The Portland daily press., 1880-12-13
THE PoNcAs.
A Rcusing Meeting in City Hall.
Little Bright Eyes Narrates the Story Of
Her Wrongs

Little Bright Eyes Narrates the Story OF
Her Wrongs.
City Hall was crowded to repletion last
evening long before the hour designated for
the meeting. and many hundr DIS were COM
PEELED to go away without getting inside the
doors. On the platform we noticed Hons. j..
B. Brown, r. M. Richardson, W. W. Thomas,
Judge Goddard, Charles Mclaughlin, Geo 8.
Hunt. NJ, n. Rich, Nv: G. Davis. A. Chaplin.
Revs. Asa Dalton, G. A. Dickinson and other
of our most prominent citizens, while many
more were scattered through the audience
The meeting was presided over by Mayor
Senter, who, on taking the chair, called upon
the Rev. Asa Dalton who opened the meeting
with prayer.
Mayor Senter then spoke as follows:
am reminded, upon looking over this audi
ence and considering what may be their view
upon the Indian subject, of question put to
his congregation by Father Taylor, the sea-
mems preacher, on commencing a sermon in
Chestnut street chapel in this town:-"Why
are you here?" And he answered for them,
Because you are not so good as you ought to
be and need to be better"
might ask the same question in relation to
Many of you may say that it sis no affair of
mine," and that you have only the curiosity to
hear about it. But the fact is every individual
In this hall is as much responsible for wrongs
done the Indian, as much guilty for the injur .
les they have received by any employe of this
Government as any other individual in any
part of the United States
We pride ourselves that we live in times
greatly advanced in all that promotes the we'll
being of man-that humanitarian principles
and practices are beneiting all races and all
classes. Don't fatter yourselves too much
Not spot on the civilized globe that is not oc-
cupied by interlopers, Surely not on this con-
tinent, and in every instance driving the occu-
pants before them at the point of the bayonet,
or, more mercifully, bayoneting them. We
have not the excuse which the Jews under
Joshua had when he put every man, woman
and child to the sword, also their cattle, be-
cause there was not room enough to support
two colonies. ass -,e@,sl ~
But We have the audacity to claim, as did
the jews, that they were chosen people, and
were replacing wicked race by Gods people.
When England forcibly opened the ports of
China to trade and compelled China to receive
opium, the effect of its use being worse than
death, for death is inevitable ana not calam-
John Quincy Adams justified Eng.and's
course because it would be the means of in
Producing the Gospel into China. And
when the United States fought Mexico
and wrested from her portion of her terri
tory, there was an article In our Portland Mir
ror, of fou: columns, fortified by Scripture.
lustifying that war on the part of civilized
against half civilized country ON the same
ground, that the gospel would now be intro
duced
1t is said that counter stretches the whole
length of our shores, and that the visitor is
met at the counter, on his arrival, by some one
ready to trade. Also that the commandments
OF our citizens are ten rules of arithmetic
such as addition to worldly property substrac-
tion from our neighbors' multiplication of
worldly interests, division of property and so
on. Let it be go no longer. The United Stotes
canuot afford to do wrong. The United States
can afford to be just. Our government will do
what the people-you and I-what each of us
individually, and therefore, of course, collect
ively. know to be right and demand to be
DONE If there are any in the audience who
think the Indians barbarians, their race run,
and that they must yield like old trees to
young growth, perhaps they may hear some
thing that will modify their views tonight.
In order to an elucidation of the topic of the
evening, call your attention to the remarks
tive business there, but having taken a warm
interest In the we'll being of our hard used
red brethren, has sacrificed time and means
for their welfare.
The Mayor then introduced Mr.. Lincoln of
Boston of whose speech we can only give
brief abstract. He showed how of the mil
lions voted to the Indians but a little reached
their hands, and how sthe Indian was NAL
treated BY the Int rior Department.
MR.. LINcoLN's REMARKS.
Mr.. Lincoln said: rejoice that the peole of
Portland have manifested such strong desire
to hear the presentation Of the subject that
concerns the welfare of the Indian race. Last
winter was ths first time in the history of the
country that an Indian was permitted to ap-
peal directly to the people. Standing Bear,
chief of the Poncas, and Bright Eyes, daughter
OF the chief OF the Omahas, appeared in several
OF the large cities OF the country and aroused
the people to q sense of the injustice that had
been done. Massachusetts responded nobly to
the call, and the noble hearted Senators are
heartily enlisted in our cause. We remember
with satisfaction the record of your own hon.
ored Senator. Mr.. Hamlin, and we are assured
II will crafty him to see that in his own state
movement has commenced. The people of
the country are not aware of the crselties and
barbarities that are constantly being inflicted
by the government upon a weak and helpless
race. Thy do not know the perfect system
of despotism that has been created for the gov
ernment of the Indian tribes, and under which
they are starved, robbed and murdered. They
hold an indistinct idea that the Indian Ring
assumes control of all this business and that
the indians do not receive tthe of the money
that is appropriated for them; but who is re-
sponsible, or in what way it is done, is not
clear to them. 1t is the object of these meet
ings to enlighten the public Our statements
are derived from the reports of the agents and
from other authentic sources The remov al of
the Poncas In violation of the law that re-
quired their consent and of our solemn pledges
and treaties, has aroused public attention as
we'll as Indignation. The Secretary claimed a
year ago that it was through mistake, but
that he was not responsible for it, ana that the
tribe were}comfortably provided for, and if not
disturbed by any hope that their wrong would
vestigation before the Senate committee last
spring proved there was no truth in these
statements;s that the Secretary of the anterior
was duly informed of all the facts in the case
by responsible parties; that he received the
protests against their removal from the tribe
and their white neighbors; yet by his direct
order they we're torn from their homes and
forced at the point of the bayonet to remove
Furthermore, they were not provided for at
all, but were living in miserable tents and dy-
ing rapidly from the malaria of the climate.
Nearly one-third died in less than tw. wears.
and the remainder are sick and discouraged.s
The administration of Indian affairs the
past four years is a disgrace to our country
The massacre of the Cheyennes, the war with
the Nez Perces and the removal of the Poncas
are the darkest pages in our history. and all
these outrages occurred under tho direction of
the present Secretary He has opposed every
attempt to give civil liberty to this oppressed
people, to secure to them any right whatever
in the courts. Neither has he given to a sim
gle Indian any title to land, though he has
been recommending such plan for several
years, and can give to several tribes that are
anxious for it title to their homes. The re-
port Just issued makes most favorable mention
OF the progress of the Indians in the arts. of
civilization, and boasts of what has been done
by the department. in the way of educating
the children. 1t states that over 300 children
are being educated In the East, as if some
thing wonderful has been done. But when
we consider there are over so, 900 Indian child
rem of schooi age, the affair seems very puny
in comparison with our duty in this RESPECT.
The ground we assume is that liberty must
precede, not follow, education. First give the
Indians protection of law, and then give them
the privileges of education. But If they are
persons they are no longer wards, and cannot
be plundered and murdered at pleasu re. They
can then claim the same rights that the worst
criminals from Europe claim the moment they
land upon our shores. But this would demoi-
ish the whole fabric of oppression and wrong
that has be N constructed for the purpose Of
robbery and -poiation. Under this system an
agent is appointed to each tribe with authority
more absolute aud despotic than that DOS ,essed
5y any monarch in Europe. From his decision
there is no appeal. He can arrest and impris
on any Indian without any process of law. and
tnx,r