The New York herald., 1877-10-23
sitting Bull and his "White
MOther.o

interesting despatch forwarded Dy sPeci"i
courier from Fort Walsh, the Canadian
scene Of the conference with Sitting Bull,
to Helena, the capital of Montana. and trans
mitted thence by telegraph. We regret that
the telegraphic facilities were insufficient
to enable us to receive the whole Of this re-
markable despatch in season for publication
yesterday. The concluding part which we
give to-day, does not fall short, in descrip-
tive interest, of the portion which we
laid before our readers yesterday, and 1T
is even more important, because 1t re-
ports the proceedings of the conference
and the result, or rather the no result,
in which they terminated. The whole ac-
count is highly picturesque and dramatic.
The painting of the scene, the cast OF the
performance, the arrangement OF the d'amdtts
persona, the touches of portraiture by which
the actors and costumes are presented, and
the singular nature Of the occasion, invest
this report with all the interest Of unique
historical picture. The international cour-
tesy and the spirit Of humanity exhibited
by the Canadian officers under whose
place, the presence of a formal en-
bassy from one of the great govern
ments of the world to treat outside its own
territory with a band of savages. the derisive
and disdainful manner Of those swarthy
sons of the wilderness, the curious speeches
they made and the demonstrative hand
shakings with the Canadian officers pres
ent, which were interspersed by way OF
emphasis, make this one of the most ex-
traordinary scenes in the intercourse OF
white men with American savages that have
occurred since the landing Of Columbus
and his voyage-worn party on the tropical
shores OF st. Salvador.
The HERALD on this occasion, as is it's
won't on interesting occasions which give
scope for journalistic forecast and enter
prise, has distanced all it's contemporaries.
No other morning journal had line Of in
telligence on this subject yesterday. Had
the telegraph service at Helena on Sunday
afternoon been equal to our demands
upon it the HERALD would have published
yesterday morning ten columns OF most
interesting matter of which none of its
city contem poraries had a syllable. Such
journalistic feats are, to be sure, very ex-
pensive, but we have always found that the
money they cost is well laid out. The pub
lie is quick to appreciate and generous to
reward the enterprise which supplies CO.
pious news with unfailing promptness on
all important or interesting occasions. We
do these things SO habitually and regard
them as SO much matter of course that we
do not often call attention to the contrast
between our own columns and those Of
other journals.
This abortive conference with Sitting Bull
has many points of interest. just now,
when we have been sending troops across
our southern frontier, it is worth while to
remark the strict observance Of interna-
tional etiquette on the northern frontier
When Sitting Bull escaped across the Can
ada line there was no thought of pursuing
him as we pursue the lawless cattle raiders
into Mexico. Our government thought his
flight into Canada good riddance, and
would have taken no further steps in the
matter if the Canadian government had not
courteously suggested the recent confer
ence. There was some reason for supposing
that Sitting Bull had taken refuge in Can
ada to secure safe base of operations for
future hostilities, and the Canadian govern
ment with prompt considerateness took
pains to assure us that it had no wish to
harbor our enemies and allow its soil to
be made theatre for organizing a new
Indian war. 1t would have been un-
gracious for our government to have failed
to respond to this mark of friendly consid-
Grafton. The result is what might have
been expected but there is no reason to
regret that our government so cordially
recognized the honorable wish Of the Ca
madam authorities to acquit themselves of
every suspicion that they willingly har-
bored our enemies or were disposed to give
them the use OF their territory for hostile
purposes. If Sitting Bull and his Sioux
went to Canada with pacific intentions, ex-
pccting to remain there, it's government
could not very well refuse them its hospi-
tality, and it acted wisely in giving our
government an opportunity to form its own
judgment on this point by actual, inter-
course with the fugitives.
Sitting Bull and all the other Indians
| who spoke at this conference were emphatic
| in declaring their intention to make their
permanent home in the Dominion of the
s'White Mother" This, of course, means
Queen Victoria, whom they also call the
Great Mother, as our Indian tribes habit
ually call the President the 'sGreat Father. y
We wish the Great Mother Joy of her new
subjects. Sitting Bull af1irms that he first
learned to shoot in the hunting grounds OF
the Canadian region to which he has
escaped, and that he has returned
by preference to the home of his
youth after bitter experience OF
treachery and wrong from the American
government. Considering what graceless
n. IT, I,