The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-08-02
The Indian Troubles in Washing.
ton Territory and Oregon.
BY REV. X. s. STUBBS.

[The following letter is taken from the Cen
tral Christian Advocate, Of ST. Louis, Mol
Knowing that some mis-statements
have appeared in the press of our coun-
try concerning this (seemingly) far
away scene of excitement and Indian
outrages, l feel it my duty to send you
a statement of facts: l Concerning
past labors to avert the hostllities which
have just broken out with the ATROCITIES
which usually accompany the ebullitions
of Indian rage; 2. Concerning the
scene and extent of the outbreak; 3.
About the present status, movements
and needs of our skeleton army, from
which the country is expecting SO much,
and for which Congress has seemed dis.
posed to do so little.
To avert hostilities and, at the same
time, to secure compliance with
treaty st;pulations, Gen. o. o. Howard
has used all the powers of persuasion
that devoted christian officer of the
United States Government could pos
sibly employ. He has held three or
four councils with the disatiected bands
who look to Joseph as their chief.
The efforts to reconcile and persuade
Joseph and the "renegades" to go on to
their reservation have been greatly en-
barrassed by difficulty between them
and some white settlers in the Wallowa
Valley, about ten months ago, Mt which
time. in an alteration, an Indian was
killed.
The existing rancor, cherished by
Joseph and his followers, was deepened,
and an outbreak was scarcely averted
Mt that time: the relatives Of the de-
ceased Indian claiming that the white
| man who shot him, should be given up
to them.
The real grievance, however, lies far
back of that, and the inevitable influx
of white settlers constitutes the cease
less irritation. The consequences of
immigration into the beautiful valleys
and plains of eastern Oregon and Wash
ington Territory are, lst, to convert
open prairie and timber lands into
farms, enclosed by fences; and to the
indians eyes the fences OF the whites
are the scouts of civilization; civiliza-
ton that owns the land pre-empted, or
taken up under homestead regulations; T;
civilization that invests immigrants
with all the rights Of ownership, among
which is the necessity and right to
fence-in what they own, and to fence
out all that might damage their crops; /;
and this means the right to .fence.oW
Indians Thus, day by day, and month
by month. the whites are fencing in and
claiming the right to exclude the Indi-
ans from their old CANVASS Prairies and
fishing, and hunting grounds. Here is
the real grievance, and it is SO because
these Indians are lazy, and prefer the
life of tho loafer to the life of industry;
prefer to depend on the rifle and bow
and fish-hook and camass spade to the
implements of agricultural industry.
No amount of sentimentalism, however
finely spun, can hide this palpable fact.
The consequence is, the Indians
tastes and predictions, accompanied
by good average of natural depravity,
make him festive and petulant, and
vengeful as the Gordon of white settle
ments keep tightening around him. Add
to all, the occasional rascality of post
trader, and other bad white men, who
are necessarily pressing upon their at
tention the worst vices of our Chris
tian!D civilization, and, at the same
time, are introducing among them our
''fire water" and the most improved
patterns Of our sire arms" Then, to
crown the whole, there has arisen among
them set Of dreamers, medicine-men,
wizards, something akin to spilitualists,
10 often patronixed by the whites.
These follows are constantly insinuating
to the "Non treaty Indians" that "the
little birds whisper to them that they
should unite, and arise, and whip the
whites" One of these was recently
lodged in our garrison guard-house by
Rev. Bro. Wilbur, from Fort Simcoe.
Bro. Wilbur told me he ''decmed it
necessary to bring Chief Skamiah, and
thus break the back Of the disafIection
and conspiracy he was fomsnting in
that section"