Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1878-11-08

jects as are plainly within his iurisdic
ton, have had a wonderful effect in the
promotion of good order and good morals.
QUESTION IT.
Have you reason to believe that the
past disturbances are due, in part to the
failure OF government to fulfill the pro.
visions of the treaties of 1855 and rati
fed in 1859, which pledged the Indians
separate allotments and patents in sever.
atty OF homesteads on the reservations?
ANSWER.
Yes, indeed A promise made by the
government officials, put into formal
treaties and read to the different Indian
tribes concerned, again and again, year
after year, cannot be SO completely ig.
nored and SO universally broken as the
one to which you refer has been, with
out causing almost absolute distrust of
all government agents, on the part o.!
the Indians.
The Nee Perces aud Piutes, as also
the Umatillas, claim that these promises
OF the ownership of land often made to
them have never been fulfilled.
In your judgment will the grant of
homesteads under patents, with all their
legal rights and obligations on the reser-
vations as per treaties, tend to promote
their civilization?
ANSWER.
There are numerous heads of families
IN this department, indians, | mean,
who live in houses and cultivate land on
nearly every reservation have visited.
These Indians are now restless because
their treaties are soon to expire by limi-
taton of law. and they have no security
of either the patent promised in their
treaties. nor of the title in fee.
La fact, citizens who are eager for the
good land where the Indians dwell, tell
them that they have no title, that the
land is not theirs. So that 10 more con
sentative and civilizing influence could
obtain than to remove by giving title
this existing restlessness on the part OF
wcll-behaved and capable Indians.
Nv.
Will this fulfilmcnt of treaty pledges,
in your view, tend to revive their con.
tdence, quiet disturbances and assure
the friendship Of Indians invested with
such rights, and cause them to allay the
war spirit Of hostile bands?
1t is difficult to answer this question
in single sentence. The fulGllmcnt oil
such pledges will give tic government
substantial Indian allies. OF course,
there are wild tribes and renegadcs from
all the reservations who cannot be caugh,
with any bait which, in its nature, they
abhor. The Indian Spiritsts of Smo,
halle stamp, which Include non-treaty
Nez Perces and renegades in this region
generally claim for Indians an absolute
ownership already.
Does it seem wise to you and the frs
duty of the government to proceed i'm
mediately to fulfill those treaty pledge
ANSWER.
Why not? A government that break
its most formal and solemn oblgation
with people because they are weak o.
ignorant cannot endure. The only OBJ
lection is the possession of valuable lane
of comparatively worthless cultivators
Such an objection is not tenable. Il
time the worthless aud the idle Away
lose their neglected farms. With tn
temporary insuremcnt against alienation
there is sufficient guaranty to an Indial
regarded as ward of the government
The important lesson of self.dependenc
will be mastered, if ever, in the allotte
period.
Does it seem to you that the preseu
law, embodied in the treaties, empower
ing the president to issue such paten,
to Indians in severalty on the atteste
fulfillment by them of the condition
cpSStASu III VIC Oouuy 10 I'LL tHdt 10 Hcct
ed in the case, without an enabling az
or their action of Congress-
ANSWER.
The present law Gin the treaties doc
appear to me sufficient without an Ell
abling act; | mean, of course, for a
those tribes that are named in the enac
ments.
Ii there are tribes on any reservatio
where treaties exist without a provisio
to which you refer, these tribes would
in my judgment, require an act of Co,
gress to secure to them titles TO Ian
( within the limits of the said reservation
|
Do the necessities of the hour see
to you to demand especial attention no
: to this duty in Oregon, Washington an
) Idaho?
ANSWER.
What you say in reference to existir
, troubles cannot better be answered this
J H., H. ula~ksz, af s0cxn xos,e.,,n ia.