Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-09-29
The Indian Ambassadors

was resumed Yesterday morning at the Execu'
tive Mansion, 10 the east room. The lodiao
were in full savage costume, as heretofore. The
President, addressing them through go inter.
| prefer. said he vas no8 ready to hear The chiefs
il thew wished to speak further. After pause
Spotted Tail took. seat GEAR the President,
aud spoke az follows:
"My Great Father, | have come to your
house 10 day With happy heart see you
and shake hands with you With good heart.
I wish to talk to you about business 1t is
good ways where come from. The country
live 10 belongs to me, and belongs to The Gov
erDment. | have come to hud out where Is the
best place to remain. Where live there Is a
been drawn from where | am from the Black
Hills towards the Big Horn. don't under.
stand the line. All know is they are tryi0s
Vsy came to sign the paper that did (mean.
ing the agreement Of last fal) They told me
at the time that my Great Father sent the men
there for the purpose oil treating for The couo.
try. Ii so, am wiling to treat. They tod
me good many points not KEEP: up in the old
treaty should be given to Us in the new, aud
said if signed all wanted would be gwen &C
cordirg 10 their promise. They told he ,hcu
if did nor sign they would send me South, or
6cFcse tho Missouri river. Although s!Gnc.
githou! .Gei1 ieng lie r4acty what they
wanted, [ wanted to tel! them how Was to
live after | signed the paper; how many cattle
and AGRICULTURAL implements was to have, and
other things That the way they treated me.
know one thing It is this: When white
man owns land he builds fence around IL &l.i,
it is his, 80 loog as he doeau'; .ci it, That -
tho Way whito men live. But yQlr people don
ask questions. You take oar la0is from u.
Before the white men came to Us we had
good time 10 taking care of our property, but
now, as | told you, we csu't do 1t. Acuc people
make roads aud drive ava; the game and lhus
make us poos AMI c.ar0e. The land vas given
to us by the Great Spirit who said We could
live there, but the white people arc trying to
push Us out Of the'country aod where We can
do nothiog. You live here. The Great Spirit
gave you the Iaod. You stay here with all
YOUR people That's the way all DsuoGs ought
10 live. When they nave pieee CT land they
ought to hold on to it as their own. lily Great
Father, | cau't read or write, but should like TO
bring NV children up like the white people.
J "The couulry | live in is niue | love it.
This is the reason why talk as do. When
I saw the Commissioners | did not speak to
them as speak to you to daI. | never told
them that wanted ny provisions transported
to the Missouri river. and never asked them
to send my provisions and agency across the
!, Arkansas. Where live is the cJuutry was
brought up in, and where still want TO live.
wish you would have the roads GO round lis, Dot
disturbing our homer, bat leave Us where We
are. My Great Father, came herc't lot you
know what my trouble Is. am done.
Spotted tail then shook hands with Tue
President.
Swift Bear, Brule lodau, than advanced
and merely said ,alIuding to Spotted Tail: This
man and ! were raised together; we are TO-
gether; with one heart aud che belief
Red Bear and Touch the Cloud. in behalf Of
the Minnecoos and Lanarks, said that what.
ever Spotted Tail does they will do
White Tail, Brule, said to the President
"L,ok at me we'll and remembef me. What
Spotted Tail said my people say"
Red Cloud took scat by the President, say
ing II have been here before, aud an here
again, to see my Great Father. Ny Great
Father told me to pick place for my agency.
Bef,re [ returned there the young men selected
the agency Ibid moi. bad nothing 10 do
with it. The second time the agency was moved
over the White river did not tell any one to
do so. There havo been two changes 10 four
years. Tn, agency ought always be 10 one
place and held strong. My people were foolish.
took the white people for rascals | do not
mean The white people here, but those iu my
country. As want to be civilized, ! want 10
select my own agency. This let you know TO.
day. did what the white people ask ed me to
do, and, with Spotted Tail. have kept our
people suet. We want to live among our own
people, was raised 10 my country and know
| ~ III SC n al ,,la
for my agency. / did not come here to beg
anything. The Black Hills were mine; gave
them to the Commissioners. | suppose you are
going to decide what you are going to give US
for tho Hills, and [ have come to get it. |
want lot OF cattle so we can raise cattle; and
I want two mills, Que to saw wood and one to
| grind cora. | want you to give me school houses
and teachers to learn my children to read and
write. The Catholic priest is good, and want
one of Thorn also. That is the agent there that
l want Indicating lhavc him now and want
him again.
The President 10 his reply explained how
the winter supplies were already on the Mis-
souri, river, as promised; that they cannot be
taken to any other place before the Indians will
need them; that il they did not 60 near the
Missouri, where the supplies are, their people
would be hungry and suffer during the winter:
1t was not intended that the Indians should
stay there. but when spring comes they may Sc
lect such lands on their reservations tor perm
anent settlement to build cabins, cultivate the
land and feed cattle. lie also said that he
would ask Congress to give them oxc0, COWS
and tools, so that they might provide for them.
selves. He also desired that they should have
schools, so that their children could be educat-
ed to take care Of themselves. He admonshcd
them that they calnot always live as hunters
Dor expect to be provided for by the Govern
ment forever. The game was rapidly dsap
peariog, and it was better for them to provide
for themselves by tilling The soil and raising
cattle. Cattle end hoes and plows will be bet
ter for you than porles and guns. TO the Ar
rapahoos be said if they desired logo West and
| join the Shoshoncs they must provide for their
| own support. II they did 20 the agent with
| the Shoshones would also be their agent He
complained that Lame Deer, with forty lodges
| Of Crazy Horse people, had gone North, AID
as long az they were north he could not tell
whether they we're friends or enemies.