The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1875-11-04
Tae Black Rails Business.

TIE Black Rails Business.
Tho utter failgr5 Of the Black Hills
commissioners To effect the kind of
treaty with the Sioux that they were
sent TO effect, and the hostile spirit that
some Of the bands exhibited toward the
Commissioners, amounting IN one IN.
stance to a pretty clearly defined pur-
pose To scalp them, indicates that there
was something about the Commission
that was objectionable 10 tho Indians.
1t could not have been that the Indians
were opposed on abstract principles to
making a treaty with the government,
because they have made treaties with
the government repeatedly before. 1t
could not have been that they particular
ly objected TO selling the Black Hills
country TO the government, because
that country is limited in extent and
practically has no value to them. They
live, and have their villages, and do
their hunting on the plains, not in the
mountains, and really care nothing for
the mountain part Of their country. 1t
could not have been that they wanted
war with the government because the
anything, that in war with the govern
ment they have everything TO lose and
nothing 10 gain-that they are certain
an the end to be orerpowercd and de-
stroyed. What, then, was the cause
OF their objection to tho Commission,
and what induced them to put the price
OF their bleak and barren hills at $780,
100000?
We should say, in the first place, that
they had no confidence in the Com
mlssioners-there was not IA man among
them whom they had ever heard of be
fore - not man whom they didn't .
think was sent there for the express
purpose Of swndIing them of their
homes and hunting grounds. Underly-
ing the negotiations, that the commits
sioncrs were carrying on. was the pur-
pose 10 cOlonize the Indians from their
present homes and locate them in the
Indian Territory among the Cherokecs,
the Creeks, the Chociaws and other
half civilized tribes. This the Indians
knew very well, and TO this they were
opposed under any circumstances and at
any price. And because this purpose,
which was the main purpose, with the
commissioners and the government, i
was kept secret in a degree, and the
commissioners pretended that they want
cd only TO buy the Black Hills, the Indi-
ans came to suspect them, and with
good cause.
Row, if the government wants to buy
the Black Hills country-if it is its
primary object to get procession OF that {
country and open ii TO settlement aGd 1
its mineral resources to Development - )
il can do so without difficulty by sending e
a man there TO treat with the Indians I
whom they know and who knows them, IA
in whose honesty and integrity Of pur- a
pose they have confidence, whom they 2
believe TO be friendly in his feeling to- t
ward them, and who is not tied 5
down and rendered powerless 4
by instructions in regard to matters Il
different from the main object Of the n
treaty proposed to be made. Let us g
illustrate. In 1865 treaty was at p
tempted to be made by the government ii
with the Arapahoc, Cheyenne Apache, q
kIowa and Comanche tribes, at the mouth al
Of the Little Arkansas river. The &c
negotiations utterly failed because Of the re
want Of knowledge Of the Indian charac- W
.cr on the part of the Commissioners,
and because the Indians were led 10
nistrust the integrity and friendly feel
NC toward them of the Commissioners.
The Secretary of the Interior sent for
col. f. w. Wynkoop told him what he te
wanted done, gave him large discretion ed
lry powers, and Col. Wynkoop called III
/ council, and made treaty more adj W
Ambiguous in every way for the govern OF
nent with these tribes than that original
Y proposed by the Commissioners. DC
rhe Indians knew Col. Wynkoop, and OF
&c knew them. He had been their en-
ricnd as against Chivington, against IA
Hancock, and against Custer. They had nc
nitro confidence in his courage, his al
honesty and his friendly feeling. lie or
,ncw how 10 talk to them, and they be- gr
ievcd what he said. The result was a ia
realty satisfactory and advantageous to on
10Th sides. The same thing can be done Sl'
With the Sioux. If the government will uC
end Col. Wynkoop TO make a treaty wi
or IT, we arc satisfied he could and TO
would do 1t, and we would not hcaranv- sa
hing Of their asking $50 200, 900 for ou
heir rugged hills or proposing to scaly tn
be COMMUNICATIONS CITY Nail. m'