The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1879-03-28
A Plea for the lisz perees.

In the Senate February 10th, Hon. r. G.
McCreery, Of Kentucky, made an eloquent
speech favoring the transfer of, the control
of the Indians from the Interior TO the War
Department. 1t is too long to reproduce
entire, but we quote the remarks made re-
gardlng the sending of Joseph and his band
to the Indian Territory:
81 shall say nothing more upon the cues.
tion of transfer, but, by permission, will
add few words upon matter personal in
its character, and having no especial refer
enee to the measure under consideration.
" At the close of the Nez Perces war,
Joseph and about half his tribe were settled
in the northeast corner of the Indian Terri
tory, and very near the Missouri line. They
did not find health and happiness in their
new homes, but they found disease and
death. The yellow fever, the scourge of
the Southern States, In It's most malignant
form. never left such death rate in city,
town or village, as afflicted these Indians
during the months Of August and Septem-
ber last. During those two months was
informed that 90 per cent, of their number
had perished. You could read in their
melancholy faces the story of the terrible
visitation. Their tents were silent as the
tomb save when wall arose, which must
have been for the dead, solemn and i'm
pressive as anything that ever fell from the
pulpit or altar. Their religion even in the
forms Of expression seemed to bear won
derful resemblance to our own. Do unto
others as you would have others do unto
you was pronounced by Nez Percss lips
in tones SO earnest and persuasive that it
sounded like last appeal in behalf Of q
dying race. As they dwell upon the possi-
bilities of a restoration to their old homes
ard early friends, CLEAN of hope would
throw momentary light before them, to
be driven away by the shadow of the cloud
which hangs over them by day and by
night. The climate and atmosphere Of
their present locality affects them like 8
slow and deadly poison. If they stay where
they are, Judging the future by the past,
two will die to every one that is born among
them. 10 e E
They were reared in land where the
water is SO transparent that You can count
the rocks in the bottom of the streams, and
where the air is SO clear and so free from
impurities that you can see an object at a
distance of 90 miles as distinctly as you
could across the Potomac at the Long
Bridge. They cannot Withstand the damps
and fogs and malaria OF the Indian Nation.
If they were sent there as punishment,
their crimes must have been great. Joseph
took up arms to resist the force which had
come to drive him from his country. In his
warfare have never heard it charged Or
insinuated that he was guilty of single act
of brutality or savage ferocity. II such
charge were made should require the most
convincing testimony before would be-
lieve it; for such form and such a face
never covered the heart of villain. He
met force with force 10 cause which he
believed TO be just, and was vanquished in
the fight. He has lost his lands and his
horses, and is now a prisoner and an exile.
Will great and powerful Government find
more satisfaction in applying the slow tor
lures that lead to certain death or in gen.
erous oblivion of the past restoring him to
his friends, and allowing him to spend
peaceful life and quiet old age in the noun
tains of Tdaho9''