Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-09-27
THB SIOUX AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
Their POsc-sr0tr irffh The "Great
E1fhPrc

| the President, and the Secretary OF the De-
partment OF the Interior, took place at the
| Executive Mansion to day. The Indian del
egation, exclusive OF interpreters aud others
accompanying them, numbers twenty-three
| persons inc uding the celebrated chiefs Spot
| ted Tail and Red Cloud, and other subordi-
nate sachems, among them Young Man
| AFRAID of His Horses, Little Big Man, Two
| Bears, Man Who Touches the Clouds, Iron
| Cross, Crow With a GoCd-Noice, Friday,
and Spotted Tail, il. AS has been stated In
| The STAR, the delegation came 10 Wa shing
| ton at the earnest request OF Gen. Crook,
| who has had much experience with the Iu-
| dams, and who has successfully conducted
number of campaigns against hostile
bands. Notwithstanding tbs the general is
| firm friend OF the Indians, whose respect
| he has secured. and believes ii COOL policy
| to maintain friendl re atoms with the Sioux.
| the most powerful tribe of Indians on this
| continent, since they number from s., 600 to
| 10000 souls, and could, in case OF a war,
| muster from 1000 TO 10 coo warriors. Al
| though the chiefs of the Sioux nation last
| year signed under protest an agreement to re-
| move nom Their location in northwestern
| Nebraska 20 the Missouri river, they have
never gone, on account OF the aversion of
their people TO a Change. They claim that
| the location TO which this government de-
! sires them To remove l. unhealthy. Is thinly
| tlmbered, and that the water is bad. As
| beir forci bic removal would probably have
| involved disastrous war the reasons for
| permitting the chiefs 10 come TO Washing
ton are apparent.
| THE GRAND COUNCIL.
The large East Room had been prepared as
the Grand Council Chamber. Seats hal
| been placed In a semi-crcle for the Indians,
| and in the rear Were seat for such persons
| as were permitted 10 be present. In front OF
| the center of the semi circle a table had been
| placed for the use of The President, the Score
| tary of the Interior, aud other prom Ineat
| officials. At IL 80 a. m, the hour named for
| the conference, the chiefs rode up the Man
| sion in full feather in two large omnibusses,
aud were al once conducted to the East
| Room, which in the meantimehad been COM
fortably filed. Among those occupying rear
| seats were Mrs. Hayes, and her daughter
Fannie, and u number of other ladies'.
THE PRESIDENT
soon appeared accompanied by Secretary
| Schurz, Postmaster General Key, Seer etary
| Evarts; Gen. Crook, Assistant Secretary
Mccormick, Commissioner Smith, of the
Indian Bureau; Commissioner Bentley, of
the Pension Bureau; Bishop Whipple, of
Minnesota; William Welsh, Of Philadelphia
Assistant Attorney General Marble, and
| others. They all took their places standing
| In f.Ont of the Presidents table.
n few minutes afterwards Lieut.. Clark
| took bis place on the right of the President
and called up the chiefs o after another and
Introduced them to the Great Father. Little
Big Man was the first one called up, and
shook the President cordially by the hand.
Others followed until all had been introduced.
Ohe of them on being introduced seized the
| President by both hands calculating in toll
| erably good English, How dye do! How
| dye do! How dye dol" Which caused some
amusement.
| HOW THE CHIEFS WERE DRESSED.
AS is customary on such occasions, all OF
the chiefs were fancifully arrayed. Most OF
them had adorned their faces either with red
| or yellow paint. One had smeared his face
| with yellow paint, and on his cheek ZONES
had daubed a large circle OF red. Five of the
| Ogalallas (hed Clouds band) wore full
feather head dresses reaching nearly 10 tleir
| heels, the tips OF the feathers being orna-
| mented with white down or colOrcd horse
| hair. One OF the Osalallas, in edition to
| this head dress, wore on his head pair oi
| buffalo horns. Most of the other chiefs worc
ole or two eagles feathers fastened in the
| rear OF the head. Many OF them wore large
brass earrfgs, and some were adorned with
| breast plate of pOTcupine quilts. Some OF
| them carried palm leaves, while Others used
| the wings of eagles or turkeys as fans
Neither Spotted Tail nor Red Cloud wore
paint or feathers.
The interpreters were as stupid as usual.
| and spoke in such low tone of voice tuat
| the reporters were unable TO hear them.
While the other chiefs were speaking, Spot
ted Tail, with pleasant smile on his face,
| sat with his legs GRO ssed and his hands
clasped about has knee, Occasional ly turn
| Ing 10 say something 10 a chief on his right
| Some OF the Indians wore capes of SIX ,llful
| workmanship, trimmed with strands OF hu-
man hair resembling that of white women,
| being long and silken, and unlike the coarse
| hair OF the Indian women.
| WHAT THE RED MEN WANT.
Commissioner Smith introduced Mr.
Welsh, who thanked the President for re-
| ceivtng the Indians, and the Indians
through him, thanked the President. They
| rarely found the same Commissioner OF In
| dia1 Affairs, and they desired the President
should keep the same mmissioner as long
as possible, and thus greatly aid their cause.
They did not want 10 go TO the Missouri river
| unless the government should drive them.
| They could not become civilized or keep inn
| morality nom their midst in that region and
they asked such aid as the government could
give them. The Ogalallas desired some land
inside OF the reservation. They are all
anxious 10 become civilized and to have
| their children educated. Toe Arrapahoes
| desired TO go TO another reservst ion aud be
under the care ofthe Episcopal church. They
would speak for themselves.
SPEECH OF RED CLOUD.
Red Cloud first shook hands with The Pres
ident, and then with MIR. Welsh. He smoke
as follows: sour people have come three
times before. l want that my child rem and
grand children shall know as much as the
whites. Here am, an Indian. can't real
or write or understand the telegraph. /
would like TO have good writer to take
down everything l say here. 1 don't ask for
horses, but ask for wagons. L eau do my
| own work. or all the whites around me,
one man took interest in me ami took cool
care OF me. feel the same as all you gem
tlemen: have families, and like my chill
dren. don't want you TO mention the Mis-
louri river TO me, for L don't want TO 20
there. L can't raise anything on the Mis-
prices for their stock, and try to get ali thew
can. In the winter the river freezes and /
can't get help. The railroad is near where /
am now, and live well there.
SPEECH OF BIG ROADS.
Big Roads said: "Great Father, have had
some promise from the President before, and
have been looking for 1t ever since. was
waiting to see my children grow up while
there Is game in the country. want my
children TO live. The country where am is
good and want my children to settle down
and live like white men. 1 never have been
mere before, and came TO see II can't keep
my country. have horses, and what I want
is wagons and harness. IdOnr want to live
on the Missouri river, for IL overfows, aud
we can't prosper. can't read or write, but
we want a good school, so that our children
can learn"
LITTLE WOUND, OF THE oGALALLAs,
said:-"My Dear Father, there are many
streams running into the river where 1 now
am, and 1 want TO remain there. Nv Dear
Father, hope you will send us good proyi-
sions. We want wagons-two four and ST.
horse wagOns-ahd then we can get along
We want the same food and aufmals that