New-York tribune., 1876-12-23
Congress and the President had given full authority to
devise plan TO their people from death and lead
them to civilization. The plan submitted was:

CuITlVaT0n,
to those persons who labor, Sick infrm and aged ex-
cepted.
schools as provided by the Treaty Of 1865 no ratons
shall be Issued to children between the ages OK and IA
years the sick and nrn excepted unless said children
shall regularly attend school.
Fourth: That whenever any Of the Indians shall in
good faith begin to cultivate the soil he shall have
title to his land and receive aid to build house
FUh: That they shall be subject TO the laws OF the
band to maintain order as the President may deem
necessary.
Sirth; That all agents, traders farmers carpenters,
blacksmths, and other employees OF the Government
within their reservation shall be lawfully married and
living with their families on the reservation 80,
whose fitness morally otherwise ls not in the opinion
welfare of the Indians, shall receive any benefit from
this agreement former treaties, and may be expelled
from the reservation.
These provisions were carefully explained and inter-
preted and thoroughly understood by all Of the In
dians A copy of tho agreement gwen to them to
take 10 their council The Indians were in council
at their camp Shadron Creek un the 14th, when we
requested Chief Little Wound came TO the
agency and said: You wise men, and you have had
time; our council may not seem Of much Importance TO
you but to IL very serious matter to give up
country You must have patience and bear with u.s.
We held councils with the Indians the 10th and 2Oth
days Of September and after mutual explanations the
agreement was duly signed.
On the 21st OF September, we proceeded to Spotted
Tails Agency to receive answer TO the same PROPOSE
tons which had been submitted by two OF our number
on the l4th After two days council with the chiefs and
head men of the BTue Sioux, who represented 45O7
Indians then at that agency, the agreement was duly
signed. On the I'd Of October, the commissioners, by
authority Of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs detailed
Col A, g. Boone and DR.. ]. w. Daniels as committee TO
take delegation of the Red Cloud and Spotted Tail In
dians to the Indian Territory.
We obtained the signatures OF the Indians at Standing
Rock on Oct H. at Cheyenne River agency the 10th,
Nrapk nm Lower
agency on the 24th and at Santee agency on the 27h
Those who signed represented $4,000 Indians At all OF
these agencies the provisions Of the agreement were
made perfectly plain to the Indians, having been fully
explained TO them The Indians the Missouri River,
with the exception OF the Santees objected to visiting
Indian Territory and supplementary clause was made
exempting them from that part Of the agreement.
The commissioners were painfully impressed with the
lack of confidence in the pledges Of the Government
which was exhibited by the Indians. Speeches made by
some OF them portrayed the wrongs which they had
suffered at the hands Of the whites arralgned the Gov
ernment for GROSS acts Of injustice and fraud, ana
described the treaties made only to be broken, etc. in
coors so vivid and language terse that admiration and
surprise would have enforced silence the part OF the
commissioners had not shame and humiliation already
performed that Office. That which made this arraign
ent telling that II frequently came from the
lips Of those who were friends and who have hoped
against hope that tie day might when their wrongs
would be redressed. Said chief 70 q member OF our
commission: "f you white men had country which
was very valuable, which had always belonged TO your
people and which the Great Father had promised
should be yours forever, and men OF another
race came TO take 1t away by force, what
would your people dot Would they hghtF
Another chief sad am glad 10 see you; you ore our
friends but hear that you have come TO move us; tell
your people that since the Great Father promised hat
we should never be removed have been moved five
fnlIV hn1l lpf
ter put the Indians wheels that you may run them
about wherever you wish" Again and again the Indians
spoke with sorrow Of the present and urged us to
grub 1t out" Said they: "Tel the white people that
this is not an Indian war; II is white mans war; IL
seemed strangefOr Christian men TO hear from the lips
OF savage: a great many widows and orphans have
been made on both des 1t time to ask, who shall take
care OF them "Ths matter not begun with judg-
ment" and then with deep earnestness added, at is
dspeasing to the Spirit 1t made your commits
sioners remember the words OF Jefferson 81 rembe for
nv country when remember that God is just"
From information received, the commission believe
that II the Indians are to be made sefsupportng as
speedily as possible they ought to remove 10 the In
dian Territory at as early day as is practicable They
re unanimous I'm the opinion that these Indians for
the present find homes the Missouri River, but "a
not believe they will become sefsustaning peo-
c there They do not think that it would be advisa-
BILE at this time 10 remove large portion OF the sioux
70 the Indian Territory but In view OF the fact that
Is the only valuable country upon which the Indians
can be located, that this country has been set
ansrt by the most solemn guarantees as
the future home OF the Indians, that to open
any part Of this territory to white settlers would be
violation Of the nations pghted fah and that here the
Indians can become selt-s orting people, they
recommend that the Upper Yankonias at standing ROCK
be ioined to the Lower Yanktonias at Crow Creek
Agency that the Ponas who speak the same language
snail he removed 10 the Usage Reservation IN the indian
Territory and If the Upper BrlIes at Spotted TAN
Agency elect 10 remove the Missouri RIVER they DC
located on the Ponka Reservation ncase they shcud
90 10 the Indian Territory, their reservation sha DC
given 10 the Indians now at Cheyenne Agency
and in case the Red Cloud Indians desde TO 90 to the
Missouri River they shall be located at the Standing
Rock AGENCY; in that the Cheyenne River Agency
Indians could be located the Great Bend. The iab
ty to drouth the plague OF ocuss and the character OF
the soil make this country better fitted Tor pastoral
than an agricultural people. II the Indians remain mere
permanenty 1t must be long before they can be-
come sefsupportng We convinced that the snres
way TO aid them in civilization will be TO furnish them
under proper restrictions with CATTLE and instruct them
In stOck-raising
The commissioners graphically describe the pitt
able condition of the Sioux Indians and enter into
detailed account Of the wrongs which they have SUI
fred and the treaties made from time to time. They
narcularly refer to the treaty made at Fort Lara
mie in 1851 by which, in return for certain conces-
sions. the Government agreed to pay them the sum
of $40 600 for so years. and the Senate amended the
treaty by limiting the appropriation to 10 years
This amendment was never submitted to the In
dians; they believed the original treaty was In
force 1t is now more than years since the appro-
priations ceased 1t is believed that this was the
cause of the Powder River war;
Regarding the remedy for the evils that exist In
the management Of Indian affairs, the commission
ers submit that they not to be found by again
InIi in the War DepaTt-