Daily Republican., 1880-04-14
THH IEDIANs.
Their Grievances thei subJess Of q
Lecture Last EVENING, NJ the
0entraI PresbyteFtan Church, by
s.Rsighs Eyes" and Mr.. ). III. Tib.
bies, ESQ.,, OF Om sha. Nebraska.

oSS AsSs'S - VAhhAs noDHAs81
A very large congregation curious tc
gaze at an Indian lady assembled In
8 the Central Presbyterian Church last
evening. J. Il. Tibbles, Esq., an
Omaha lawyer, and "Bright Eyes" q
Ponca Indian girl, spoke Of the
grievances to which the red man Ia sub,
jsctsd, aud referred rather pointsdly to
certain United States oqicial.
MIR. Tiblss tOek retrospective view
OF the past one hundred years and min.
ntely referred to the manner in which
the Indian has gradually lest the con-
tiol OF his land and property. His
rights never have been respected. He
is not allowed the advice Of a lawyer
nor is he permitted TO sue any person.
He is not even permitted to sell or buy
to or from whom he desires. IL he en-.
cages in farming and raises wheat he
can sell 1t to no one but an agent who
| is appointed by the Government; and
thus the agent having no competitors,
demands what ever price he wishes for
his articles and in exchange for the
wheat gives groceries and calico, there
by gaining all the profit for himself.
Should person do otherwise he would
be fined $500 and be imprisoned six
months,
Ii an Indian wants TO leave his conn
try, he has to apply to the agent for
pass. Consequently this state of affairs
makes him Dissatisfied and 1t is not
strange that General Cook was con-
strained TO say: five treated emigrants
like We do the Indian they would soon
become bowling vagabonds and mur.
derers.' Some one asks why is the In
dian thus dealt with. Some one an
swers that he does no. understand our
language. Another person says it Is
because he holds his land in common.
The Menonites do the same thing.
Such are not the true reasons, however,
he is an outcast, he has not the protec-
ton of the law.
Any one who traspasses upon the
lands OF the Menonites will be promptly
dealt with, but the people knowing
that the Indian can not 60 to Court and
sue out warrant, do Whatever they
wish upon the Indians land. The
lecturer continuing said there were two
ways by which this problem might be
solved: First, by appealing to Con-
gress and asking it to protect the In |
dian. Second, by getting the courts to
fulfill the fourteenth amendment. Some
people said that the Indian was not
born in the United State2, out that idea
was dispelled when the Government en-
deavored to collect the revenue upon
cigers and tobacco. which he refused to
pay, saying thst the Government could
not collect taxes 'outside of the United
States" Other people said the Indian
Is not legal person, and has 40 rights
which the white man is bound to re-
spect.
The Ponca Indians purchased their
land from the Government and erected
churches, schools and dwellings.
Many Of them died In saving the lives
Of white persons and Carl Schurz said
Penca Indian never killed a white
man. Still this tribe was driven from
its own land 10 the Indian territory.
A bill appropriating S25, 900 for the re-
moval Of the Indians to Indian Terri.
tory passed the Senate, and afterwards
the appropriation was increased $15.-
900. They were to be removed only
by their own consent.
They refused to go. They had pur-
chased the land and did not want to
give 1t up. They wanted to remain
where their fathers and children were
buried. Mr.. Kemble told them that
the President had ordered them to 60.
They still remained intact and refsusd
10 do so.
Finally he persuaded ten chiefs to 60
with him and examine the Indian Ter
ritory, and when they saw the Paw
nees dying Of fever and gazsd upon the
Cheyennes, they again refused to re.
move to the land which was assigned
to them by the Government. Mr.. KEN
BILE told them that they would be fer.
ced to do so. They then were over
1,000 miles from their homes, they had
come in railroad cars and knew not
what direction to take on their return,
they could not speak our language and
had no money. They asked for funds
with which to pay their expenses and
also for an interpreter that they might
not bs killed as hostile warriors.
All aid was refused them and Kem-
BILE returned alone. At midnight the
Indians also commenced to start for
home, and after days had elapsed they
arrived at their village in starving
condition. Kemble had preceded them
and was Just in the act of sending the {
remaining Indians to the Indian Terri
tory, but his efforts were frustrated by
the chiefs who had returned. They
finally were compelled to 60 at the
point of the bayonet, and in less than
three months their death record was
greater than at Memphis during the ,
yellow fever epidemic. Ii
The lecturer spoke Of numerous other
cruelties which we're inflicted upon the
indians and expressed the hope that
they would have the same rights as
Chinaman or Negro. Only give them the
products Of their farms and free mar
ket, said he, and they will take care Of
themselves.
"Rright Eyes," female, Indian said
that she had lived with her people (the O
Omaha Indisps) all her life, except
for two years when she was at school
in New Jersey. Sometimes she felt r
bitterly toward the white race for the .
injustice which they did the Ponoa In
dians, who were peaceful tribe.
They had been robbed Of property s
which was worth thousands of dollars
bat the Government had not offered to g
relieve the loss. The Government gave II
her people no arms ana treated them g
worse than dogs. frequently they a