The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-10-05
The Indian Council.--SpOtted Tails
-LELG-E Speech. "

first council with the Sioux at Spotted
Tail Agency, with a full commission,
was had this afternoon. Colonel Boone,
as. Chairman, said: My friends, seven
days since we sent down the same propo-
sition to you that we submitted to the
people at Red Cloud. We have come
now to hear your answer and decision.
t8IosPerTED TAILS SPEECH.
Spotted Tail said: We have come
here to meet you, my friends. We
have considered the words you have
brought US from the Great Father, and
have made up my mind. This is the
fifth time words have come to US from
the Great Father. At the time the
treaty was. made on Horse Creek, there
was a proposition made TO borrow tae
overland road of the Indians; and
though / was a boy then, they told me
promises were made to last 80 years.
The promises have not been kept The
next conference we had was held with
General Many Deer, when there was no
promises, but we made friends and
shook hands. Then there was the
treaty made by General Sherman, Gen
Eerl Sanborn and General Harney,
when I'VE were told we should
have annuities and goods for 80 years.
They said this, but did not tell the truth.
At that time General Sherman told me
the country was mine, and should Sc
leet any. place 1 wished for my reserva-
ton. / said l would take the country
from the head of the White River to the
Missouri. He said they would give US
COWS TO raise cattle, mares to raise
horses, and oxen and wagons to haul
logs with and to haul goods, and earn
money that way. He said also there
should be issues of such things as are
needed to learn the arts with, and, be-
sides that, money to every one. He told
us each of us should have $15 for an
nuity, but told them that was bad
amount; that we didn't understand
money, and that it should be $40 to each,
and he assented to that. He told me
these things should be carried out, and
for me to go to the mouth of the White
stone and locate my people, and these
things should be fulfilled to me; but it
was nottrue. When the promises failed
to be carried out, went myself to see
the Great Father, and went into his
house and told these things. The Great
Eather toldme to- go home, select any
place in my country, and choose for my
home, and go there and live with my
people. l came home, selected this
place, and moved here. They told me,
if would move here, / should receive
the fulillment of the promises made
me, but all got was some very small
COWS and. some old wagons that were
worn out. Aga last summer l came
TO talk about the country, and we said
we would consider the matter. We said
we would leave it to the Great Father
for him to settle. In reply to that he
has sent you this summer. You have
come to visit our lands and we now ask
you how many years there are for us to
live? My friends, you who sit before
me are traders, are merchants. You
have not come here to take any thing
out of the way without payment for it.
When man has position that he
values and another party comes to buy
it, he brings with him such good things
as he wishes to purchase it with. My
friends, your people have both intellect
and heart. You use these to consider
in what way you do the best to live. My
people who are here before you are pre-
cisely the same. | see that my friends
before me are men of age and dignity,
and men of that kind have good judg-
ment and consider well what they do. |
infer from that you are here to consider
well what shall be good for my people
for a long time to come. think each
of you has selected somewhere a good
piece of land for him
self with the intention to live
on it that he may there raise his chill
dren. My people are not different.
They also live upon the earth
and upon the things that come to them
from above. We have the same
thoughts and desires in that respect
that white people have. This is the
country where they have acquired all
their property, their children and their
horses. You have come here to buy
this country of US, and it would be well
if you would come with the goods you
propose to give up and put them out of
your hand, SO that we can see the good
price you propose to pay for it. Then
our hearts would be glad. lly people
have grown up together with these men
who married into our tribe. A great
many of us have learned their language
land our children are with them in our
school. My friends, when you 90 back
to the Great Father wish you would
tell him to send US goods, to send us
4 yofes Of oxen and give us wagons so
we can earn money by hauling goods
from the railroad. This seems to me
to be a very hard day. Half of our
country is at war, and we have come
upon very difficult times. And this war
did not spring up here in our land. 1t
was brought upon US by the children Of
the Great Father who came and took
our land from US without price, and who
do u great many evil things. The Great
Father and his children are to blame
for this trouble. We have here store
house to hold our provisions, but the
Great Father sends US very little pro-
Visions to put in our store house, and
when our people become displeased
with our provisions and have gone
north to. hunt, the children of the Great
Father are fighting them. 1t has been
our wish to live here peaceably, but the
Great Father has filed it with soldiers,
who think of our death. Some of our
people who have gone from here in or
der that they may have change, and
others who have gone north to hunt,
have been attacked bv the soldiers from
4 this dire ectioR, and when they have got
north . they have been attacked
by. soldiers from, other directions
and now, when they are willing
to come back, the soldiers keep
then from coming home. 1t
seems to me there is better way than
this when people come to trouble. 1t is
Better for both parties to come together
without arms, talk over, and find some
peaceful way to settle. You have men,
TONED to me two countries. The Mis-
souri, River country l know. When we
were there we had a great deal OF
trouble. left hundred more people
buried there. The other country have
never seen, but agree to go and look
at it with so of my young men. When
this trouble commenced, the Great