The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1879-09-02
A NORTHERN WAR CLOUD.

Late Manitoba news is anything but re-
assuring. Sitting Bull could shake off his
Amealcan allegiance easy enough but to get
rid of his American energy was quite a
different matter. Indeed he seems to have
retained his full measure of restlessness and
to be even yet a cause of fully as much un-
easiness and distrust under British rule as he
used to be when cutting up his didoes beneath
the ample folds of the American flag. Upon
their first arrival on the other side the line
the Sioux were treated as unwelcome i'll
truders by the powerful and warliKe Crees.
The American Indians were looked upon as
interlopers or as paupers who, in subsisting
upon the Canadian Indians buffalo, were
virtually living at the expense of the latter.
Hence the incursion OF the Sioux was resented
as the inroad of crowd of bummers. Armed
hostility was only prevented by the mediation
Of the British officers for whom the Northern
Indians have great respect, and whose advice
they are generally willing to follow. The
Crees were told by their commissioners that
the stay of the Sioux was to be but a
temporary matter, that they would soon
return to the United Stares, and that in
the meantime it was the wish OF the Great
White Mother that her visitors sould be
treated with kindness. Pacified by such as
surances the Crees have kept quiet until
within the past few weeks, but now things
ale beginning to look very much like IN In
dian wal of old time dimensions, off to the
north there, across our northeastern bound
airy. The bufialoes having entirely disap-
peared over all extensive district, a disappear
ance credited to their wanton destruction by
the Sioux, tie Crees are reduced to want, and
goaded by the pangs of hunger have taken
up arms against those whom they consider
the cause Of all their woes. Several skirm-
ishes have already taken place between de-
tached parties, but at last reports the main
body of Cree warriors were threatening all
attack on the entire Sioux encampment.
Sitting Ball, located north of Wood noun
toin, is said to have a following of about
eight thousand, men, ONE and children.
Great Bear, the war chief of the Crees, is
at the head of two thousand warriors. Mad
dened by hunger and exasperated against
those who caused it, the Crees are bent on
war, ard that their hostile demonstration
are no mere feint is evident from the meas
ures resorted to by the Dominion authori-
ties to prevent the impending conflict. Six
companies of mounted volunteer infantry are
being hastily organized and equipped for
active service. The Mounted Police force,
numbering about five hundred, are being
massed into one regiment, TO operate in COLI
junction with the volunteers. Every exer-
ton has certainly been made to prevent an
outbreak, but for all that tie war may
even now be going on. If SO, the next thing
in order may be the pouring across the line of
the whole band of blood-thirsty, desperate
Sioux. Should such an incursion be made
in what condition are we, destitute as we are
of militia and without any militia LAWN
what CONDITION are we to defend ourselves?
Suppose we hear tomorrow that the whole
Sioux tribe is preying upon the herds of East
ern Montana what system of defensive or Of
fenslve warfare have we provided for such All
emergency