Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-02-14

COA-GRESsEO11L.
CeacIssie. Yesterday. Prsc.eai.<,,

4
/ SENATE.-After our report elo.>s
The bill 20 equslize the distri butiop Of ,ha
| nsuona bank circulation was taken an
MI Merrimon changed the phraseoiosy of has
90 900 900 additional rational bank currsncs -
| be Issued 70 banks now or hereafter 10 he or
gsniked and distributed TO the several states in
| II, 1870. 10y
Mr.. salisbury discussed the financial con-
clifton OF the country as contrssted with its con-
Mr.. Gordon expressed the hope that the or
portunity would be afforded 20 the west and the
south to ootsin the currency they needed with
| out interfering with New England. But other
wise he would be compelled 20 vots 20 with
draw portion Of the circulation from New
England.
| 70 the pending bill. He thought that tue ma
uenal banking system should be Invested OF is
monopoly features. and indicated that he should
offer substitute for the bill.
The Chair announced the following appoint
ments to hll vacancies on the committees Mr..
dorsey, on Appropriations, in place OF Mr..
/ Amesi Dit. Harvey, on Mines and Mining, In
/ pace OF MIR CroZier; Mr.. Pesss. on Engrossed
Bills, In place OF MIR. Ames; and Mr.. Harvey,
on on 'ne Leyees Of the Mississippi, in place Of
The Senate then went into executive session,
And then adjourned until MONDAY
EHE NoDOCs DISCUSSED
| Htl SE.-After our report closed
| 1be bill 70 provide for sscertainins losses
| sustained By citizens OF southern Oregon ana
Il reason OF Indian uenrp-
datoDs in is I and lS,2 was taken up.
Mt. Holman offered an amendment subst-
| tnting one citizen and three ofsce OF the
army serving on the Pacific coast for the three
| commissioners proposed in the bill.
| Mr.. ShaDks opposed the amendment, alleging
that he did not want to intrust the work 20 men
| who had been driven back by the Modocs tor
seven long months, and who had a back record
| 20 make up. He asserted that there had been
| strong provocation for the hostility Of the Mo
docs, whom he extolled, charging treachery and
deceit mon the whites in the vicinity.
Mr.. Nesmith defended the people OF Oregon
| and the officers of the army, alleging that the
delay in conquering the Modocs not the
fault Of the army, but OF the orders from Wash
| policy.
mir. Shsnks interjected a remark charying
the people OF Oregon with the murder OF nVe
prisoners Of war, and Mr.. Nesmith retorted by
citing the murder OF General Candy and others
under a dag of truce, and claiming that the
pTOvocation 10 this was very great, owing TO the
repeated acts Of treschery on the part OF the
MOdOce.
Mr.. Shanks, again obtaining the door, said
that in lS49 this Capt. Jack, VINO had attained
a national notoriety, If not q national reputs-
| ton, had a father as dear to him as the father
of the gentleman was 10 him. Ben Wright, a
man OF some notoriety, had charge of some
troops, and invited the father of Captain Jack
70 a conference under flag OF truce lie came,
| with fUrty OF his chief men, when Ben Wright,
| in his own camp, contriyed a plan TO poison
them all. He invited them TO a feast, and pro-
posed TO put strychnine in the beef, but the In
| dams were warned by other Indians, and re.
| fused to eat the beef. They were then shot
| dOwn-,Iack's father and forty OF his men.
Captain Jack was there, and nom that hour
| be mad not been the friend OF the white man.
| He had been tolQ that from the spot where
| Captain Jack murdered General Candy he
| could view the spot where his father was butch
cred with forty of his men, under a dag of
| truce. There was much TO extenuate the crimes
| OF Captain Jack.
| Mr.. Nesmth said the gentleman had been
| reciting history which, he doubted not, he
| believed to be accurate, but among the In
dlsns the question OF paternity was very doubt
Mr.. Shsnks. 1t is all the same, so he believes
4 II to be so.
MI. Nesmith said he knew Ben Wright well.
He had marched with him. hunted Indians with
| him; slept under the same blanket, and eaten
1 mule and horse meat with him. he was a brave
and honorable man, but he had suffered severe
ly, and retaliation was his ruling thought. He
| thought he could throw some light upon the dag
| OF truce story. For long years the MOdocs had
| been been numbering emigrants moving toward
| the Pacific, who, after enduring all the trials
1 and tolls OF journey of a thousand miles, were
fell upon ana butchered with atrocities too hor-
riple 10 relate. There was no dag OF truce in
| while the Indians had a large force. few
days before these Indians had murdered an en-
tire party of emigrsnts, and Ben Wright went
| ence, and Ben Wright having positive evidence
that the Indians contemplated the murder OF
1 his whole party at the council, took time by the
| foreloek, and began the fight.
| Dir. Shanks said he did not propose to antag-
i onize the bill, but desired the invest CATION
| committed 20 men who were entirely unbiased
| and not to those who had motives for exag-
gersting the damages done by the Indians.
| The gentleman from Oregon had, he said,
/ confessed judgment. Wright, he said, had
| stated he had reason to believe he would be
| attacked. What reason had he to believe he
| would be attacked in his own camp, and while
| ne was paving the way to poison all the Indians
| with beef at his own table? Why did he kill
the beef and prepare the feast IL he supposed
they were going 70 murder his party? Do men
II 90 "a tors hair d.
Mr.. Lu ttrell, interrupting, said there was no
| truth IN the poisoning story.
| Mr.. Shanks said there was another provoca-
ton 10 the Modocs A treaty had been made
| with them which was uncOnhrmed, and thew
| had been driven about until they turned around
and ffty-three of them fronted the national
| government and fought it. He denied that the
delay was caused by the peace commission, and
cited the instructions from the Indian depart
ment placing them under the control of Gem
eral Candy.
Mr.. Luttren denied the truth of the poisoning
story. He said he had lived in the vicinity OF
lava beds. He knew Ben Wright and no
Drawer or more honorable man ever lived. The
story was gotten up by those sent out by the
| government, who went there not to teach the
Indians, but TO rob them. He had been in the
lava beds with Ben Wright and his men and
they had told him there was not a word of
truth in the story. There was no beef prepared,
and no srychnine or arsenic purchased or used.
train with twenty-seyen emIgrants from
Indiana and Illinois had reached the vicinity a
lew DAYS before, and every one of them had
II
bones lett bleaching on the plains. Other trains
were following, and Ben Wright went out to
| protect them. The Indians asked a conference,
| and it was agreed that fifteen of them should
come unarmed 70 meet the fifteen whites I'M
armed. Instead of this the Indians came over
| fifty strong, and with their arms; and when
asked why they came thus, they began TO string
their bows, and then the fight began, and lasted
two days, during which forty-one Modocs were
| slain. This story was sustained by the best
men in that section.
Mr.. Shanks asked how many of wright's men
were killed?
MIR. Luttrell said one man was wounded /.
| Mr.. Shanks asked how IL was, that under the
agreement Wright's men were armed?
| Mr.. Luttrell said that. seeing the Indians
were in full force, he left his men on hill with
| directions to ire on the first indication Of
| treachery.
After further debate upon the bill, involving
the responsibility OF the government for In.
| dian depredations.
| Mr.. Garfield moved to strike out the enact
| ing clause, which was agreed TO.
The com mittee then rose, as required by the
| rules, and reported its action to the House,