The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-23
Two side. or the Question.

The dispatches from Cheyenne, published
in our issue of Friday last, describe the adj
ventures and fights Of party of forty
miners, who attempted unsuccessfully to
reach Custer City, and returned after kill
ing, among other Indians, the chief Little
Big Man, who is characterized as desperate
murderer. The treaty of 1868 with the
Sioux nation, negotiated with them by Gen.
eral Sherman, General Terry and others,
ratified by the Senate and signed by Presi-
dent johnson. pledged the faith of the
United States that no white man should in
trude upon the reservation thus secured to
them without consent previously obtained.
On the Goth of September last COM
mission, appointed under direction of
the President by the Department of the
Interior, which was presided over by Senator
Allison, of Iowa, and which had for its
object the purchase from the Indians Of the
right to mine and settle in the Black Hills,
convened grand council of chiefs at Red
Cloud Agency. The entire Sioux nation
was represented, and Senator Allison told
the chiefs, eve do not wish to take from
you any right or property You may have
without making you fair return for it. :"
The Sioux nation declined to part with any
of the property or rights solemnly secured
to them under the treaty, and after the
breaking up of the council the unfortunate
Little-Big- Man, in impassioned language,
requested the commission to communicate
to his Great Father that his people were dis
inclined to part with the Black Hills or to
allow any of the whites to enter upon their
territory.
The fact is that from the time the treaty
was signed its provisions have been COM
pletely ignored. The territory SO vested in
the Sioux nation was invaded by OF least
three or four thousand trespnssers who
founded Custer City in the heart of the res
ervation, and still remain there, the Post
Office Department having lent its aid by
establishing an Office there! The War De-
partment has not been idle either, and,
although Indian affairs are supposed to be
under the control of the Department of the
Interior, we have at present three military
expeditions, each menacing the Sioux ma
blOu lIOl4 u 0AACAcAV pOlAu, uAu Gil
couraging inroads of whites, contrary
to the solemn pledges of the Com
missioners 1t is rather difficult to
understand under what pretence the mill
tary force is sent to encourage and protect
trespassers. 1t must be on the same princi-
pie that Little-Big- Man, who was killed in
defending his own property and rights, is
described as desperate murderer, and the
Indians who are moving about on their own
lands are called ''prowling bands" and are
hunted about by Captain Eagan.
In Central America there exists an uncon-
uuered tribe called the Guatusos, who will
hold no relations with the whites and recog-
nize no government but their own. Some
Englishmen applied to the Nicaraguan
government for permission to visit their
country, which was readily granted, with
the proviso, however, that should they hap
pen to kill one Guatuso they would be tried
for manslaughter on their return. There is
Q moral, if not lesson, in this little story.