Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-13
SCHURZ TO LONG.

Other Prominent Gentlemen of Massa-
chusetts of Talking About Matter on
Whicl, They were not Well Informed,
Eand of Having Quite Upjus.ly Assailed
Him In Connection with the Wrongs of
the Poncas.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-Secretary Schurz
has written Gov. Long, of Massachusetts,
an elaborate letter on the Ponca question, in
which he says: 81 have read full report
of speeches delivered on the resolutions
passed at meeting over which you presid-
ed, held in Boston, the Sd of December, for
the purpose of expressing sympathy with the
Poncas. That meeting was held in the in
terest of justice. It demanded justice for
that Indian tribe, but it seems that none of
the speakers remembered that measure of
justice which is due to the officers of
ths government whose names were con-
neoted with that deplorable affair. Permi {
me to demand justice to them aiso." The
secretary then details the familiar history of
the Ponca trouble and continued: Does it
not appear, IN view of this complication of
difficulties that the Poncas, after the great
fundamental mistake of ceding their lands
to the Sioux in 1868, were more victims of
unfortunate circumstances than of evil de-
sign on the part Of anybody connected with
the Interior Department; and if your meet
ing was called IN the interest Of jnstice,
would itnot have been just to the officers of
the government connected with the affair,
to faty a nj q "a MT pry1f
was repeated in several speeches
in your meeting that now at last
great wrong is published. I beg your
pardon, 1t is Joy no means now that it has
been unearthed. 1t was fully disclosed and
published three years ago; and who did it?
Not you, Governor, nor Mr.. Tibbals, nor
it myself" The secretary proceeds to quote
of the years II and '79, together with ex-
of Indian affairs, presented by him
in ~, rs and '79, and says:
"You will admit that the language employed
done to the Poncas could not have been
stronger. There was nothing concealed or
CLOSED over three years ago, therefore the
demanded, and it was done by this depart
ment. But Congress took no notice of it.
Now read inyour speech that all that was
required to right the wrongs of the Ponces
was heart and shake of the pen On the
part of the principal officer of the govern
ment managing Indian affairs. Three years
ago, by my declaration in the annual report
I showed that had heart for the Poncas
long before the speakers ct your meeting,
but when you said that it required merely a
stroke of pen on my part to return the Pom
cas- to Dakota you had certainly forgotten
that the powers of the executive branch of
the government are limited; that such re-
moval and the resettlement of the Poncas in
Dakota would have required much more
money than they were entitled to, and that
this department had no authority of law
to spend a dollar of money that
was not appropriated" The petition
received from Ponca chief few weeks
ago, asking permission to come on to Wash
ington for the purpose of relinquishing ali
claims to the Dakota lands and making ar
rangements for their location, is next en-
bodied in the letter, and followed up with
this paragraph: 81 notice in your speech a
remark that the petition has been obtained
by fraud or false promises, or
some csjolery. 1 can only assure
you that there is no information
of the department to that effect, and I sup
pose you have none. assure you further
that the petition has not been instigated by
anybody here.s On the contrary, there are
reasons to believe that it vas an outgrowth
of very natural sentiment growing up
among these people, A reference in
the resolution adopted at the Boston
meeting to the arrest of Tibballs, last
summer, on the Ponca reservation, is
contracted with the report made by
Agent Whiting upon the occurrence
in regard to which the secretary adds: 81
am aware that Tibballs says he went there to
have a loyal consultation with the Indians,
and that his life was in imminent danger.
Re frequently speaks of such perils. He
seems to like the robes of martyrdom. From
what know Of the two men, see very good
reason to take the word of Agent
Whitney in preference to that
of Tibballs. Upon this point
I expect you to agree with me one day." As
to the things done by Tibballs on the Ponca
reservation, according to the report of Agent
Whiting, the secretary quotes several Sec
tions of the revised statutes and says:
"When man enters any reservation and
mischieyously tries by false promises, which
he cannot perform, as in this case, or in
any other way, to induce the Indians to run
away, breaking up their settlement, any
Indian agent will make it his duty
to enforce the above provisions of law: "In
regard to the further declaration of this
same resolution it shows o consciousness of
wrong and fear of justice, when the highest
officials belle their principles by denying a
hearing in our courts these who claim the
protection of the laws Secretary Sohurz
remarks, "among other things, that he
officially states he had nc
desire to appeal from or question the correct
ness of Judge Dund's habeas corpus decision
in favor of the Poncas and that he has repeat
edly recommended the enactment of statute
by Congress to extend the full protection OF
law to Indians the same as to white men.
"Under such circumstances" says
the secretary, ~ think you
will admit yourself that the language of the
resolution was highly intemperate and un-