The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-11-02
SITTING BULL AND HIS POWER.
How He Maintains His Control Of the Sew
eral Sioux Tribes.

How He Maintains His Control OF the Sew
| ersl Sioux Tribes.
fort Walsh Cor New York Herald.]
Sitting Bull has never been either a
chief or warrior, and yet his influence
over his tribe is stronger than that which
he would exercise in either of these Ca
pacities. The head soldier is not Sitting
Bull, but Long Dog, one of the most no
torious Of the Sioux chiefs. Though he
is neither chief nor q warrior, Sitting
Bull is necromancer. He is "medi-
cine man" of such uncommon ability as
to have retained his power for ten con-
secutive years. In this respect his posi-
ton as the counsellor of his people is
greater than thatof any Cabinet Minister
in the civilized world. Yet his course
has been extremely simple. He merely
marked out q clear line of policy and
had the pluck to pursue it under all
circumstances. He said in 1867: "Let
rs have nothing to do with the Ameri-
cans; let us make no peace with them;
let us live and die like Indians" Ad-
herring to this policy, never swerving
from it, always succeeding with it, he
has naturally carried his people with
him. This is the secret of his power and
of the apparent infallibility of his adj
vice. His dictum is relied on in every
emergency, his dreams are reckoned by
the Sioux around him as more infallible
than Newton's tests or Herschells OBJ
servations. His omens of the war-path,
his prescience regarding the buffalo and
other game have never failed him. Con-
sequently he is to-day as secure in his
do mi he ,1a a,@I sc
those about him as the war chiefs are in
the confidence of their followers in bat
tie. Indeed, he directs the events of
war and peace with the skill of Senate
and the authority of a President united
II one man.
Two or three days prior to his depart
ure from his own camp Sitting Bull had
lost son. He was therefore in mourn
ing, which was signifed by red hand
kerchief, wound around his head, as he
sat in corner, mysterious as ever,
among the shadows. Throughout the
night-a bright moonlight one above
the roof and walls that encompassed
him and his chiefs-he made medicine"
and told his dreams. Near him was
squatted solitary squaw, who moaned
and groaned occasionally in response to
his adjurations. In the meantime SEN
tinels passed to and fro. The calls of
the night sounded, and the decision be-
tween peace and war, on the part of 1000
savages, Ishmaelites and outlaws in re-
spect to the people of the United States,
waited in the brain of their ablest man.
There he sat on dirty floor in his blan-
kets, IN ropt meditation, mute and mo
tionless.
At o'clock Sitting Bull entered, fol-
lowed by Spotted Eagle and the rest of
his train. Now for the first time was
visible tc white men since the beginning
of the late Indian wars the most noted
Indian of the period, and now was made
real Cooper's often-derided vision of an
Indian face. Neither ignorance nor
cruelty nor savages as barbarous as any
displayed in savage history has detracted
in the least from the expression of man.
hood and womanliness combined in Sit
ting Bulls physiognomy. Less rude
than Satantas, less sharp than Spotted
Tails, more intelligent than Red Clouds,
his features, like Goethe's, made music
to the senses. He wore quiet, ironical
smile. His black hair streamed down
along his beardless and swarthy cheeks
over clean-cut ears not burdened with
ornaments. His red mourning handker-
chief was replaced by wolf-skin cap.
His shirt was black calico specked with
white dots. His blanket wrapped neg
ligently around him revealed below its
edge pair of rich beaded moccasins,
the only fnery he wore. Silent, stately
and impassive, this aboriginal leader,
this scoundrelly medicine man," this
rascally foe and treacherous friend, this
model, in sooth, of Machiavelli's own
sort, squatted himself on buffalo robe
next the wall and took out his pipe and
smoked it, and expressed, with his inso-
lent manner, the following sentiment:
"This commission which has come to
interview me can go to the devil"