The New York herald., 1875-10-02
THE BLACK HILLS NEGOTIATIONS.

GENERAL cUsTER's oPINIoN-wHAT THE
CAVALRY cHIEFTAIN SAYS OF INDIAN Az
FAIRs-wHY THE BLACK HILLS NEGoTIA-
TIoNs FELL THROUGH.
Major General George A. Custer arrived in this city
on Thursday last fresh from Bismarck Dakota and IS
stopping at the Hotel Brunswick Very naturally he
has hs opinonn Of the recent negotiations with the
Northern Indians and very politely expressed II yestcr
day TO HERALD correspondent with whom he entered
into conversation
CoRREsposDEST-what do you think General, Of this
mornings news about the Black Hills negotiationsY
General CUsTER-lt has terminated somehow In the
same manner as anticipated. / believe the Commits
sioners meant well, but they we're not sufficiently ac
quanted with the Indian character TO bring their nego
tlations a successful issue
CoRREsPoNDESr-whered do you think they were in
errorS
much Of their way Indians like children that
get spoiled they are petted, and had the Commission
ers been firm and backed up by strength they would
have executed their mission with considerable honor TO
| themselves.
CoRREsroSpENr-Do you apprehend any troublesome
| times 10 follow this disagreement on terms?
| General CusTER-Not at present. because they have
not tme but next spring, fancy, there will be plenty
| Of work.
CoRREsPoNDENr-Ho will this decision affect the
! mining in the Black HillsY
General CUsTER-Properly carried out will prevent
| all gold digging or squattng in the Black Hills but
ousting white men-pioneer rontiersmen who risk
ing their lives in search Of fortuneis job that United
/
| Sioux
CoRREsPoSDENT-How do you account for the
monstrous demands that have been made, by the In
| dians1
| General cUsTER--It is the result of holding the
council right in the heart of the Indian country where
| the chiefs had the squaw Qhe whites mar
red to squaws) to advise them Each of those
men was anxious to make the payment large
possible in order that he might reap the benefit
through his squaws They should have held the council
at spot remote from the Indian agencies and or
tn than1g lives
and, when they had arrived at decision, send dele
gates 70 represent them at the council The chiefs
would then have been away from the squaw and
| in position to listen to reason.
CoRREsPoNDENr-What do you think of the country ?
General CUsrER-I think it a fine country, and | am
anxious to see il opened to the whites, satisfied
it will afford livelihood for thousands Again, know
| number Of men who have been waiting for the sign
ing of the treaty to go into the Hills and now that they
ind the negotiations fallen through they will go all the
same and probably get into trouble.
| CoRREsPoNDEST-What do you think of the changes
that are going on in Indian affairs
General CUsrBR-rhey are all in the right direction,
but there isastill much TO be done The best the
Indian Department could make at present would be 10
remove the restriction from trading the agencies
ana, by breaking up the monopoly give the Indian a
chance of buying goods at reasonable prices Under
the present system the Indian trader has the business
all to himself and fixes his prices, whereas If trad
ing was free competition would reduce prices to mar
| ket value.
CoRREsPoSDENr-Wha do you think of the HERALD
letters from Berhold and the other northern agencies
| General CusTER-They were just what is wanted, and
the correspondent who wrote them deserves credit
he took his life in his hands, venturing TO expose the
frauds of the Indian Ring when right in their midst.
He must have worked hard as he ferreted out frauds
that had never been known by many people who re-
! sided in the vicinity.
CORRESPONDENT see, General that the Indians are
anxious for permission TO hunt this fall on the Repub
lican.
General CUsrER-Ycs; they always harping on
game when they in their country and object 10
selling land because IL is their hunting country but
when they come TO Washington they beg for food,
they acknowledge that there not sufficient game to
feed them. Tho TACT Of the matter is, they too
much pampered and require little different treatment.
An equitable and just arrangement should be made,
and after certain show fstrengh in order Convince
them that business is meant there will be difficulty
| in bringing them to fair and reasonable terms
CoRREsPoSDEST-Do you think the opening OF the
Black Hills will be OF toward the solution OF
the Indian question.
General CUsTER-Yes do, II will gradually force
the wild Indians TO the reservations and accustom
| them TO government rations AS long the Black
Hills Powder River and Big Horn section is closed to
the whites the Indians will have country where they
get up their raiding parties and make mischief
! After they have been reservation a short time
they will get accustomed to agricultural pursuits and
! SETTLE down
CoRREsroNDESr-Do you think that Indians take
| naturally TO tilllng the soilY
General CusrER-Certainly not but they can be qui-
etly educated 10 it, 1t would be well 70 them
first TO raising stock, which they would think de-
rogatory to their manhood. They would become quite
interested in that pursuit they discovered
that they could trade a couple of or five or six
sheep for pony The latter is their market base and
they would take PRIDE in rearing any animals of a
nearly similar value.
CoRREsPoSDEST-Do you anticipate any trouble this
| fall from the SiQuxl
General CUsrER-Hardly this fall as think they will
wait until the grass is plenty next spring They will
probably RAISE trouble then and make travelling
little dangerous around the Black Hills country.
General Custer then rose rs he had an appointment
TO keep, and the HERALD reporter after listening to
short disqusition from the gallant cavalry chieain
the merits of the runners at jerome Park rendered
his thanks and retired.