Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1879-07-24
SITTING BULL INTERVIEWED.
The Savage Explains His Position and
Desires.

After days of weary travel | am her
in the Sioux Nation. Sitting Bull at tn
head ofhis army faces me, and instinctivel.
| feel for my hair, fearing that it is dcstinct
to become only temporary top-knot
Knowing that desire an interview, tn,
great chief takes position Immediately il
front of me, and looks at me long, ant
with Piercing eyes. Once more the ranks
open, and Pretty Bear takes positson upol
my right. Lone Dog is also at my right
hand. A little behind me on the othe
side stands Broad Trail, and close beside
him are Lone Dog and Lone Bull. Bea
Bonnet now forces his way through thu
crowd and takes his place near Sitting
Bull. A little to the LETT, and i'll front o.
of me, on the other side of Sitting Bull
stands the tall, straight form Of Whit,
Gut, the handsOmest Indian in the Sioul
nation. They have grouped themselves
naturally, standing little way back from
me, and making circle around me
Overhead the sky is of a dazzling blue
white, and the hot July sun beats dow
pitilessly on scene OfpiCturesque splendOr
Behind the chiefs are the warriors, a solit
band of brilliant colors, painted, beaded
and armed to the teeth. Beyond are the
half.breeds and the Crccs, the faces o.
the former all anxiety and of the latter
all curiosity, for the safety Of the half
breeds camp depends on the impression
make.
Three thousand eyes regard me with
suspicion and distrust. From the half
breeds come looks of encouragement
Even the horses seem to gaze upon me
with wonder, while the hot air appears tC
be burdcncd with oppressive doubts
"You are an American" broke in Sit
ting Bull upon the stiffness that had al
most become sitting. "You are an
American. What do you want? You
are Il spy"
Listen to me, comrade," said |, "for
| have come a long way from the country
down by the sea, that may talk with you
and hear what you have to say. am an
American. but am no spy, ! like your
people. OsCcOla Cooper, last chief of the
Seminolcs lived for years under my roof by
the sea. lie touched my heart with stor-
les of the wrongs of his people, and when
he died, came to the broad West to be
a friend to the Indian.
My people think your hearts bad. They
hear stories of your cruelty to your
brothers. They are told it is you and
your people who steal their horses. The
chief of the paper that talks to the white
men has sent me to ask you if this is true.
| will make pictures Of what you tell me,
and my people will listen to them with
their eyes, and will learn to know your
heart. lfyOu will put words in my ears
| will paint them for my people. | will
tell them what you say, and how you feel
toward them"
There was profound silence for few
moments as concluded, and then Sitting
Bull spoke again, the wide band of war
riors closing around to catch every word:
"IIow do know you will tell your peo-
pie the truth. You have said that your
brothers tell stories about me, and my
people say they say we have killed the
white men and stolen horses. These
stories are lies. | will tell my people
what you say to me and no more. II you
tell me the truth, will tell them the truth,
II you don't tell them the truth, then
what tell them will be lies. have not
killed the whites. have not stolen their
horses, but the people sent the long knives
tsoldiersl against me. Why do you do
that?"
"Bccausc they have believed the stories
they have heard. Do you hate the Amer
icans?"
81 hate them. Do you ask me why?
Because and my people have always
been deceived by them. They asked us to
20 to the gift houses (reservations), and
said they would care for us and feed us.
Many of my people went. They believed
what the Americans said to them. They
were there but short time, and then
they were told that they must farm. Some
of them would not do this. Then they
found their rations were short. 1t is not
many years ago your people said they
would give lis the country Of the black
Hills. They said our children should
have it and own 1t for them; that it
should be our hunting-ground. As soon
as they found there was shining dust
there, they drove us from it, and told us
the country did not belong to us. Such
actions make me so that cannot believe
them. We went away from there peace
ably, though we knew it was rich with
gold, for the sake ofpeace to our wives
and children. The American people sent
the Long-Hair Custer to follow us. Do
you know Of anything we did to bring the
Long-Hair upon us at Little Big Horn
river? No, you don't. Do your people
know of anything we did? No, they
don't. We were assembled there in n
peaceable camp, bunting for meat to feed
our families. What stories did your
people hear that they sent the Long Hair
upon us? Who told you these stories?
II you were ever told that we were hos
tile, it is lie. Whoever told you so is
liar. 1t was a hunting camp. We had
nothing but buffalo, 1t is for
that dislike the Americans. 1t is for
their conduct towards me.
"The buffalo have come down here, and
we follow them. We want meat. There
is nothing for us but the wild game. We
have not come to iniure the white man or
his property. We were forced to come.
He was silent for moment, and then,
his arm toward the South, con-
tinued: Listen, friends. Your people
wanted my country. | have given it to
them, | have not sold it to them. | have
given it to them. Then went off on the
prairie to hunt. Your people followed
me. They drove me away. fled before
them, and left the country behind me.
They came close to the line and built
their soldiers house. The buffalo have
left us. We have followed them. Will
your people not let us hunt in peaceP We
mean them no harm. The white men are
safe. We do not want to steal your
horses. If the Long Knives come we will
meet them. We will take 1,500 lodges.
That is what we had when the Long Hair
came.
"You are mistaken. My people are
willing to have you come back to your
country. They will set apart portion Of
it for you and protect you; they will feed
YOU and your women and children; they
will be your friends; their Long Knives
will be at peace with you, and will be
found your comrades.
Twill not 90 to the gift-house. | am
a hunter, and will hunt as long as there is
wild game on the prairie. When the buf-
falo are gone will send my children on
the prairie to hunt mice, for the prairie
will furnifh wild food for me as long as |
live. do not want to live in house.
Some of my people have gone to live in
houses, Where are they now. Many OF
them are dead"
Almost Paradise.