The New York herald., 1879-12-09
STANDING BEARS COMPLAINT.

DRIVEN FROM HIS HOME By SOLDIERS AND
FORCED TO LIVE IN A TENT-THE SUFFER-
INGs OF THE PoNcAs.
About a score of prominent clergymen and other
citizens at reception given Last evening by
Mr. Josiah NJ. Fiske at his residence. No. 900 Fifth
avenue to three Indians. They Standing Bear,
chief of the Ponca tribe. and woodcarver
and Bright Eyes. son and daughter OF the
chief of the Omahas. They travelling in the
East with Mr. Tibbles. of OMAHA trying to get help
to carry through certain suits in the Supreme Court
of the United States for the purpose of having In
dans recognized persons under the United States
law. The movement has the support of Ex-Governor
Seymour. President seely, of Amherst; DIR. F. D.
Huntingdon. Bishop Garrison and many Others
equally prominent.
The party is an interesting one. Standing Bear is
typical Indian chief. who looks uncomfortable in
civilized clothing. but is full of dignity. Wood
carver is most intelligent young man. and Bright
Eyes is cultivated young lady. of whom two years
in an Eastern school and strong of her peo-
ple's wrongs have made an earnest woman
of far more than average ability. Mr.. lib
bles made brief speech explaining the
especial wrongs of the Ponca tribe. He showed
that 1t the only Indian tribe that had
law the Poncas had been driven away from their
homes against their will though Ponca had ever
been known to kill white man and the tribe had
always been at peace with the United States. For
escaping from the reservation Standing Bear had
been arrested, and on the way back he (Mr.
Tibbles) had sued out writ of habeas corpus ana
set him at liberty This he claimed, the first
in which writ of habeas corpus had ever been
granted to Indian and the United States govern
ment contested it and had appealed it, making only
one issue OF the case-i. e. that an Indian is not
person. He cited numerous authorities showing
that the Indian is not projected by any form Of law
and that the ground that he was not "persop" was
the ground which he is excluded from citizenship
under the fourteenth amendment
STANDING BEARS SPEECH
Standing Bear then made a speech in the Ponca
tongue. Bright Eyes interpreting. Ho ssid:-"I
want first to give my thanks p the people who give
Your government has treated unjustly, aud it is
time you people knew it. We owned piece of land.
as my fathers could remember. We hunted and
fshed till the white people overran the
country. Then we ploughed and planted and
ago, man came with the agent and said he came
from Washington. He told US to go to the Indian
to We Until
point OF the bayonet. On the way the reserva-
tion many women and children died. andwe buried
Of our people died. fed with thirty Of
my people. went to Washington and asked
the President s BY what si authority we had been
our removal. Who gave the people at Washington
authority to take our lands? Did you? Did you
been to Boston. They knew nothing about 1t there.
1t is natural for the strong to desire to help the
weak. You are strong and we are weak. II your
buildings should burn down you could build them
up. Our people are almost exterminated. You can
help to save them There are only few left. 1t is
only just to give them their rights.
We ask you to use it. The government
has been treating us unjustly many years 1t your
place to see that your magistrates do right. Two
years ago had house. built it with my own
hands. 1t not fnc this one but It was
mine No man had right TO take It. had horses
and CATTLE Now have nothing but tent At WASH
ington one man has unlimited power over many
people. He has no right to have it For years and
years these wrongs have gone on. There has
been one to tell our side of the story.
When left the West had q brother and
sister. I thought a. much of them, perhaps
as you do Of yours. Ny brother was twice put in
Jail for trying to get back to his own home. Since
have been in the East he shot by the soldiers
by the order of the agent for trying to escape 1t is
time such wrongs were righted quickly. have told
the truth God sees men who use two sets OF words.
know he would not help me II did 70. have
DONE"
In a general conversation Bright Eyes then ex-
planned the perfect satisfaction of all who heard
her the for complaint that the Indians have.
and told Of many specific hardships and of the op-
pressions which make some Indian tribes desperate.