The New York herald., 1879-03-11

The majority of the missing are women and chill
dren, and arc supposed to have died in the bluffs.
or the prisoners there have been sent to the Red
Cloud Agency ffty-eight.
twenty.
II Is difcuit to arrive at correct estimate OF all
the motives which Influenced the Chcyepnes in
strict limits of this investigation or con.
sidcring not developed by It. Tho village
of these In.ans numbering over a thousand souls.
destroyed b. General Mckenzie in tho Big Horn
range in the sa of ls76 Left Mt inclcnent
without u tcpce. they applied to their allirs. the
Sioux for shelter and were refused or were at least re-
ceived very coldy sying no Other courss sney sur m
60 to the Indian Territory, largely influenced thereto
by cicf standing Elk. suppoacd to be southern
Cheyenne. II is not known to the Board what assur-
given to then by the government, or what
promises, IL sny. were broken. They were probably
received very codly By the southern Indians. snd
OF their treatment by the Southern Indians II Il
easy TO imagine that they were quite justified in
their surrender and at Fort Robin
son in October last II is understood that certain
state authorities intended 10 make a demand upon
tribunals OK the perpetrators OF certain outrngcs
charged upon these Indians. That demand would
be emincniy proper and right but II could only refer
~ tho guilty upon duo identincsticn. Tho
punishment for these acts of entire band tribe or
mont and not properly to b. delegated TO any infe
rior authority. II In quite probable that idcntih-
cation OF tho gunty might hnvo becn imposstuio,
but might II not as well have been attempted
at Fort Rsbinson elsewhere? Could not tho
state officers gone 10 that place for the purpose9
Apart from these outlages. did the dieaity OF the
government require the forcible removal of these
people back 20 the Indian Territory AZ any
rate, prior 10 = full investigation into the
merits of their cornplains, II IL neither tho
province the intention of the Board TO criticise
its superors. but is convinced that the return OF
these Indians % the south could only have boom ac-
complishcd by bloodshm and 10 desires 70 point out
the only course which II seems 20 think could have
avoided that issue.
the STARVATION roLsoy.
In view Of the orders received. tho only question
left with the military authorities at Fort Robinson
the least shedding of blood. The recourse 10
measures of starvation bears too strong an
analogy to the ancient but NOE exploded practice of
torture applied to the prisoner 10 compel confession
not to startlc the supporters OF modern lcnicncy.
But what military course could have been deviscsif
no alternative but to consent to return; that
violent outbreak OF some sort must occur should
have been apparent 10 every who considered the
temper of the Indians. Had Il beon prncti-
cable TO secure barricadcs TO prevent thor
actual exit from prison u Is altogether prob
themselves rather thsr surrender. That they
would attempt 60 escape on the night Of January
to have been clearly indicated that day and
was even predicted In view OF these circumstances
IL would seem that sufficient precautions were
not taken. 1t was msnfcstly an OF judg-
ment to rclinquish the guard. at least
the watch over the Indians when discovered in their
point out after the event what might
or should have been done before II that
tho Board finds 10 difncult 20 condemn On
oicer who was otherwise jealous In the discharge &c