Offered the hostile Modocs were not popular
with the other Indians, and had they been
carried out, trouble would have ensued
The respect they had for the whites weak
ened as they saw how the Peace Commits
sion tempOrized with little band of ont
laws and mnrderers, and begged them to ac-
cept amnesty and peace at their hands. Ii
did not the least accord with Indian sense.
1t must he confessed that in this instance
the peace policy Is failure. ! am firmer
convert than ever To the belief that the In
dams must be conquered into peace. for
the savage mind, in wild State, will moi
realize that any humanity dictates our
policy.
w stta.s...ao -. J. -