The Portland daily press., 1879-04-22

In its inefRciency, BY anything In frontier his-
tory. After 1t was known that the Chsyennes
mad lett their reservation in the Indian Terri
tory and were travelling north, no action wsa
taken by the officer 10 command of the depart.
ment, Gen. John Pope, to re-capture them, te
even arrest their progress, and after haltirg
several days on the south bank Of the Arkansas
river selecting their crossing, the Indians
crossed iand continued their journey. They
left the reservation Sept. 9th, and Ii was Sept.
18th when they forded the river. Here: the ey
killed several herders and burned house.
An appeal for assistance was made to Gov.
Anthony, then Chief Executive Of the State,
and he applied to Gen. Pope asking for arms
and ammunition with which to equip citizens,
If United States forces could not protect the
frontier. Gen. Pope treated the report as Q
SCARE" and assured Gov. Anthony first that
there were no Indians abroad, and afterwards
that the Indians were few In number and free
from hostile intent From Sept. 18th until
Got. 18th reports were coming In Of murders
and outrsges by the Cheyennes as they crcssed
the State, and several applications for aid we're
made to the Commander Of the Department By
the Governor in person, but Gen. Pope still
laughed at the rumors of nassacres. On the
day that eighteen men were killed on Ssppa
Creek in Kansas, and other worse ontrsges
committed by the Indians, Gen. Pope, at LeAv-
enworth, authorized Gov. Anthony to say 70
all parties on the line of the Kansas Pacific
Railroad that the Indians had all left the State
with military In close pursuit mot hostiIe
Indian within hundred miles," The Chey.
ennes travelled at the rate of about ten miles
day, and the military sin close pursuit" were
unable to overtake them. After killing over
forty men, ravishing and worse than murdering
many women, and plundering q wide district,
the Cheyennes proceeded In safety into Ne.
braska, and 1t was not until November that
even portion of the band were captured.
The tragic fate Of the captured Cheyennes Is
matter of recent history. OF them only seven
warriors, wounded and prisoners, are now
alive.
There was no organization OF State militia
that could be made effective 10 Indian warfare,
but whatever could be done with the resources
at his command appears to have been done by
Gov. Anthony who sent arms and ammunition
for the use Of volunteers to the points most
available fer their distribution to the districts
threatened. This account Of the Indian raid
and the inaetion Of the military department
have taken from the last message OF Gov.
Anthony to the Legislature In January 1879.
He charges that in the matter thers was Rrrat
blame somewhere. but makes no more specific
charge than to say "Confding in the superior
knowledge Of Gen. Pope, and his positive and
repeated assurances of protection, I did DGs
act, beyond urging and demanding what the
State had right to expect from the General
Gosernment-Absoluts protection. That Gen.
Pope was sincere in his assurances Of safety
there can be no doubt. That he was sadly In
error cannot be denied" A letter Of Gen. Pope
to Gov. Anthony in December charges the re-
spousibiity upon the Indian agents, and the
fact was he had nothing bat infantry with
which to pursue mounted Indians.
So serious an outbreak Of Indians from the
Territory into Kansas will probably never oo-
cur again, or indeed Indian troubles Of any
kind, unless the Government should try 10
move any Of the Sioux tribes to the Indian Ter
ritory. The Sioux and their allies, the North
ern Chsyennes, are brave people who will not
live away from their favorite hunting grounds
in the North, and, II removed to the South,
will face any risk In their efforts to return to
them. It was baud Of the latter that broke
loose last fall, and remnant left behind num-
bering about sixty warriors, undismayed BY tie
fate Of the Cheyennes captured last November,
are threatening to start North as soon % the
green grass 10 high enough to feed their ponies.
But very complete precautions have been taken
against another raid, and on the border there
are no fears of any trouble this season. The
present Chief Executive Of Kansas. Gov. J. p.
81. John, himself IN experienced Indian fight
or, has organized company Of rangsrs 10 pa-
troll the southern BOUNDARY Of the Stats In the
part that would be crossed In hostile incursion
from the Indian Territory. The rangers num-
ber fifty men, each furnished with . good
horse, Spencer carbine, and two Dragon re-
volvers and being composed of selected men
are of themselves force that no ordinary band
of Indians, however desperate, would bs able
to get away with. Then in the most exposed
towns, as In Garden City, volunteer companies
have been formed, commanded by men familiar
with the plains, so that'the appearance in Kan
sss of band of hostile Indians would. at the
first news, bring into the field mounted force
that, unlike the regular military force, have
| lOBt luQldQ6 auu nko uuuhue ~ ooA1Cos w hA@>~
them.
In this time of great immigration and devel-
opment, Kansas is especially fortunate in the
man that for the present two years is occupying
| the office Of Chief Executive. Gov. st. John
| is pre-eminently Western man. His opening
manhood was passed on the Pacific slope In the
| early days of the California gold excitement.
| Returning to his native State, Illinois. he en-.
gagged in the practice OF law until the breaking
| out of the rebellion. He fought through ths
war in Illinois regiments, first Is Captain and
afterwards as Colonel, and after the war set.
tied iu Independence, Missouri. As the ex'
| Confederates returned to power 1t became toe
hot for pronounced Republican to live in that
part of Missouri and Col. s.. John moved I,
Olathe in Kansas. He speedily took rank n
i one of the foremost lawyers In Kansas, was &C
tive in all public matters, and hts election las
fall was fitting recognition of his ability ant
devotion to the public welfare. He is the frs
Governor of Kansas that has been inaugurstet
with public ceremonies, and also the first Wit
has made the temperance question q distinctive
issue in his candidacy. Gov. 81. Johns politi
cal conduct has been honest and his capacity FOL
public affairs is generally recognized. In hi
private life Gov ST. John Is without reproach
His habits are simple and unostentatious ant
his manners. though quiet, are thoroughly gen
ial. His personal bravery is distinguished ans
he is one Of the best rife shots in tho Who'll
West. At the age Of forty-three he Is illinl
the highest office in the commonwealth o
Kansas, and his present position may be rs
garded as only fairly commencing a career Q
political honor. o.. r
Magazine Notices.
The May number of the Atlantic Is eve
more Bostonisn than the ..naeszins is won.
be. 1t has an essay on the labor questio
which shows how ,,a. los. bonnv and bo