New-York tribune., 1880-04-04
THE REMEDY FOE THE PoNCAs.

Senator KirkWOod5 c0mmlttee III unO
have carefully investigated the POnca nlay'04 -
and it is to be hoped that whatever Cncy w
ronair this great injustice will be done prCnnp~1
ond ofYactivelv. Every title OF eViuen0o
offered before them has gone to shO" 'no 49, -.
of tbo ;niurv done to the exiled tribe; inc only
defence offered is that the Indian Coilliii0''''0
'A NJ tbiu mistake has already cost .l,o 'l1oe
81 ovor 900 innocent people. Ii is wei. N"J" 20
~ " Iuootnrp sottlers that the strip Oh l",iu ~
W - tLo poncos were forcibly remoVcu 30
49, tbo condition of the water-sprlhgs' i",' t;
III ond heast. Commissioner llay' you
e"J +hot Missouri cattle could not h'o '"0i, -,
NJ DC, orc not acclmated, and never WIZ
- The mortality is as great now as aI 'ne"
srst remoyal. Scarcely any OF 'no o"'iuiV"
nieO 4,;s ,,olorious tract have Outlived their
DoiA. .,d Summer. White Eagle, who was Il SUI
10 o,oo;men of physical manhood when ban
;sbod from his home, is now mere wreck Oh MS
former self; his wife aud children are dead
from molarious fever, and physicians who saw
him when he was in Washington doubted
whether he could survive the Summer. 1he
ONLY chance for his life is prompt removal, Dut
when lie applied for leave to return to Dako."
il was refused. Application has been also made
by the Omahas, for some of their kinsfok' aged
people, who are suffering with malaria, to VISIT
them; but that also has been denied.
Persistence in "a mistake like this Is simply
mnrder If the Poncas are detained IN their
nresont location during the later Spring
months. there will be few left to return to thcir
homes. A bill has been introduced ih'o INC
House appropliating @15O,0O0 for the purchase
of the land where they now are (WHICH Is noV
Government land), in order thar tney iliaS uc
established there permanently Inc III" Vi
Senator Dawes, introduced in the senate "P-
propliates $4,000 to restore them TO t'eir o'u
home. There is little fear that the iirst hlea-
sure will he carried. Why should the people
nav $40. 600 in order that most cruel outrage
should be made perpetual
The story of these men and women IL toid OF
some subjects of the Car, might be cre1ltcu'
l,nt what shall we say of it when they are ci'l-
CONS Of 4 free Republic The Poncas were not
miorotory savages They lived upon land
which was theirs by inheritance for three nun
dred wears. and lately by actual purchase
There still are the houses they built, the farms
tbey filled. If we delay the restoration OF thl'
land. what right have we to Keep tllis mai
White Eagle and his companions Ill Il dlStiIc
where death is certain, when they plead 1ol
leave TO 90 away7 They are not prisoners
they have committed no crime. We are, in
fact, treating them as slaves. The CnAcd
States Government is exercising precisely
the same right over the persons anC
properties Of individuals which she took from
the STAKEHOLDER. 1t is the old story over again
only that Lcgrcc is government, aud tho
...,o1+,- o, ,,,,,~,ior re yvbolcsalp.
The remedy is a simple one. Let Congress.
recognize the Indian as coming under the limit
of the Fourteenth Amendment. Then Whit'
Eagle or any other Ponca can leave the mala-
rious swamp and poisoned water, and go some
where else to save his lifc as the poorest negro
could do, and try his right in the Courts to Tho
possession of the land in Dakota which h'
bought, and the house which he built