The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-12-19
THE NEW WAR IN THE BLACK
HILLS.
From the Now York Sun.

/
The army already has another In.
dian war on its hands, brought about
in very familiar way.
Everybody recalls how earnestly
the Sioux chiefs pleaded at Wash
ington, few mouths since, not to
be sent to the Missouri river reser-
vation-an unhealthy region, they
declared, which would destroy their
families. you love your children" 4"
said one chief, 80 do 1 love mine
and do not want them to die" They
were Informed that. as the contracts
had been made to take them to the
Missouri and to feed them there, to
the Missouri they must go.
The result that we see to-day
might have been anticipated. though
it APPEARS to have surprised Hayes
aud Schurz. Started on their long
journey late in the season, some Of
the Indians are still on the road,
while icy blasts and snow storms are
sweeping the region; but part OF
tIe warriors from Red Clouds band
have broken away and taken the war
path.
Had Mr.. Hayes wished TO inform
himself of what was likely to happen
from a peremptory move under such
circumstances, and after such ap-
peals, he could have learned some
thing from the last report of the
Sioux Commission, which, speaking
Of their interview with these same
tribes, says:
Another chief says, 4 am glad to
see you; you are our friends, but l hear
that you ha7o come to move US. Tell
your people that since the Great Father
promised that we should never be re-
moved we have been removed five times
He added, with bitter irony, i think
you had better put the Indians on wheels,
and you can run them about wherever
you wish.
That the hostile Indians should
have turned to the Big Horn coun-
try is not astonishing. This was
the country out OF which the Sioux
were driven by reckless and criminal
violence. The outrageous cavalry
expedition to the Black Hills in
1874 was made, az has been official
ly reported by the highest authority,
''aganst the protest of the Indians,
and in plain direct violation of the
treaty, The faith of the Govern
ment had been pledged to protect
the Indians against all intrusion
upon their land" We know the
result. Gold was discovered. the
people were informed OF it, there
was rush Of miners to the place.
and the Sioux witnessed the majes-
tic process into their property OF
"that civilization which reaches its
ends by falsehood, and springs from
violated rights" They were al
ready substantially driven out of a
home solemnly pledged TO them by |
the Government, when asked to cede
it by treaty; and they gave it up /
simply because they were forced to
do so-Sitting Bull and some other
chiefs, however, refusing all part
and lot in the matter.
The present attacks on the Black !
Hills settlement are thus clearly /
allied with the aggressiohs of 1875
and 1876; the fury of the Indians
who have taken to the war path is
visited first, as usual, on those set
tiers by whom they believe them
selves to have been wronged. It
should be remembered, however,
that reports OF Indian depredations
are always exaggerated, if not who'll
ly false, and that it would be
absured to look for an Indian war
of any considerable magnitude in
The dead OF winter.