The New York herald., 1877-07-02
THE IDAHO WAR.
The Wrongs Of the Red Man Told
by Himself.
JOSEPH AND HIS BAND.
Interesting Conference Between the Indian Chief
and The United States Commissioners
THE SECT OF DREAMERS.
The Indian Dead 10 Return to Life and
Destroy the White Man.
Joseph Will Not Give Up His
Native Land.
THE SECT OF DREAMERS.
The Indian Dead 10 Return to Life and
Destroy the White Man.
Joseph Will Not Give Up His
Native Land.
PEN PORTRAIT OF THE CHIEF

pointed by the Secretary Of the Interior to visit the
Nez Perce and other bands Of Indians IN Idaho Orc
yon and W ashinRton Territory with view to secure
their settlement upon reservations. The commission
was composed of Mcssrs. Jerome, Barstow and Stick
ney, General Howard and Colonel Wood. The follow
ing extracts taken from the report Of the commits
sion They throw considerable light on the causes
which led up 10 the present Indian outbreak. IL is
dent the government wished to justly, but
how its good intentions put into practice,
and hence We have now Indian war which might
easily have been avoided
COMMISSIONERS FOUND.
Our conference, say the Commissioners, with Rcu-
bsn the head chief Of the Nez perce tribe, and the
otner trcaty Indians on this reseryaton, was very
satisfactory. One OF them was altehded by at least
seventy-hve men, considerable number OF whom
came from kamah, point on the reservation SIXTY
Thor SITUATIONS were most respectful cordial,
and their expressions Of gratitude to tho whites for
civizlng and Chrstianizlng Influences extended TO-
ward thom were full and warm.
We attended their worship on the Sabbath when the
church was deDscly packed The morning talk to
them was by General Howard, interpreted by Mr..
Whitman. That Of the afternoon was by Archie Law
graceful speaker.
Some of the singing was in English familiar hymns
TO well known tunes. The audiences were atten-
tive, serious and devout
Though in our conferences with these friendly In
dams they made no complaint II Is doubtless because,
placing implicit reliance Oh the good fath OF the gov
ernment they are not aware OF Its failure to carry
rome important provisions OF the treaties. These
pledge them aotments OF land, with certificates OF
little 10 same. They, some OF then have allot
Ia form but not IN fact. us they without metes
bounds, without survey record, AMI without cerIi-
Of any This state OF things should he cor
rected ut once.
The agent should be Instructed 10 make and submit
surveys OF aolmenis. with we'll defined bounds,
which, when approved by the President, should be
numbered recorded and certificates issued.
The agent should then be authorized to advise and
aid the Indians in changing their fences to compare
with their newly defined lines
Ihere had been u survey OF the vaoy, part Of IT,
inIo twcnty-acrc lots but there stakes or
bounds, none OF the fences are these lines, and
many OF the lots, us the valleys narrow and tho
bottom lands are hardly sufficient to give each family
twenty acres
Nor is there need OF large allotmcnts OF bottom
mnds, Tor despite the preudices OF The Indians, the
low hills anu ableanJs proiucc 1ne crops OF wheat
us can be grown IN the valleys.
AN INEFFICIENT AGENT.
The commission, while they saw some things 10
gratiiy tnem at the agency, regretted there not
time to visit kaman, where, judging from wnnt wo
could hear from the ipdaus we from whites,
were to he seen the largest improvements in agricu
tuio, IN domestic lite and IN education. Some of the
men from there, who are serving tho tribe teach
anu preachers, impressed US very fuvorably.
Ihe agent, j. B. M0ntcith, IS evidently man OF in
telgenee, sagacity and tact, quick IN h9 perceptions,
and sKilu In the management of men. His health
Is not robust, aud from tins, or possibly from lack
Of APP ropriatons he failed 10 show the effects OF
vigorous active and forcelul administration.
The agency buildings needed repair the boarding
scnoo was dropping. and there was Io day school ;
but few OF the Indians could speak the English Ian
guage with toerabe ease, and them used It
IN their intercourse with another
IL Is true that the missionaries went to the Nez
Perces IN 1886 when they foreign nation before
our right to this country was recognized and when
there were no whites among them, and commenced
teaching their language reducing II TO writing and
Interpreting the scriptures and otner books into it,
which doubtless has strengthened them In the love or
~ uiso tho Of, their own lang uaga
THE SCHOOL QUESTION.
EnEisn nas oeeI ,1ugnt III we schools established
been very largely attended, ana the SCHOLARS VINO
learn English evidently have not been made, as thoy
should have been, TO speak and only II IN the school
and in all their intercourse with each olhcr
IL should thus bo made, II possible, as familiar as
their mother tongue An industrial school should DO
established, and the children, olu and young, con-
strained TO como IN.
II the teacher die, unfortunately the case six
months suce, this school should go on, the agent him
SELF Or hs clerk or interpreter, stepping In 10 t up
aDd bear on this standard oi our advancing civiza-
tion. We know that the cares OF the agency con-
SIDERABLE, especially when now for lack OF a phys-
cian, the agent is called upon to administer TO the
SICK uut an example OF energy, enterprise and sell.
sacrifice is what the Indians most need, aud Is itself
krcnt civzer Their lazy, indolent blood needs ne
elixir OF bright, lofty aud orceiu example; leader
hhp that stops at no difficulty hults at no obstacle,
and shows the marks OF THRIFT and Improvement all
along the track ot progress. by tae expiration OF
treaties they Will soon be- left TO their own support
Wnen the hand OF government is Withdrawn, they
should he SO left as to walk of with no hating or un
certain gait
The following is a summary Of the informalion OBJ
tained by the Commissioners from the miss
soward the indians is not very friendly one:-
REV. JAMES IL wILBuRs STATEMENT
Knows about the non-treaty Nez rcrce Indians, and
thinks their claim not 10 have taken part IN and
be bound by the treaty OF 1863 should be ignored.
They were bound by such treaty as much as any Of
their tribe THIS covers Joseph aud his band as we
as the other wandering tribes.
Thinks their peculiar belief In the spiritual knowl-
edge OF and communion held by their leaders is iruit
fui source OF trouble in the way OF getting them to
abandon thor rowing lives Tier belief Is that tne.r
leaders have all power the authority OF the
government hold communion with the sp irits and
cause the death OF any indian that does not follow
tEeir teachings.
The leaders IN this kina OF teaching are smohola
Pascap-am, Que-pa.ncah, sco-nish. These leaders
OF tbe Cmatilla, Warm Springs, Columbia River and
cosvrRsiox Br the SWORD
After giving them notice 10 come, and refusal on
their part, be would recon- mend to take the anovs
leaders and the lenders Of the Ncz Perez maconenIs
20 - ..rdsa country: or some other AGO beyond
Mr. Wilbur could do this without assis,ascs from
Following the above, he would compel the roaming
lnoans 90 upon the reservation. TINS he would do
by ponce lorcc the reiabe Indians there. no
could furnish help for such as are 10 como TO hts
reservation
thinks tho question should be settled soon This
sloud be dono this winter, or next AT the lurthest
The winter Is better tmo 10 use iofCibie
than summer, when the grass and other facilities are
ripe tor roaming
As plan for bringing Joseph and others upon the
rcservalon after the leading Druinmcrs are disposed
OIL give notice TO the Others To come IN or force would
be- This could bc best by the leading treaty
Indians from Lapwai aud Yaxaina, led BY discreet
man or men, visiting them to advise them to yield be-
fore force sssry. .I
10 carry out anything OF this kind the expenses must
be proviuod by the government In addition 10 the or.
dinary appropriation.
y The Yakama reservation ls sixty by forty miles In
extent, oneourth OF when Is tablc and good land
would support well eighteen thousand To twenty thou
snnd Indians oil OF which could DO looked alter by
agent; separated from the surrounding country by
and mountains. plenty vi good lumber, timber
good ealmon nsbing and iar hunting, with splendid
grazing; climate - good Tor farming; has two
mills, with capacity 10 cut about ten thousand to fifteen
Thousand per day, ahd one gfiss ml' WIN grlhdihs
cent or the use eighteen thousand 10 twenty thou
sand Indians.
CONSOLIDATION.
Could take and care Tor ~ Yakama, the Warm
Spring Indians, the Protestant Uma.iias, spokanes,