The New York herald., 1877-07-02

t,ons and have the money invested Tor tho
The earnings o said iund 10 be mostly for educa
tional purposes the balance to aid them in starting
farms aud % start stock growers
Tho Yakama reservation Sas about three thousand
Indians now living steadily upon II. Over thou
sand have eomior.sble homes, say Two hundred
houses Tribal relations should be broken up. Instead
oil saarcc chief, dcpose HIN aud use the money for
police force.
JOHN Il. noSrElrH's STATEMENT.
The two brothers Joseph have about sixty horses
oach. The band has about two thousand horses aud
armed with breechoading r,fes Henry, spencer and
United States caruines They could MOI raise over
SIXTY 10 sxty-nve fighting men. The better course is
10 put them on tho Reservation by iorce, before any
further trouble with the whites when another col
iison occurs then hght is inevitable.
Nothing can be done with the Other non-treaiy In
dians uni Joseph is disposed Of and nothing could
done with the Umatias outside, and Yakamas, toward
consolidating an agency until this nontreaty question
Is settled.
The non-treaiy Hush-hush-cu,o should be sent to
Father Wilbur, as they talk Yakama.
Two companies ot cavalry would ba q good lorce
bring Joseph aud band 10 the agency. Noth,ng but
force Will get these Indians to culiivating tue soil
The Indians the Salmon River and its tributaries
should come with Joseph's band TO tho Lapwai rescr-
walton.
The spokans should 90 with the Umatlas, us they
have ntermarried Ctsur d'Alencs pcaceablc In-
d'ans have farms on Hansmen's Crock ana give no
Catholic Church influence The government has
never aided them.
Know nothing about the Colvls Indians.
KuDn-an.a-k kim. the Old Yakama, rowing about
with about fifty 10 sixty followers; does particular
harm; Is now on the Palouse Ryer; lives on roots ami
Montc,th's list OF Dreamer leaders with Joscph's
band-Wap-,as. wa-hael, Au.tospooh, Noosucc- how
wilbur's list OF Dreamer leaders with the Umatias,
Warm Spring, Columbia River ana Yakama Indians
Smohola, Pas-cap-am, Qui-ps-ncah Sco-nih.
Annuiues have been issued 10 part OF tho above and
others, all OF whom are now making trouble, VIZ.
as.cap-am. Qui-pa.neah, sco-niah, Hight-ney
All the men above named should be notified 10
upon reservations at once, ana II they don't want TO
do should bc arrested and kept away from otner In
dIans
Information of the assembling OF the comm scion at
Lapwa, Idaho, ON or about November T. mad been
sonabiy forwarded to Agent Monteith at Lnpwai with
Instructions 10 lose NO time IN sending Tor the non
treaty NeZ Pcrce Indians and especially Tor Joseph
and his band, be there at that time. a large
Der oi treaty Indians had already arrived IRON Ka
received from Joseph. The commission busied itself
with an examination Of the agcucy-oi inc improved
and unimproved farming lands IN the valleys Of the
Lapw and Sweetwater rivers; questions OF cncroach
ment the reservation BY white settlers obigaons
Of the government under the treaties not yet dis
charged as also In long conference with the friendly
treaty lndians--unul November IL, when II was
nounccd that Joseph aud his band had camped the
reservation within eight miles oil the agency.
A call upon him BY tho chairman OF the commiss lon,
accompanied by Agent Nontcith and inter-
prefer James Reuben u Neg Perce, developed the
his band, by easy stages, and that his business even
now, did not demand haste. An appointment was
finally secured tor council 10 90 convened in the
church ut Lapwai, near the agency, on Monday, No
vember l3, 1876, at twelve NJ, nearly week after the
A lew moments before tho appointed hour the head
OF his well mounted column was seen from the agency
turning point IN the road With military precision
aud ordsr massed itself in front vi, but at consider
able distance from, the church. As he entered the
church with his band u was evident that Their ranks
prominent nontrcaty Indians, as also by some
malcontents among those who acknowledge them
selves bound by the treaties The CON-
MISSION occupied the platform OF tho church.
Joseph and his band, sixty seventy
in number including malconten after an exchange
OF sautations ny himself and few OF his head
with the commission, took seats upon our left, the
treaty Indians filling The right the house
Brief personal introduclions by General Howard fol
lowed, who also made TO Joseph plain and concise
statement OF tho peaceful errands and objects OF tho
THE TWO JosEPHs
From the first II was apparent that Joseph was in no
FULLY nauguratcd. He answered every salu,aton
compliment and expression OF gooa VIII IN kud and du
tcIlcciual fencny was exhibited by him that was quite
remarkable.
He Is in tho full vigor OF his manhood six feet TALL
straight, well formed and muscular; hs forehead Is
broad, his perceptlve faculties large, his head we'll
formed, his VOICE musical and sympaInetic and his
preston usually calm and seua,e, when animated,
marked and magnetic HIS younger brother, IN whose
abity he evidently conldes-puttlng him forward
much oi The time his advocate-id Two inches taller
than himself, equally well formed, quite anmate led,
anu perhaps more npassioned In speech, though pos
sbly Inferior In Judgment
When. in answer to suggestions and general in.
qury, no grievance was stated the piled
him with question: touching his occasional occupation
ol WaUwa valley and the rtatlons and dist turbances
consequent thereon with the white settlers. He
answered he had not come 10 talk about land, aud
aaded that these whto settlers had nrst informed bin
OF tue appointment OF this commission, expressing
their belief that Its assembling all these troubles
valley. In this and tho following IN.
terviews, which were long drawn out, one OF them
continuing INTO the night Joseph mantalEej his right
10 Wallowa Valley, including, understood, the
tract Of country set apart as reservation Tor and
his band, by Executive order dated Juno l6 1873,
and also extending TO and including Imnaha Valley,
where he ana ms band spend most o. their time As
Joseph did not move upon and occupy this reserva-
tion said order Vas revoked June 10 1915 THIS tract
territory equal 10 ,426 square miles,
larger present reservation Joseph as will DO
seen, does not base his claim oil right upon the Ex
ccutive order
WHO owns THE LAND?
The commission answered that part OF the valley
had already been survey and opened settlement
that IT. by some arrangement, the whiic settlers
valley could be induced to leave II. others would
that the state oil Oregon, whose territory tho
valley is located, is inviting the white race from the
iour corners Of Tho eartn IN and occupy It's
large territory should be lett 10 the exclusive tani
that but occasionally use OF small u baud and II
were. could hardly prevent the permanent sc temcnt
OF such immense tracts OF land he and his band
merely visit i0r a bref season annually Tor hunting
aud hsbinR; and that In the conflicts which may arise
in the future, as in the past, between him and the
whites, the President might not be able 10 justify
defend him
AS against his claim OF right TO the valley the com.
mission that under the law nations the title
Of our government to this whoo country draiacd
by the Columbia, by right OF discovery and occupation,
Notwithstanding this the government hai always
sought to extiuguIsh the iud,nns possessory title,
whatever that may oe that In respect 10 this Walowa
Valley the President claimed that he exungu gushcd The
Indian title 10 IL by the treaty OF 1863 when the
sanatures OF majority OF their chiefs and head men,
but IN spirit OF generosity lie WIS disposed rather
than press his rights 10 the issue, 10 treat Tor a
justment vi present differences; that owing to the
colduess OF The climate the waowa Valley is not
suitable location tor an lnd'an reservation and s
IA part se'ted by waite squaiscrs Tor gra1'ug pur.
pos II is embraced within the limits OF .hc of
oregon, and the Indians would therefore DO under
Jurisdiction OF the State and local laws.
As general proposition nd'ans do not receive, NJ
least from the local officials and state courts, the pro-
tccton contemplated by the laws ana accorded 70 the
whites. The State OF Oregon could not probably DO
induced 10 cede the jurisdiction OF the vaiey the
United States tor an indian reservation. Consequently,
we suggested Willingness TO set apart sutabe lana
for lsge and pasturn Tor himself anu his band upon
tue present reservaton 10 aid HIM he OF
houses IN FENCING thcis lana. IN procuring arnln
plements and other nelps to peaceful industries and
bauits oi lie consonant with the spirit c the
gelher with the privileges now enjoyed by the treaty