The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-12-13
SHURZ'S DEFENSE
OF TEE GOVERNMENTS COHDUCT.IN
TEE RoHCA AFHAIk.

OF TEE GOVERHMEA1B CONDUCT
TIE PoHCA AFKAIk.
Letter 70 Gov. Long, of Massachusetts,
He ArrniE.s the Recent Meeting In
Boston, and Claims to Have
Unearthed the Ponea's
Wrongs HinselE
WASHINGTON, December 12.-Secretar
schurE has written Governor Long. Q
Massachuttes, an elaborate letter on tn
Ponca question in which he says: / hay
read q full report OF the speeches de
livered on the resolutions passed at
meeting in which you presided, held q
Boston, on the Sd OF December, for tn
purpose Of expressing sympathy with tn,
Poncas. That meeting was held in thl
interests Of justice and II de
manded justice for that Indiar
tribe, but 1t seems that not one Of thi
speakers remembered that measure o
Justice which Is due TO the officers OF tn,
government whose names were connected
with this deploration Of affairs. Permi
me to demand justice to them also. TAt
Secretary then details the familiar his
tory OF the Ponca troubles, and continues
Does It not appear in view OF thil
complication OF difficulties that the Pom
cas-, sitter the great fundamental mistake
OF ceding their land to the Sioux in 1858,
were more the victims OF unfortunate cir.
cumstances than OF evil design on the
part OF anybody connected with the Inte-
rior Department, and II your meeting
was called in the interest Of justice would
1t not have been Just to the officers OF the
Government connected with this affair to
take the circumstances into account? Il
was reported in several speeches in
your meeting that now at last
the great wrong to the Poncas
has been unearthed. I beg your pardon,
1t is by no means new that 1t has been un-
earthed. It was fully disclosed and pub
lished three years ago, and who did It?
Not you, Governor, nor Mr.. Tibbles, nor
Senator Dawes, nor Mayor Prince, but /
did 1t myself.
The Secretary proceeds TO quote extern
siye passages from his annual reports OF
the years OF lS77.79. together with extracts
from reportsof the Commissioned OF Indian
Affairs, presented by him in 1877. 1878 and
1879, and says: You will admit that the
language employed In these reports, with
regard to the wrong done to the Poncas,
could not have been stronger. There was
nothing concerted or CLOSED over three
years ago, therefore the matter was fully
unearted and reparation demanded, and
It was done by this department, but Con-
gress took no notice fit. Now read in
your speech that all that was required
to right the wrongs Of the Poncas,
was heart and stroke OF the pen on the
part Of the principal officers Of the Gov.
ernmsnt managing Indian affairs. Three
years ago, by my dictation In the annual
report, showed that I had heart for
the Poncas long before the speakers at
your meeting, but when you said that /.
required merely stroke OF the pen on my
part to return the Poncas to Da.
kota, you had certainly forgotten
that the powers Of the execu-
tive branch Of the Government are
limited. That such removal and the
resettlement OF the Poncas in Dakota
would have required much more money
than their support where they were, and
this Department had no authority Of law
to spend dollar OF money that was not
appropriated. The petition received from
the Ponca chiefs, OF few weeks ago, ask
ing permission to come on to Washington
for the purpose Of relinquishing all claims
TO Dakota lands and making arrange
ments for permanent settlement in their
present location ID next embodied In q
letter followed up with this paragraph
F" notice in your speech a remark thlt
this petition has been obtained by fraud
or false promises or some rajolery." I can
only assure you that there is NO informa.
ton in this department to that effect, and
suppose you have none. may
assure you further that the petition
has not been instigated by anybody
On the contrary there are reasons TO be-
lieve that 1t was the outgrowth Of the very
natural sentiments growing up among
those people. A reference In resolution,
adopted at Boston, for the arrest OF Tib'
bles last summer on the Porca reservation,
is contrasted with the report made by
Agent Whiting upon the occurrence, in
regard 10 which, the Secretary adds:
am aware that Tibbles says he met there
10 have legal consultation with the
Indians, and that his life was in
imminent danger. He frequently speaks
OF such perils. He seems to like the robes
OF martyrdom. From what know OF the
two men see very COED reason to take
the word OF agent Whiting In preference
to that Of Tibbles. Upon this point ex'
pect you all to agree with me some day.
As to things done by Tibbles on the Ponca
reservation, according 10 the report oi
Agent Whiting, the Secretary quotes
several sections Of the revised statutes and
says when man enters An Indian
reservation and mischievously tries by
false promises which he cannot perform
as in this case or In any other way 10 in.
duce the Indians 10 run away, breaking
up their settlements, an Indian agent
will consider it his duty to enforce the
above provisions OF law. In regard to the
further declaration OF this same resolution
that 1t shows consciousness 0f wrong and
fear OF justice when the highest officials
belle their principles by denying hear
ing in their own courts to those who
hAV ftOkGSdSA VI kh0 laws
Secretary schurz remarks among other
things that he officially stated he had nc
desire 70 appeal from or question the cor
rectness Of Judge Dundis' habeas corpui
decision in favor OF the Poncas, and tha
he has repeatedly recommended the en-
actment Of statute by Congress to extend
the full protection OF the lava TO Indians
the same as to the white men. Under suct
circumstances, says Mr.. Schurz, l thinI
you will admit yourself that the languag,
Of the resolution was highly intemp perat,
and unjustiGabIe, to say the least Of 1t.
In conclusion he says TO Governol
Long: Certainly | do not depreciatI
criticism. When It Is just It is useful ant
welcome; when 1t Is unjust II may injur,
the cause It 10 meant to serve.
PiiisburEh Business Prosperity.
PlrTssuRoH, December 1.-THE repor
that has received considerable circulation
outAide OF Pittsburgh. and been publisheC