Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1879-03-14

f"or and yielded his time to Mr.. FENN.
! Mr.. FEM. To show the CONF
dence to be placed in the reports of
agents ! wish to cali the attention OF
the committee to his statement, that
thirteen spoke in favor of transfer and
five against, Moses among ehe number,
when chief Moses lives on the Colum-
bia river, one hundred and CITY miles
away, is not Nes Perce, and has not
been at the Nes Perce reservation for
twenty years, and probably not in his
life.
| Mr.. WILLIAMS, Of Oregon. Il
there Nez Perce chief Of that name ?
/ Mr.. FEM. Not one.
j The agent attempts to explain the
action by asserting that the chiefs wished
to perpetuate their power aud thought
they could best do SO by being under
military control.
/ Let me say in regard to this very
matter that less than one year ago d
petition addressed to Congress was cir
caIatcd among the Nes Pcrees, got up
by their representative mec: in which
they asked to break up the reservation,
dissolve their tribal relations, homesis, ID
their lauds, and become citizens Of the
! United States. They desired to have
the petition translated into the Nez
Perez lang guagc that it might be under
stood by ALL Il was sent 70 the Lap
wal agency. where tins man Mont;et!,
| is, and no refused to alloW the iDtsr
pretor to translate it, saying By acts II
not by words that they must be kept 10
their present condition eternally.
Now, Mr.. Chairman, let me read for
you tho report Of an army officer who
was tnere at that time. But before I
read this report let me say to the House
that | stand here responsible for what I
state, that Capt. Flick, captain Of the
I'd infantry, stationed at Fort Lapwai
authorized ma to speak fully what
now state. I asked him, 'Win YOU
state to me the facts and circumstances
connected with that council aud allow
INC to make use Of your name?" He
answered, Yes. Mr.. Fem; you can use
it on any and all occasions" In ac-
cordance with that permission | will
say that be told NE that on the evening
! before the council large number ol
} representative men of the tribe came Il
h'm-and, by the way at that time ht
lived only two miles from the agency
! where the council was held they cam,
, to him aud asked him to come down t,
He present at the council. saying theJ
dil not believe the proceedings Of thu
! council would be properly represented
) to the Government by the agent unless
0 he went there. Pursuant to the reques
$ he went to the council and there reac
tho instructions given to tho agenr. Fl,
= remained there and the vote was taken
/ and OF the representative men OF th
i tribe there were III for the transfe
d aud 6 against it. The agent made
. long speech against the transfer, con
e lrary to his express instructions trol
a the department. But let the report {
n Capt. Falck speak for itself. I res
J. from page As Of the repor. of the joir
IS commission on the transfer. but beor
> do SO | will state that III the evdene
,r taken by the commission, cnmmencin
= on page 80, there are Eve pages I
statements from reports of councils.hel
:, y under the instruct ions of july IS, 1871
~ =, md the mass Of them, believe. are
,e unreliable as those OF Montieth.
ne would be as contrary to the rule Of a
es ton of an Indian agent to allow an L
W dian council 10 express an unbiass
ar. o. opinion as it would for him to faithful
is report their real state and conditio
,ir when by 50 doing he would tactly a
IN init hi. own iueficiency and corruprio
y =. Let the straightforward report OF Il
he council, made by Capt. F.lck. be Cot
as pared with Montieth's report with
ch false hood aud misstatemeuts:
in FoRr LAPwAi, IDAHO. August 81, 49,
nd SIR: At the III gent solicitation OF Jan
Ito Lawyer, chief Of the Nez Perce IndisI
ed and other subchiefs of The tribe, / attend
We a general council of Indians held at /
'ar agency on the 28th instant. bad neitt
rs1 received an intmstion that such coun
e WAS to be held from Monteith, the age
pc. nor had az invitation from him to atte
it. The council was convened by order
the acting Commissioner of indians
. fairs, aud its object was to fiud out whe
er the Indians were in favor of being tra
nm. ferred to the War Department or rem
=, under the control OF the lnterior Depa
y" ment. All the representative men Of
In tribe were present, and after fuil disc
md sion Of the subject vote was taken. VIII
ian resulted 10 III votes being cast for ira
o,t fer to the War Department against yo
-, against it.
-, The trouble is, Bower, that many Of
e'' Indians think now that this is the END
re- the matter, and that the officers have c
rce troll OF them. Many Of them have beer
ell. see me 10 some cases asking for permit,
leave the reservation, &c. / have inv
bly, tried to make ihem understand I
e"' before Congress acts on the question I
rem ain nnder the control OF their ~,
the James Lawyer, Jonah and many Of