Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-04-01
tuesday evening, April l. 1873.
AN INDIANS VIEW OF INDIAN
AFFAIRS.
What Chief Joseph Cannot Understand,
and What no One Has Ex-
planned to Him.
American Review for April.l

North American Review for April.i
| have shaken hands with a great
many friends, but there are some
things | want to know which no one
seems able to explain. | cannot un-
derstand how the government sends a
man out to fight US, as 1t did General
Miles. and then breakits word. Such
a government has something wrong
about it. l cannot understand why so
many chiefs are allowed to talk 50
many different ways, and promise so
many different things. l have seen
the great father THE President), the
next great chief (the secretary Of the
INTERIOR, the commissioner (Hoyt),
the law chief General Butler and
many other law chiefs (cOngresSmen)
and they all say they are my friends
and that / shall have justice, but
while their mouths all talk right | do
not understand why nothing is done
for my people. / have heard talk and
talk, but n0thingi Is done. Good words
do not last long unless they amount to
something. Words do not pay for my
dead people They do not pay for my
country, now overrun By Ehita men.
They do not protect my father grave.
They DO not pay for all my horses and
cattle. Good words viii not give me
back ny children. Good words
VIII not make good the prom
iss Of your war chief. General
Miles Good words VIII not
gre ny people good health and
stop then from dying Geoi words
Wi n1i eHr ny people home where
fhEy car Ire n peses and take care Of
tbsusslTss an tired q talk that
cOuHs 70 nUthinE II make M heart
sex when / remember az the good
words and az The hr1kH u1omissz
There has been too mueh taking b.
men who had DO rlEhI 10 talk Too
many misrspressntsnuns have been
made, TOO many Misunderstanding
hHTs come up between the Ehiis men
and the Indians IL the white nan
wants 20 live in peace With the Indian
be can live IN peace. There need Be
no trouble. Treat al men alike
give them al the same law. Give
them all an even chance 10 lire and
grow. All men were made by the
same Great Spirit Chief. They are
all brothers. The earth is the mother
Of all people, and al people should
have equal rights upon it. You might
as well expect the rivers 10 run back
ward as that any man who was born a
freeman should be contented when
penned up and denied liberty to %
where he pleases. If you tie a horse
to a stake do you expect be will grow
ftE If you pen an Indian up on a
small spot Of earth. and compel hin
to stay there. he win not be eontented
nor will he grow aud prosper / have
asked some Of the great white chief
where they get their authority to sa-
to the Indian that he shall stay in on,
place, while he sees white men goint
where they please. They cannot eel
me
l only ask Of the government to b,
treated as all other men are treated
If cannot go to my own home. let M
have a home in some country wher
my people will not die so fast.
would like to 90 to Bitter Root vale,
There my people would be healthy
where they are now they are DIVING
Three have died since / left my cam
to come to Washington.
When / think of our condition m
heart is heavy. | see men Of my rae
treated as outlaws and driven frol
country to country, or shot down lL
animals.
| know that my race must chang
We cannot hold our own with I'll
white man as we are. We only ask a
ever chance to live as other men liv
We ask to be recognized as men. W
ask that the same law shall work alil
on all men. If the Indian breaks Il
law, punish him by the law. If Il
white man breaks the law punish hi
also.
Let me be a free man-free to ira,
ell, free to stop, free to work, free
trade where [ choose, free to choo.
my own teachers, free TO follow II
: religion Of my fathers, free to thin
and talk and act for myself-and
will obey every law, or submit to Il
penalty.
Whenever the white man treats ii
Indian as they treat each other, the
we will have no more wars. We sha
all be alike-brothers of one faith.
and one mother, with one sky abo'
us, and one country around us, an
n government for all, Then Il
Great Spirit Chief who rules abo,
will smile upon this land, and ser
rain to wash out the bloody spo
made by brothers hands from the ia,
Of the earth. For this time the Ii
dian race are waiting and praying.
hope that no moro groans Of woundt
men and women will ever 20 20 ii
ear Of the Great Spirit Chief aboy
and that all people may be one peopl
In-mut-too-ya lat lat has spoke
for his people.