The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-17
WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH 10.
SEPH7

| tNtW bitdb bpSSpu HAS bthH GNUUuEGu
| question has arisen, and very serious ont
1t is, what shall we do with him2 It has, o
course, been referred to the Cabinet, and tn,
| Cabinet has discussed the question, Of course
upon the assumption that the surrender has
been unconditional and that Joseph submitted
himself to the merciful disposition of his
captors We honestly hope that this Is moi
| SO, and that Joseph has chosen rather tt
| leave his case with the soldiers who have
| fought him than submit 1t to the coldblooded
and inhuman decision Of political agents
| chosen to demand conditions In the face oI
death.
However this may be, Joseph and his Eez
Perces deserve the treatment OF foes and not
Of felons. He has surrendered only after one
Of the most gallant and stubborn fights on
record. Gen. Miles intercepted Joseph at
Bear Paw mountain, very near the Canada
line, beyond which he would have been safe.
The force he had with him consisted of six
companies of the Sixth and Seventh Cavalry
and eight Of the Fifth Infantry.
But, while these companies were the only
troops Immediately engaged in the fight
which resulted In the surrender, we must not
forget that Joseph had passed the gauntlet Of
Howard, Gibbon and Sturgiss, whom he had
successfully engaged during his long running
fight of 120 days. Joseph had fought with a
valor and strategy not inferior to that which
made Cyrus immortal through Oregon,
Washington Territory, Idaho and to the very
border line of Montana. This long running
fight began about the 18th of June, and ended
but the other day, the 18th Of October, max
ing campaign of 100 days in all. The first
fight was Norwoods, then followed Whipples
and Perry's, on the Cottonwood, and ten days
after Towards on the Clearwater. Then fol-
lowed the long chase across Idaho, which was
prolonged by blunder that resulted in the
bloody engagement with Gibbon at the Big
Hole After this engagement Joseph pushed
steadily north, and was struck by Sturgiss on
September 49, near Yellowstone Mountain.
He evaded Sturgiss, however, and pushed
straight for Canada. II was there that Miles,
who was watching his retreat, intercepted
him by rapid movement to Eagle creek, and
brought on the fight which resulted In the
of the Indian chief
With this surrender ended the Nez Perces
war, one of the most determined and gallant,
rs well as adroit, that the chronicles of our
Indian warfare tell Of. It is useless to discuss
the merits Of Indian treaties when we witness
the spectacles of heroism these Indians have
shown. Men don't fight that way, nor have
they ever 50 fought, except upon the one
single provocation of great and grievous
W rongs. II history fails to record the story
Of his war, 1t will be easy enough for us, his
to discover the reason of the
partiality; but, none the less, history will
lose one Of the grandest epics that human
heroism has ever enacted, and not less grand
than that of Leonidas at ThermopylR. Here
was peace-loving chief, reputed man per-
sonally, Of gentle ways and even Of culture,
W no only resorted to arms after the greatest
W rongs and outrages, and after he had been
. eremptorily ordered to leave his home and
10 Ike his tribe upon reservation that was
like another land to them. It was only under
the gravest provocation that he fought at all,
but when forced to the last alternative he
and his chiefs, White Bird and Looking Glass,
The latter now dead, made fight that might
well be the wonder of the world, and which we
can better appreciate by contrasting. rather |
Than comparing 1t with the very best and
bravest examples that have been furnished |
rs In the East, whether under the banners of |
Russia or by the followers Of the Crescent
The apostles as well as the brightest exam |
. lars Of chivalry the world has ever known. |
At last, the men who made this splendid |
exhibition of courage and endurance are cap |
ives and IL is being discussed, What shall be |
lone with them2
It has been said that much depends on the |
conditions of surrender We deny that this /
nas ought to do with 1t. It has been surmis- |
Nd that the chiefs would be sent to Tort,lgas |
,r, as were the Modocs. hung. Against this |
we earnestly protest The men are not felons.
Ii the Government returns to them a less |
noble and generous answer than Alexander
made to Porus, the great Indian king, let it |
lot be recorded in history "How shall | |
reat your" asked the conquerer. Like q
King" replied his royal captive; and now IL |
s recorded in history that Alexander is the
ole conqueror of the world who made nations
aptives and yet made them love their con-
Iueror better than their king.
Shall we place on record a less conspicuous
Example of generosity? Joseph and his tribe
AVE inflicted severe losses on our troops
nut, by their humanity they have set an ex-
mple in Indian warfare that is worthy Of all
consideration, and they fought, too, for their
omes, and under the sense of grievous
7rongs. We are glad that this fight is over,
ut we cannot see Joseph and his tribe dealt
nth more harshly than as prisoners of war
nd brave and honorable foes