The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-07-09

RESSIoNAL.
SENATE.

Washington, July s.-Mitchell pre-
sented a petition signed by miners,
merchants. traders and Others, citizens
of Alaska, setting forth their griev-
ances. He referred to the government
of Alaska during the past four or fiye
years and said it had been one of OPP
preston and was not in accordance
with the genius of American institu-
tions. He introduced bill early in
the session providing for civil gov
ernment i'll that Territory, but 1t has
not yet been reported to the Senate by
the committee on Territories to which
committee it was referred. he again
called the attention of that committee
TO the subject and hoped that some
action would soon be taken to provide
for civil government Tor that Ter
ritory. The petition was referred.
Window reported favorably on the
bill introduced by him yesterday, ex-
tending and continuing for ten days
more the act recently passed to provide
for the expenditures of the government
temporarily.
Logan moved 20 take up the House
bill to equalize the bounties of soldiers
who served in the late war for the
Union. Lost.
Kelly called up the House bill to
adjust the claims of owners of land
within the limits of the Klamath res
ervation in Oregon. Pending discus
sion the hour OF II o'clock arrived and
the Senate resumed consideration of
the articles of impeachment against
Belknap.
Banning asked leave to present a
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War to report the object of the military
expeditions under Generals Crook and
Terry, now operating against the
Northwestern Indians, with all COR
respondence bearing on the origin of
the expedition and all military orders
issued by the War Department, etc.
Young objected, as he desired to
offer resolution himself on the same
subject.
Boone called up the bill for the ap-
pointment of commissioners to treat
with the Sioux Indians for the cession
of the Black Hills
Conger having raised the question of
consideration, the House decided not
to consider the bill at this time.
The House then took up the bill
reported by the committee on Indian
affairs, declaring the country north of
the North Platte river and east of the
summit of the Big Horn mountains,
in Wyoming Territory, open to explor-
alton and settlement. Fort inquired
if the late disastrous battle with the
Indians had taken place in the country
affected by this bill.
steele, of Wyoming, stated that it
was not a fact that the military oper-
ations were carried on without refer
ence to the peace policy. In 1868 the
United States made treaty with the
Sioux nation which was grave mis-
take If 1t was not national dishonor
and disgrace, and that treaty had been
the foundation of all the difficulties
with the Sioux and the cause of the
death of Custer and his men in that
Big Horn country. In 1866 Gen. Pope
established posts at Forts Phil. Kear-
ney, Reno and Smith, SO as to open
the road to Montana and to protect the
country of the friendly Crows from
the hostile Sioux. In keeping these
posts and opening that road, many
men, citizens and soldiers had been
killed.
Notable among the actions that had
taken place was the massacre of Fet-
terman and his command at Phil.
Kearney, 96 men and officers, and yet,
after these men had sacrificed their
lives, Government went to work and
made treaty by which it ignomin-
iously abandoned that country to these
sioux, dismantling its own posts and
leaving there the bones of the men
who had laid down their lives in the
wilderness. Was it to be wondered at,
under these circumstances, that Sit
ting Bull and his men believed they
were superior TO the general Govern
ment? Anybody who knows any
thing about the Indian nature knows
that the legitimate result of that
cowardly policy of peace at any
price, was to defer only the evil day
which has now come upon us.
Since that time the Sioux have been
constantly depredating on the frontier
of Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana,
and more men have fallen there in the
peaceful avocatlons of civil life, with
out q murmur being heard, than fell
under the gallant Custer on the 25th
of June. The friendly Crows have
been raided upon with every full moon;
so have the Shoshones, and at last
these outrages have become SO great
and SO long continued that even the
peaceable Indian Department could
not stand them longer, and called upon
the military arm of the Government
to punish these men. 1t was in car
rying out this that Custer and his
soldiers have been sacrificed.
was up in that country last fall at
the time the commissioners were there
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