The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-12-07
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RETURN OF col. GEO, W. MANY
PENNY, CHAIRMAN OF THE
SIOUX INDIAN COMMISSION.

Colonel Manypenny returned home
last week, He left home in the latter
part Of August. enrt
In an interview with the Colonel, he
stated that the Commission to treat with
the Sioux convened at Omaha, Nebras'
ka, on the 28th of August, All the orig
inal members were present on the even
ing of that day, but one Of then, Gen,
Sibley, of Minnesota, who, by resson of
ill.health, declined to make the journey,
and his place was supplied by Dr.. Dan
iels, of Minnesota. The Commission con-
sisted of Col. George w. Manypenny,
chairman Rt. Rev. W. B. Whipple, Bish-
op of Minnesota; Governor Edmunds, of
Dakota; Governor Bules, of Iowa; Col.
A. G. Boone, of Colorado, Ia grandson of
Daniel Boone); DR.. ]. W. Daniels, Of Min
nesota, and Solicitor Gaylord, of the In
terror Department.
! OA the Goth of August the Commission
left Omaha, passing west on the Union
Pacific Railroad to Cheyenne, Wyoming;
thence across to Fort Laramie thence to
Red Cloud and Spotted Tail Agencies,
the former being about one hundred and
fifty, and the latter about one hundred
and ninety miles from Cheyenne. From
Fort Laramie to Red Cloud the Comm!s-
sion were accompanied by an escort of
cavalry, occupying three days in making
the journey of sixty miles. Thereafter
no cavalry escort was required. AT Red
Cloud and Spotted Tail Agencies the
Commission were occupied nineteen
days, these agencies being about forty
miles apart, and there beinga each near
ly five thousand Indians, the former be-
ing 0glalla, and the latter Brule Sioux.
After concluding a treaty with these ma"
tions for the surrender of the Black
Hills, and all their claim or right to any
country outside of the reservation set
apart for the Sioux nation by the treaty
of 1868, called the Sherman treaty, the
Commission returned to the Union Pa
cific road, and thence back to Omaha,
and from thence assembled the Missouri
river to Standing Rock, some eight hun
dred and fifty miles by water. From
thence the Commission descended the
river to Yankton, Dakota, having met
the various bands of Indians, parties to
the treaty of 1868, who reside adjacent to
the river, at Standing Rock, Cheyenne
river, Crow creek, Lower Brule and San
tee Agencies, with all whom councils
ware held, and the Indians became par
ties to the treaty made with the Indians
at Red Cloud and Spotted Tail Agencies,
except that the river Indians declined to
send delegations to the Indian territory,
south of Kansas and west of Arkansas,
to spy out new home there. The In
dians at Red Cloud and Spotted Tail
Agencies agreed to send delegations to
the Indian territory to look at the count
ry, and if satisfactory, on examination,
to 60 there to live, These delegations
are now in the territory. @
Col. Manypenny is Of the opinion that
they will not find any country there that
is available for new home that will be |
satisfactory to them. The attachment of
the Sioux to their present country is, the
Colonel says, simply marvellous. lie
thinks they can never be made selfsup-
porting in it. Indeed he says he does
not see how a white population, though |
ever so industrious and frugal, could sup
port themselves on the present Sioux |
reservation by the cultivation of the soil.
From the time the Commission left |
Omaha, on the 10Th of August, until it
returned to Yankton, Dakota, where it |
adjourned to meet at Washington to
make up its report, it travelled about 8.
300 miles by rail, stage-Coach, ambulance
and other modes of land travel, and by
steamboat, and held seventeen Indian
councils. s... .Ia.
On inquiring of the Colonel as to how
the Indians were affected, and how they
received the Commission, he stated that
the Commission were very much i'm
pressed with the conduct of the Indians.
There were nearly 10000 Of them dwell
ling at the agencies visited, and the con-
duct of all Of them was commendable.-
A number of the Indians belonging to
all the agencies but two had become in
volved in the war, and this gave the
friendly Indians great trouble.
In some instances their appeals for
peace and the protection of their absent
kindred were of the most touching char
acter. They all listened to the message
of the Commission with earnest atten-
ton, and expressed the utmost conf
denCe in its statements and regarded it
as in some way a mediator. The Colo
mel said he thought the Sioux Indians
he met superior in intellect and physical
power to any red men he had ever seen
or known, and expressed the opinion
that if fairly dealt with, there was no oc-
casion for trouble with them. Indeed,
he said that in his intercourse with them,
he found many noble specimens-men
for whom he had formed strong attach
ment; and when he contemplated their
present condition, and the many wrongs
done them, he was oppressed with emo
tions OF sadness and sorrow. Hethought
them an injured people, and the victims
of prejudice. On the floor of Congress
last session they were shamefully mis-
represented, and the press of the count.
try was, with but few exceptions, unjust
toward them. A class of men on the
frontier, and contiguous TO the Sioux res
ervAtion, as well as the tresspassers who
had unlaWfully gone into the Black
Hills, supply perpetual stream of mis-
against the Sioux, while
the military arm of the Government is
engaged in war with them; and wherever
a column of troops strikes band Of Indi-
ans, war, even to the death, is waged
against them, whether they be innocent
or guilty. Here the Colonel was asked
to give his opinion Of the war with Sit
ting Bull, He said he would prefer moi
to do SO at present, although he had very
decided opinions about it in its inception
and progress, and these he should at no
distant day give to the public. He would
say, however, that the promises made
by Gen. Sheridan to the Military Com
mittee of the House of Congress last
winter that If the Indiana were ttlrned |