The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-30

At last fcw reservation agents In Orc
gon have plucked up courage to defend the
red men from the accusations OF settlers
and soldiers. Agent ROOKIE. OF the Kla-
math Agency, reports that all his Indians
are loyal, poaceablc, and doing well but
there seems to be determination on the
part Of many whites to have war here,
cause or no cause Agent RHINEHART, Of
the Malheur Agency, acknowledges that all
his Indians, save forty, are with the hos
tiles, but he adds that their grievances
were scant supplies encroachmcnt ON their
lands by white hcrdsmcn, and the grant by
Congress OF 5000 acres Of their lands for n
military road, for which they have received
no compensation. Agent BACLEY, Of the
Silctz Agency, reports that none " his In
dians are hostile, but that the Nastuccas
have come to him, fearing war, because one
OF their tribe had just been wantonly killed
by white man. who Wis killed in turn;
and he further asks n survey Of the north
line OF the reserve. "because until we know
whore the territory of the reserve term-
mates, aud that Of citizens begins it will hc
impossible to prevent collisions" Agent
PArrTS Of the Shoshonc and Bannock wy
oming branch Agency finds n great num-
Der Of liquor sellers and horse thieves ON
the southern line of his reservation, illicily
selling the Indians whiskcy and stealing
stock, as occasion offers.
Such reports show why the Indians go to
war. The Rogue river war in Oregon began in
an assault upon a squaw by a soldier. The
last Sioux war originated in the march OF an
exploring column Of cavalry into the Black
Il 10 to
against the intrusion Of whites Gold was
found, and in rushed the miners. The Nez
Perez war began in the encroachment of
white settlers upon Chief JosEPH's lands;
the squattcrs got the HAYES Government to
agree that not they but the Indian owners
should be expelled at the point Of the bayo-
net. The pending Bannock war sprung cut
Of union " agency fraud and Government
neglect; and it Is n disgracciul fact that the
same Congress that did not scruplc to seize
without compensation thousands of acres Of
lands pledged by treaty to the Indians, on
prctence of building military roads, voted
supplies So small for sundry agencies that
the Indians were on half ratlons all winter
long.
Your people don't ask questions; you
take our lanls from us" said SPOTTED TAIL
To HAYES last summer. All over the North
west, settlers are cncroaching even on the
narrow reservations left to the Indians.
Despite the lesson of the Ncz Perez war; not
only have the lands Of the conquered non
treaty bands been triumphantly seized. but
white mon claim thousands OF acres in the
treaty reservation at Lapwai. In his recent
paper read at Cincinnati to the Social Sci
ence Association, Gen. Pope states the case
thus:
"ttisa fact notorious 20 require only the state
mont of H. that tho reservation Indians msuficcntly
ei 40 ala un,. ami that TOR considerable period. dnuu-
each yeas they are in condition OF want and sun
rr,oiiu- to humanity Its also that many eases
the articles u i To De daily issued them snecih,d
detail the Treaties but only ia pnri are furnished
ana uie not furnished all IN short 10 the tact
uat thousand, ct Italians placed vatons uy the
ttuil Use OF superior ior,a are slowly starved
Gen. PORE adds with truth that IL is all
one to the Indian whether he suffers from
fraud, from ignorance, or from neglect
He In any ease 10 the victim, aud to eX-
pect him slowly 20 starvc and 10 see his wife
and children suffer in like manner, without
losing patience and helping himself, is what
no white man would think Of submitting to,
or would be expected to submit TO-" The In
agency goods with school teachers, farmers.
and white employees living of OF apprOpra-
tions made to him in consideration Of lands
he has sold; and all the while he cannot get
the food that the treaty guarantees him.
"Why should he be content 2" asks Gen
PORE; yet. ii he is not content, Gen. Porn
and numbers Of other Generals. Colonies,
Corporals and privates are quick to" strike
him." aud to drive him forever from his
lands by war.
The one thing evident from endless tcsti-
mony and facts of this sort is that soldiers
and settlers, Congresses and Indian offices,
mutually convict each other Of pushing the
Indians into war They all have hand in
it, by fraud, by force, or by neglect. This
horrible disagreement, in which the very
agents employed to crush the weak race
cry out at the injustice, has been going on
for many years, but never 50 Systematically
and cruelty as now, under what HAYES
calls his humane and just policy