Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-04-12
AN OLD, OLD STORY.
AS old as the First Attempts to ColOnize
White Men on this Continent r0ne
Law for the y hite Nan and
Another for the Poor Indian.

A Tale OF Suffering aBd Woe = Speci-
q mems of Indian ElOquenee A Plea
for Life-An Indian Campfire
Government Policy Toward
the Red-Man.
From an Appeal Correspondent
OMAHA, NEB., April But a few weeks
have passed since | stood IN the midst of
little band Of captive Indians--wounded men
and waihng women and ehildren-all that
remained Of the gallant Cheyennes, VINO es-
caped from Fort Robinson and MADE that last
desperate charge from the rifie-pits.
thought then never again to witness such
scene, but YESTERDAY [ sat In an Indian lodge.
surrounded by another oitiful little band OF
-dsslzy faced prisoners. listening to q story OF
bitter and most cruel wrongs. Two weeks
ago General Crook received an order from
Washington to capture aud send backFotca
Indians who had Ieft their reservation and
come north to the Omaha agency. The gen
eral appointed Lieutenant Carpenter to exc
cute the ORDER This officer proceeded at once
to the agency of the Omahas, which is located
about one hundred miles above Fort Omaha.
The band he was about to capture was so
small that the lieutenant considering an
armed force unnecessary, took with him only
| q corporal. Upon his arrival at the agency
he stated his commission to the agent, and
was informed that the Poncas were by them
| selves on part OF the reservation that the
| Onahas bad given them. Accompanied by
| the corporal and an Interpreter, the officer
| went o7er to the Ponca camp. Leaving
| the corporal oa guard outside, Lleuten-
ant CARPENTER and the Interpreter en-
cod ma lodi ~ wi IN
| days gone by, before his tribe had yielded to
| civilization, had been Il famous warrior.
| Wrapped IN ms blanket, the old brave was
| lying before the FIRE, too sick to work. The
! lieutenant explained TO the Indian, through
| the inter preter that be had been sent to take
| the Poncas back to their reservation in the
| Indian Territory. Ia an Instant the SUM
! bering fires in the breast Of the old warrior
| burst forth into new HE. He sprang TO his
feet and replied IN a tone Of defiance (the
interpreter repeated as words IA English)
I'VE wi die brst; we viii not return!
then hastily stepped back cut CT the lodge,
! leaving the1nturiate1 Indian aud the cool,
| determined white man alone. Long Runner
| reached fer his gun, cut before be could raise
/ it Carpenter covered him with a revolver and
1 shouted -''surreDdsr!" The Iadlan never
| finched, and showed no sign of surrendering.
Just then the officer saw squaw with 9
! knife 10 her hand cautiously steal up to him.
then, with powerful Kick, sent her through
the opening OF the lodge. Still the Indian
| st5od Unm0ved before the revolver pointed
| directly at his face. "Look out!" shouted
| the corporal, and again the officer saw knife
| ready to be plunged into his heart. Another
kick saved him. A iook OF dependency
came over Long hUnuer's lace as the
corporal appeared, and when the lieu
tenant agaln called on him to surren-
der, MS aims dropped to his SIZE, and
ne quietly allowed himself 20 be bound
hand and foot. He was placed on a horss
and taken to the Qhama agency, where the
= rest OF hip band were summoned TO council
INDIAN LBE N zxILg.
The Indians told aa affecting st-Ty Of theil
life IN the south, OF their sickness and wish
TO return 10 then Old agency IN Dakota, and
| begged that, at least, they be permitted tC
remain with their relatives, the Omahae
Lieutenant Carpenter told them that he musi
| obey AIS orders, azd that they must &C
| L.. L -e-.aaE=r, wI1vx-
he promised they Should have an interview
with General Crook, VINO. he felt sure, would
| GO Whas ne could Ter them. Finally theJ
consented to come, and started at once ia
| theu own wagons. They were four days on
the way, and reached Omaha the latter part
| CT last week. They were given a place Tor q
camp inside the fort. Last Monday General
| Crook held a council with them at his head
quarters. The indians were all IN citizens
| dress, except Standing Bear, theirehief wine
appeared ia full Indian costume. He wore
a scarlet blanket, a broad belt a necklace Of
| bear S claws bracelets, EARRINGS and finger
rings Of brass. The Interpreter vas Charles
z. Morgan, an Omaha Indian, who served in
the late war, doing good service. lie speaks
reads and writes English huentlys Standing
Bear was fhe first to speak at the council
He told General Crook that at their old
agency ia southern Dakota, they had good
r a.
They raised Pii kinds of stock and
made good living. he himself had
house and barn that he had
bullt with his owu hands. They had NILS
churches aod schools, and ali were we'll and
happy. WI hen the were sent away TO tEt
Indian Territory, ter farming implement.
were t6thdt t it6cBaa i their houses, and they
but they never saw them s -. seat Q them
: time he went to Washington aud took tbs
Great Father" by TIE hand, told lin nov
his people were wronCed, and asked aim K
90 something for them. The "Great Father
| told MIN to 20 back and see if he could fnd
some good land near where they were HS
did SO, and found some land that appeared
good They moved o to it. bus some nm.
seen force fell upon them and ushed then
to the ground OF the seven hundred an6
twenty SIX who went to the Indian Territory
two Yeas ago, one hundred and hfty-saveI
had died, and all felt sick. An inspector
came IRON Washington and they begged him
TO intercede for them. He promised to dc
what ne could. But as nothing had beer
done. and his son had died and his wife wa.
very sick, he determined to come on 4 vIslt
to their relatives the Omahas. He ther
asked permission to speak to those present
General Crook granted permission, and be
delivered the following brief but pathetic and
eloquent address:
INDIAN ELoQUENCE.
." by FRIENDS AND BRoTHER-I want tc
90 back to my cd place north. l want to save
myself and my tribe. My brothers! it seems
to me as II | stood IN front of a great prairie
ire. | wou!d take up my babies aud run tc
save their lives; or as If l stood on the bank
OF az oyeriio aiag river, aud would take my
people and fly to higher ground. Oh! my
brothers; the Almighty looks down on me
and knoEs what I'm and hears my words
May the Almighty senda good spirit 10 brood
over YOU, my brothers, to move YOU to help
me. 1t white man had land and some one
should swiIde him, chat lnao would try "a
get it back, and you would not blame MIN.
Look on me. Take pity en- me, and help me