The Portland daily press., 1880-12-10
THE PONCAS.
Meeting in City Hall Sunday Evening

Meeting in City Hall Sunday Evening
Sunday evening, Mr.. Titles and s'Bright
Eyes," who were invited by Mayor Senter and
other prominent citizens to address our people
on the wrongs of the Poncas will do so at Cit,
Hall. The following, from the intluentia
committee, whose names are appended, viii
tell the whole story of the why and wherefore
of the meeting:
Three years ago, the Ponca tribe of Indians
IoO IN number, peaceful people, always
friendly to the whites, were removed from
their homes In Southern Dakota to the Indian
Territory, against their consent, in plain vic.
iaticn OF law, and. to their own great distress
and sorrow. More than 200 of them died DUR
ing the. first two years. One hundred and
twenty-five others have found their way back
TO ;ne borders % OF the old reservation, and are
living, as best they can, upon the soil. The
rest are still in the Indian Territory, some of
them patiently waiting for the government to
restore them, others becoming discouraged and
Indifferent to their fate.
Those who escaped to the North have made
the most OF the harvest season, and have pro-
vlded themselves with food for the winter:
but, being separated from their people. and
deprived OF their shares in the annuities be.
longing to their tribe, they need at once
clothes, schools and means of providing for
themselves and their families in the future
Since the cause of these people wos present
90 year ago. committee of the United
States Senate, charged with this investigation.
has unanimously reported that the Poncas
were robbed of their lands and were unlawful
~ held as prisoners in the Indian Territory
ana THIS committee with a single exception
recommended their immediate return to the
old reservation, and their reinstatement, as
lar as possible, in all their original treaty
rights. The United States District Court fol
Nebraska had already made similar decision
IN the case OF Standing Bear and others, in the
spring of 1879. Nevertheless, the tribes are
still deprived of their property, and held as
prisoners in what is to them foreign land
Meanwhile, fresh suits at law have been begun
In the United States Courts for Nebraska and
Dakota, to determine finally the question of
ownership; and it is expected that these suits
for which funds were contributed last year
will soon be brought to trial.
other ludlan tribes are held to have no fee
simple in their lands, nor protection for life
and property from the law; are denied the
penents OF the common school system; are for
bidden to engage in the commercial pursuits
OF civilized life, through the laws regulating
the system Of traderships; are subject with.
out redress, to the absolute power of agents ap.
pointed over them by a foreign government
ana nave no appeal except to war. In sympa-
thy with the efforts now making to help a
greatly wronged people, not less than to assist
III placing our government right in this matter
before the tribunal of conscience and history
we have felt called upon once more to ask d)
for the Ponca Indians the earliest possible res
toration to their former homes, now occupied
(2) for titles in fee simple to lands occupied by
all Indians; and (3) for the recognition by
Congress of the citizenship of Indians to the
end that our courts may be open to them with
out question for the redress OF injuries, and for
the prot ction of law in their behalf
70 recall attention to this yet unfinished
work, it is proposed to hold public meetings in
his community and elsewhere, which will be
addressed by Miss Suselte La Flesche ("Bright
Eyes,) of the Omaha tribe OF Indians, and
Mr. L. Fl. Tibbles of Omaha, whose disinter.
ested efforts first awakened the deep and at
tentive interest of the country. They make
no claims and ask no sympathy on their own
behalf; but, in the name of justice, we COM
mend them to the confidence and good will ol
the audiences to whom their appeal will be
made, and all the funds received by tickets
collections or donations above the necessary
expenses of the meeting, will be devoted tc
the objects above stated.
Jonn ID. Long, State House, Boston, Fred.
erick O.. Prince. Mayors Office, City Hall
VIM. H. Lincoln, 80 State street; Edward E
Hale. ~ Highland street; Henry p, Kidder,
40 State street; d. A, Goddard, 20 Courl
street; j. W. Davis, Sears Building; Frank
Wood, 352 Washington street: j. S. Lockwood
381 Washington street.