The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-09-28
fTT11z T. zE1GRs J.! AP1:.HE3TI.C. i: r
[TeIsgrGphsd 10th RockIsland Argus.I
Sig Indians Having Talk at washingto

H.
There were present President Hayes,
members of the cabinet, commissioner of
Indian affairs, Gen. Crook and others. The
Indians were in full costume. The p-esi-
dent said he was ready to hear the CHIEFS
If they wished to speak further.
Other Indians having spoken. Gen.
Crook advocated their claims The pres
ident was presented with the pipe of peace.
The president said; MY good friends
you haye desired to take counsel with me, |
and have permitted you to come; | am
glad to see you. | have attentively lis |
tened to what you have sand have also |
heard Mr.. VIM. Welsh and Gen. Crock, |
who spoke for you, as your friends, and |
who have my confidence. | have well |
considered all that was said. Now listen to |
my answer. have your welfare sincerely |
at heart; will be a good friend to you; !
the wishes you express [ shall be glad to
crafty, when it is in roy power, and for
your own good; there is an understanding
between you and the white people which |
want to have carried out by both;
that understanding is you should go to
your reservation and occupy it; that the
lands should be yours; | have removed
Poncas to the Indian territory to give you
more room: l lave promised to procure
for you food for your people to eat; the
great council Of my nation, the congress of
the United States, resolved aud your
chiefs and head men agreed that the sup
plies furnished to you should be delivered
to you near the Missouri river; this is
what L was toll and that is what the great
council of my nation believed and have full
filled that promise; your supplies have
been carried 20 the Missouri river, and
there they are now, according to our
promise; you say you do not like to go to
the Missouri river, but your supplies can
not be taken to any other place before
your people will need them and before the
cold days Of winter come; if you do not
go near the place where your supplies are
your people will be hungry and shall not
be able TO give them TODD; | desire to do
all for you | can, and. therefore, want
| you to he IN the place this winier, where
my helping hand can reach yous but | do
not mean you and your people shall stay
near the MlrSouri river always; you shall
| stay there only this winter; when spring
comes you shall select for your permanent
abode such land on your reservation as you
| like best; my agents will aid you in making
the selection; your country is
| large, and there is much land
where you can cultivate the soil aud RAISE
crops, aud where cattle can be ted; that
land is to be surveyed and allotted to each
family to be its homestead; there your
people can build ca bins and make homes
for their families to dwell in; when that
land is surveyed and allotted and your
families have taken possession of it l shall
ask the great council of my nation to give
i n - x.rt4 .E
till the soil that you may be able to pro
vi lie tor your own necessities; | desire you
to have schools for your children, 20 That
they may be educated to take care ot
themselves and grow up prosperous
: and industrI"us like the children of
NV ptop;e; | also wish your people to
have churches where they can Worship;
| shall speak gooQ words Tor you 10 the
! great council Of nay nation that it NAV
: grant your people these benefits; If you
: are wise you will heed my advice; game
is fast disappearing from your country and
, you sannot always llYe as hunters; neither
can we for all time provide for your wants
b and feed your people and their children
8 it you want to live in security you mus
s work and learn to produce for yourselves
that which you need; cattle, hoes
and ploughs will be more needful t
You than ponies and guns; to b(
educated so as to know how to work aut
i how TO make their own living by raisia!
cattle and tilling the soil will be better 70
your children than hunting buffalo an,
dancing war dances; when you look aroun,
-, you you will see that the white people ar
y a great multitude which you cant count
in every year their numbers Increase by ia
n more than the numbers of the red men i
Id this land; they cannot be kept away fror
IN the western country and year alter yea
n. more of them go there. Ii you live roan
he ing about without houses they will swee
he hee over you like a great flood of water; t
N sustain yourselves against that food 20
d, must have homes in which you All
:" your families can permanently liv
,f- land on which you con raise that which
"a, necessary to support you; then you "!
all have firm ground to stand upon, and ii
flood will not sweep you away; | am
: good friend to you aud your people, al
7 as good friend give you tins answt
and advice.
Now | will speak a word to the Arrap
hoes. You desire to 90 west with yol
people to join the Shoshones and live wi
them as friends; but if you go you mu
provide for your own support; Il
. great council of my nation has gixen Il
no money to aid you on your wa
if, without such aid, you will ma
the journey then | am willing you shou
ned Co. and the agent whom have sent to Il
AN Shoshones shall also be agent for you; y
ON have been good friends to the white peoE
and hope you will remain So you
sro- have the best wishes of my heart; let
live in peace and friendship together ano
Z. will protect you with all the power hav
. | heard yesterday morning that 80 lodg
of the people of Crazy Horse ana Lal
Deer have gone north; as long as tho
, to people are north we do not know O
lief friends from our enemies among the
me, me, it is of the greatest importar
and you should keep all of thC
am ano people at the agencies; I know that yo
kin, hearts are right; that will make y
ids. strong with me; it is impossible
- me to let those people go up into
Tongue river country until we know tt
are all our friends; it is necessary all of
- indians should go down in the direction
the Missouri to get their supplies SO as
be ready early in the spring to select
best lands Oh the White river, and otl
places on the reservation for cultivation
During the address the Indians smi
broadly when the president said, Ito
educated so as to know how to work 6
/ gain their own living" etc.
After pause Spotted Tail spoke, urg
'v that the lands now occupied by his pee
be secured to them. Swift Bear, /
Bear, Touch. the-Cloud, and White 7
applauded his words. Red Cloud {
''the foot of the hills is good place to
tock my apencv 7 did pot oo,na here tn