Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1877-09-07
MOUNT IDAHO, Aug. 26, 1877.

statement of my views regarding the
immediate, and also the remote causes
'of this deplorable war.
The entire Nez Perez tribe acquired
in their first treaty with the whltes'
viz: the "Stevels Treaty OF 1899;
but when the new treaty was MADE
in 1863 large number OF oahoS
would not agree to it's stipulahons'
and never went on the reservation nor
received annuities. They have been
known as non-treaty Indians, and this
explanation will make the term non
treaty, whenever itoccurs, understood
After the treaty of '63 was entered
into, it was not ratified until '69. "A
policy was adopted by the then agent
Mr.. O'Neill, which promised the best
results. He was in his dealings with
the non-treaty Indians at all times
honorable and courteous. When ne
met one it was not to chlde and up
braid, but to endeavor to discover
grievances and remedy them. lie IN
vited them to come to the agency and
have their wheat ground and get Their
farming implements repaired, &c The
invitation was accepted, and every
thing indicated that the whole tribe
would soon be on the reservation,
when Caleb Lyons, Of Lyonsdale, then
Governor and Ex-of1icio Supt. of lndl-
an affairs of Idaho Territory, killed all
the g cd that had been done by
=O'Neil by his false representations to
the Indian Department, and his bare
faced stealings from the Nez Perce
tribe. Several agents were sent
among the Nez Perces after the expl-
ration of O'Neil's term of office, and
before 1871, when j. B. Monteith was
appointed as the ideal representative
of that curse to humanity, the peace
policy. And perfect representative
he has proved himself to be. From
the outset he has acted the part of the
prosecutor
At the time Monteiths advent
among them many Of the ldians were
professors of Christianity, having
been converted to the Catholic, Meth
odist, Presbyterian and other faiths.
Particularly among the non-treaty In
dams did the Catholic faith prevail.
When Monteth arrived he inaugural
ed war of persecution on all demon
inations not protesting to aid the
Presbyterian cause, and his bitter and
unremitting prosecution of this war
has been a powerful lever to make
wider the gap between the non-treaty
Indians and the whites.
AHOIIICl SOul Cc vi lltiGdClOH Hdc
been Monteith's opposition to the
wishes of many of the Indian off the
reservation, who desired to sever their
tribal relations and enter their lands
under the land laws Of the United
States, thus making permanent homes
for themselves outside Of Monteith's
jurisdiction He wished to force them
to abandon their improvements and
remove to the reservation. Severa
Indians have filed homestead declara
tions, but not without being violently
opposed by the agent in spite of the
laws passed by Congress for the ex
pressed purpose Of enabling them tc
do SO. And they would not be able
to enter land without encountering re-
.sistance from him if they waited unit
the day Of judgment.
For years it has been known to the
people oil this section Of the Territory
that Joseph and his Wallowa banc
and the Indians living OH Salmon riv
er would go on the reservation if Mon
qeith could lie removed from the posi-