The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-06

On general principles il would be safe 10
presume that the hostilitics now threatened
by the Bannock Indians result from acts Of
gross injustice on the part Of the whites.
But We need not resort to general theories
or to uniform experience Tor this conclusion;
the records of the army and the Indian
Bureau SHOW specific and recent violations
Of good faith toward the Bannocks, enough
to account for thclrrovolt.
mar report made hy Mr.. DANIELsoN of the
Fort Hall agency TO the Indian Commits
sioner last autumn, lie confcssos that dur
INK the previous winter only half OF the ra-
tiou- Of flour, beef. and potatoes To which
the Bannock and Snake Indians Of his
agency were entitled had been issued and
that by the lst 90 March nearly all the beef
was gone. On the 10Th Of April he stopped
all general issues and furnished food only
10 agency employees and farmers and old
and inilrm Indinns-that is, TO only about
three hundred Indians out of total Of lGl2
entitled to rations from him. Reviewing
the results OF this management, he says:
THE ration. Of more than one thousand Indian. were
cat on aud they thrown upon their resources
for living at Of the year when the mountains
aud te foot hills covered with snow and IN coun-
ny where there i. scarcely any Large number
OF men aud women came ms office beg gins piieou.ly
fer fool. stating that their children CRYING Tor
bread ami while well knew tst what they said was
true. bad nothing 10 give them Its always am. u 20
convince Indian. that not the fault OF the agent that
food /. NOT furnished The Snakes and Bannocks,
however, behaved mos, admirably under their mlslor
tuuc.."
The agent shows that the Bannocks went
10 worl. raising wheat and vegetables, at
least all those whom he could supply with
tools and seeds. The treaty with the Ban
nocks provides that any head Of n family or
| lodge who selects land, and IN good faith
/ hcglns farming for II living, shall be entitled
| to implements and seeds @. the value of SlO0
| for the first year, and Of the value Of S2j for
| each Of the three years succeeding; but the
| Government has never fulfilled its promise
! in this respect, and yet leaves the Indians to
| starve, after having gathered them upon a
! reservation whore there is no game to feed
| themselves with. In addition, the Snakes
and Bannocl;s up to last year had each due
them, and unpaid, no less than twonty-threC
annual treaty installmcnts Of clothing
while the former tribe had also due and un,
| paid four installments, and the latter three
Of goods.
lp''rl'N'N iil' l'lA llhl NE'lfN, ll''lt II
u reservation for the Bunnocks at Lcmbi
Their former agent was changed last sum
mer on complaint of his conduct, and Carl
SCHUHZ sent them new one Of the civi
service reform sort. At that time it wa
greatly feared that these Lcmbi Bannocks
who were thoroughly Disguised with thcil
treatment, would join Chief JOSEPH; bu
they remained true TO the Whites and eX
pressed their desire to try fairly the nov
agent. 1t was not long, however, before thu
chioI ~ the liannochs complained that TIN
new agent was worse than the old.
Shameful mismanagcmcnt gross violations
of faith and cruel neglects or open rob
berries under the HAYES Administration ar
the causes Of the Bannock outbreak. Thes
Indians have hitherto been clusscd rs friend
ly; only last summer they furnished caval
ry scouts to our forces. They have beer
driven to the war path by persistent il
treatment.
The first duty Of the authorities, mlitar
and civil, is TO give these Indians justice
and then there will be no war. 1t is al
swered that it will not compoIt with tn
dignity Of the troops to yield to the dc
mands Of Indians defiant and already wag
: ing war. The truest dignity Is to repal