The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-06-04
The President and the Sioux
Chiefs.


The SioUN Chiefs made formal visit
to the President last week. They were
ri@@ed cut in fulI Indian costume, be-
Smearcd with paint and dccked with
feathers. The object Of their visit WAS
in regard 50 giving up the Black Hills
to the Government. y Iar@e number
of ladies and gentlemen were present.
Including the Governors OF Dakota, Wy
+ oning and Arizona. The Chiefs Al
ranged themselves in Il scmi-circle, and
the President ADDRESSED them as follows:
The President thcn, through William
Fi!der, an iEterurctcr, addressed the In
diams aS follows: II want to SAY TO the
Indians to-day something about The OBJ
iect bringing them here. and 4 few
words lor them to think about. hUtnoth-
ing for them 10 reply to 1t present.
have always been a friend to the IuGi;m>,
and am very anxious to ,l0 what think
best ior tl"ir GOOD. The county where
:hcy now live, aS they must be we'll
aware, Is entirely incapable of support
inw thpm should the government cease
to give them aid. BY TIE treaty Of IS,
clothing was GRANTED Them for thirty
Years. ana provisions for only five years.
The food and provisions, therefore,
which have been miycn to them for the
last two years, have been a @ratuity on
the part OF Congress. These may be
. taken from them at any time. without
any violation q the treaty. Ny inter-
est now is II make some arrangements
with them hy which they and tic!r chil-
Grcn Will be secure for ihc future. (Scy-
cral OF the Indians expressed their ap-
urOyal uf these sentiments lV cNclam-
mo, "Umh. ugh" The President rcsum-
iug: ..A~ said iii the be@iuu;H~, ii
must he evident to them il supplies Of
food should be withheld ~ the Govern
mant It would be impossible for the IN
diau,, to live where they are now. in-
other thing WoG.d cal their attention
to j. this: They iaU~t see that the white
people 0a.uumH"r IL" Indian, two bun
,!vecl to one. ;2l,ia~ all the indians with
in the territories owned by the United
States This number OF whites j. III
creaSin~ 50 very rapidly tnat before
MANY years j, VIII 5c Impossible T. tx
2nv point within the limit Of car tc"ri-
tn"E where yoU can prevent thcm going.
1t WIi! hectme necessary that tie whit"
lrDf,e shall - from one place 10 aaoth-
, cr. whether occupied by the !ndjaar or
rot. the same - they - from Gne state
10 another. For this reason it is very
desirable dat while there are friends
here tn look after their Interests they
should he situated where they would be
able to get their support beyond any
contingency. 4, not propose to ask
them without their consent to leave their
homes where ,hcy were born and rails
ed. bat l want to point ont the advanta-
@eS 10 them and their children. if they
VIII accept S''ch arrangements Is may
be proposed to them, OF the territory
south OF where they now live, where
/ the cir1tc Is very much better, where
wrass is much better and where game i
more abundant. such as buffalo, where
there Is good paSturage for animals and
where teachers can be sent among the
Indians to instruct :h-m in the arts Of
civilization and the means of self prcscr.
Walton and support This ycarWe have
had great difficulty in keeping the white
people from -0inm to the Black Hills in
search OF wold. But we have so far
prevented them from going. E|ary
year this same difficulty will be cncom-
tered unless the RIGHT Ot white people
to 90 to that country is granted by the
Indians, and may N the end lead t. hos
tilities between the whites and the In
dams without special fault on either side.
If such trouble should occur and be-
come general, it would certainly lead to
withholding. tor tie time bcin@,lt least,
the supplies which the Government has
been sending TO tiem. All this trouble
| want 10 avoid. want to see them
well provided for, in such u way that
arrangements will have to be respected
by my Successors and other adminis-
trations for the future | want the In
dianS to think of what ] have said |
don't want them to say anything to-day.
| want them to talk among themselves,
and be prepared to hear from the Secre-
tary of the Interior and the Commits
sioner of Indian Affairs, who are author
lied to speak tor me and vii be gov
crned by my advice. This is all / want
to say 10 Them
Tie Indians then withdrew, evidently
disappointed in not having had an OPP
portuni1y to reply to the President.