Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-12-12

: THURSDAY. DECEMBER II, 1878.
THE ..COURIER-" AND THE CROW
AGENCY MATTERS.
Another buncombe correspondent for
the War Department. under the nom de
uIu,ac "A. L." rlishes to the front, through
the Helena Herald of the 18th inst. to show
that the Crow Agency. including the late
agent. Frost, 1oe been transferred to the
War Department. and placed under the
immediate supervision and absolute con-
troll of Gen. Brisbin. and that the COURIER.
and Anderson. and Frost. and everybody
else. except Gen. Brisbin and ''Gallatin
IRE certainly mistaken and ''must be set
right on this all-important subject. Now.
10 he candid. We have but little interest in
this matter. either one way or the other.
Personally. it makes no difference to us
whether Brisbin. or Browning. or Doane.
or Frost. or Bulls. or Hitler, is agen! OF
the Crows, so long as those Indians are
properly cared for and restrained in their
horse-stcaling and scalp-taking procliviies.
But. as journalists. we are interested in
furnishing the public with the news. events
and happenings of the day in the most
truthful and reliable form possible. This
has been our constant aim. How far we
have succeeded in the lautlable undertak-
ing. we leave to the decision of discern
ing public. We have been flattering our
selves. however. that If there was any one
feature of the COURIER more mertOriOus
than another it was its honest endeavOr in
seeking. and its uniform success in finding
and stating. the truth. In other words,
the COURIER has not been in the habit OF
stating anything ut random, Of taking
position one week only to recede from it
the next; of drifting with every wind or
cbbing with every tide. Not being owned
or controlled. directly or indirectly. by any
clique. or rim r. or faction. or corporation.
or department. it has been no less tree
than determined to adhere strictly to the
principles OF truth AID justice, both in its
news and editorial columns, and so far as
the course of the COURIER is concerned, it
has never had good cause or occasion. I'M
,lcr its present management, to take any
thing back. to apologize for anything done
or said, or in any way to feel ashamed OF
its record
But. il appears that we have arrived at
aT important crisis in orr history; that we
T.,ve made grievous mistake in discredit-
ing tIie intimatiOn that orders had been
received to transfer the Crow Agency inn
mediately to Gen. Brisbin and the War
Department. arrest its late agent. Frost.
and send him under military guard to Fort
Ellis: in short. and in the language of a
military clieftain, Anderson is mistaken
and should be set right.
Now, while we entertain nothing except
feelings of friendship and respect for Gen.
Brisbin. yet, in view Of the fact that the
General is no .'slOuch'' of a newspaper
correspondent. 'imself-the pen being a
much more formidable weapon in his
hands than the sworl-we may be par
tloned for thinking that it would have been
full as well for him to have done his own
writing. especially. while there were no
threatening clouds of war to disturb his
AAO"CNCi. uhuCA tiiC
charitable impulse of furnishing additional
employment to the voluntary flunky who
aspires to be ananuensis to the General,
we will venture to say that, if being ''set
right implies Il transfer of the COURIER
or its publishers to the War Department,
or toadyism 10 military or other officers,
then we beg to he excused and respectfully /
decline the, so-called, honor.
Possibly, we may be very obtuse, but we
fail to see how the statements of the Her.
ads correspondent, "a. H." regarding
Brisbin's authority and supervision over
Mnprf raEtn IN connection with the action
of Browning and the present status OF at
fairs at the Agency. are. in airy material
point. at variance with the statements of
the Cox EIER. That representations had
been made to the Interior Department to
the effect that Agent Frost had disregard
nd or resisted the order of the President in
his suspension we did not deny, al
though recent facts and developments. we
think. go very far towards contradicting
The truth OF such representatiohs-but. act
ing on their presumable truth, the Interior
Department applies to the Secretary of
War, asking that General Brisbin be order
ri to detail an officer with squad of SOL
Tiers. If necessary. to accompany Inspector
Bulls and. # necessary, seize the Agency
and, ''if he should resist to az
rest Frost and send HIM under guard to
Fort Ellis. The sequel shows that. as
stated by the COURIER. Inspector Bulls
was sent to relieve Frost, with authority.
j necessary, to call on the military COM
nandant at Fort Ellis for assistance. and
hat everything connected with military
orders in the premises were contingent
upon ifs and ands.
That neither Brisbin. nor Browning. nor
Inspector Bulls, once thought that force
would be necessary in the removal of Agent
Frost is apparent from the fact that no
evena Corporal's guard-of
soldiers was detailed to accompany Capt.
Browning to the Agency. He simply ac-
Inspector Bulls to the Agency
md in his presence land no doubt under
lis supervision and instructions) assisted s
" Agent Frost and the Agency employees,
INVOICES the property, passes receipts.
axes formal possession of the Agency,
it almost Immediately to In
pcctor Bulls, and, without delay, returns
o Fort Ellis.
So much i'm regard to the ''much-ado .
bout nothing"-the seizure Of the Crow .
Agency by the military. the arrest of Frost
nd his incarceration in Il Fort Ellis bas-
ion.
Thus. /! will be seen. the result is more +
Unfortunate for the statements Of ''Galla- s
in" and 'sA L." than We had ever antici- ;,
ated. The COURIER admitted that Capt. +
would probably remain in I
barge until the arrival of the regularly (,