The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-29
BILLIARDS.
THE INDIAN OUTBREAK.
HISTORY OF ITS cAUsEs-sMoHALIAs GREED
AND DOCTRINE.
IRON the San Francisco ExSmineEl


from the San Francisco Examiner.
The original cause the dispute may be said to date
from the treaty which Governor l. l. Stevens Of
Washington Territory, made with the Neg Pcrces and
other tribes In June. 1867. Az that time Governor
Stevens refused to recognize the hereditary chief Of tho
Nez Perces, and practically elevated Lawyer, cum
ming and tractable Indian. to the craftsmanship. The
Nee Perces were then and yet the most numerous
OF any OF the tribes OF that whole region They are
generally peaceful and live quietly on the fine and ex
tensve reservation on the Snake and Clearwater rivers
near the town OF Lewiston. They cultivate largo
FARMS have nnumerablo hoad OF horses. and are gen.
orally well-to-do people. But some OF their troo
are swild" Indians, and Instead OF believing
with the majority OF thor brethren in the policy OF
somewhat civilized le they prefer to follow alter the
traditions and habits OF their savage ancestors
Among the chiefs who very reluctantly signed the
treaty OF 1857 was Joseph-the father OF the chief Of
tho Same name who heads the outbreak. Old
Joseph was not Nez Pcrce He was Cayuse chief
Yet he claimed the Wallowa Valley. and was rccog-
nixcd as u leader OF his people. Some OF the Nez
Perces who dissatisfied with the treaty, Dut moro
with the conduct Of Governor Stevens IN elevat'ng
Lawyer to the cbieiship, mcasurably sided with
Joseph and the disallected OF sill other tribes joined
them, 10 swell the number 10 somewhat lormloa-
Die proportions
A NEW RELIGION.
Before that time very cunning indian had begun
to evolve aith superstition among The Indians
He was known Smohaa, or "rhe Dreamer" de
had taught by missionaries and be turned what
he had learned account In way his teachers never
intended expected Of all the bibo lessons the ono
he and particularly set store by was that which IL
contained in Judges, vi, vii, 10 Gideon and MS
band from many thousands TO only three hum
drcd, overcoming the Mldanitcs SinohaIla preached
10 MS the doctrine he derived from the text ana
inspired tnem believe tnat although the whites, or
Mdanites, were powerful IN numbers, yet could the
Lords own people. Gideon's baud Vi three hundred
the Indians mBeves--irumph over them and drive
them from the land During the Indian war of 1898,
when the late General Wright severely whipped
the Indians OF that upper country and Obliged
them finally 10 Sue Tor peace no put stop 10
Smohaila's prcachings and influence by Keeping
him close prisoner But after General Tor Colonel,
as he was thcn) Wright made peace he allowed the
mlschievous "Dreamer'' his liberty, on condition that
he should his efforts to propagate his peculiar
ncendmry doctrine among the Indians anu until Gen.
crai Wright was called away IRON there, during our
civil war, Snohala found II advisable 10 refrain
from openly seeking converts.
sMuHALLA's CONVERTS AND THEIR CREED.
Since that time, however he has been worry active as
pr. phet missionary 10 spread his latin, and MS
has grown into alarming magnitude II IS not
only among his own tribe that he has found converts.
lie has gone every 10 the buffalo country and
other hunting grounds TO the east anu south, and
everywhere he has found followers Tor IL is most n-
spring idea or hope TO the average savage mat he
shall vet the day when he gut his Dcvcrdying
revenge upon the white man, extermnatc the race
again redeem TO himself and his people the lands
from winch the whites have driven them.
10 thoroughly indoctrlnate his believers Smohalla
impresscs upon them certain cardinal duties. They
OF The arts oi civilization, but live as their fathers
lived before the coming oil the whites. They must not
tolerate The approach OF the white man, hold any In
tercourse with n, accept any favor from him, enter
his house deal wlh him. except Tor firearms, pow
der and lead They must not upon any reservation,
enter any church building or scho0lbOuse, allow any
clergy man teacher TO preach or 10 instruct them,
listen ~ any thing spoken read from book, hold
converse OF any KIND with any OF their own people
who persist in friendship with copying after the
civilization Of the whites In short, they must reso
lutey ami abstain from every effort or act cacu
lated 10 bring them into the association or under the
influence Of the whites IN the slightest particularly but
they must neglect 70 seize an opportunity 10 ad
vantage themselves at the expense Of tho hated
YOUNG JOSEPH.
II Is 10 this exclusively savage doctrine young
Joseph has committed himself. His father, the old
chlei Is dead Young josef Is his successor. lie
now IN full vlgor OF manhood-about iorty years
OF aye. aud Is model OF warrior chiei-tall well
formed, bold bearing dignined demeanor and every
inch leader. He has naughty scorn OF white men,
and despscs oil his own race who Will consent TO
be al peace with and submit TO them With him al
lied the rencgadcs or .wiid Indans, OF tho various
are nearly thousand OF them in all That they
generally we'll armed and equipped Tor prolonged hos
tity Is very probable They have been lur years pre-
parlnp wuf and the country Is entirely favorable
to their hostile purpose Before troops reach them
they large supplies Of provisions from the
stores OF the wines they either massacre or drive
away and II will be almost impossible to hunt them
in their many and quite impregnable hiding places In
tho mountains, along the rivers and tributaries,
among tue rocks aud canyons They nave a range Of
hund OF miles In extent, and they are famr with
tho whole country. IL is tncr chosen season OF year
Tor war and their ponies arc III good condition for
prolonged campaign.