The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-04-12

In compliance with a provision OF the cur.
rent Indi m Appropriation net, Commissioner
ATKINS has directed tho transfer Of Chief
JOSIPu and .hc remnant Of his band OF N.z
Percts from the Indian Territory 20 Idaho.
An inspector has already made arrangements
for this journey. and thus, after eight years
OF exile, during which these mountain Indi-
ans have persisted by scores, those that are
LETT will be taken lack to their old northern
homes. and the promise OF Gen. MILES, thcir
Captor, made in 1877, to intercede with tho
Government for this purpose. will receive
this tardy and delayed recognition.
The story Of Chief JosEPH's band Is one OF
tho most pathetic in the recent history OF
tho Governments dealings with the Indians
The Nez Perez wal was the first OF the series
Of bloody Indian conflicts. in nearly all cases
springing from breach OF faith. swindling,
or other outrage that marked the course OF
tho HAYES Administration. The war arose, to
. great extent, from the folly of the Gov
eminent authorities, civil and military, COM
bined with the greed and violence of white
settlers. II was certainly II blundcr and a
crime, Cntailng loss in It's various combats
OF nearly 300 men killed and wounded. a very
large proportion of these being killed out
right. Begun in injustice, 1t was concluded
with what must have seemed to the Indians
an act OF vengeance designed to bolster up
the theory that the Government had been
entirely right from the outset, and that its
captives must be punished.
Tho Nez Perez tribe living around tho
junction Of Idaho and Oregon, had for many
years been divided into two bands, OF which
the larger dwclt on Government reserya-
ton. established under tho successive trea-
ties OF 1855, 1863 and 1868. The remaining
portion OF the tribe. commonly called the
non-trcaty Indians. lived not very IA II away, in
Wallowa Valley, which for generations had
been their home. Their chief, tho father of
tho present Chief JOSEPH, although he had
been reluctantly induced to sign tho treaty
OF 1855. whose stipulationS wcro not kept by
the Government, had yet Professionally re-
fused to go upon tho reservation, which, In
fact. was validity established only under the
subsequent treaty OF 1863, and this he direct
ly refused to sign He also declined to Sign
tho treaty OF 1853 Under the method OF
holding lands in this tribe, as verified In
courts OF law, the non-trealy Indians could
not BIZ deprived o. their share without their
consent Hence thoy we're allowed to remain
At length white settlers began to covet
this region and cncroach upon it. Tho old
chief had died in 1871, and with his last words
had enjoinrd upon his son and successor never
to give up tho land that held his fathers
bones. The solcmnty of this Injunction
was greatly increased by the peculiar re-
ligious tencts held by tho son, ono OF
which was that the earth was given for COM
mon enjoyment, and could not be made the
subject OF barter and sale, like horses or
buffalo skins. Consequently whom, In the
closing months OF Gen. GRANTS Admins
tratiOn, Commission endoavored to induce
JOSEPH and his band to go upon the Lapwai
reservation with the rest OF the tribe, they
were bafiled by the mystical language In
which objections We're expressed and by the
apparent Inability of money to overcome their
scruples. 1t was therefore determined to re-
sort to force. Tho conduct OF the Govern
ment In this conclusion seems. from several
circumstances, to have been peculiarly incon-
siderate and harsh. In 1873 President GRANT
had specially directed by executive order
that the Wallowa lands should be withheld
from entry and settlement as public lands,
and that the same be set apart rs rosorva-
ton for the roaming Nez Perez Indians"
Two years later this wise and just order was
at the instigation Of some persons, summa-
rily revoked, and settlers at once encroached
upon what was then held to be public do
main. though the Ncz Perez rights to tho
lands had in no wise been altered since 1873
Disputes resulted, at least one Iriian was
killed, and tho courts would give the Indians
no satisfaction against tho murdcrers.
Such was the condition OF affairs in the
spring of 1877. The Indian Bureau had re-
Quested troops to assemble for tho purpose
OF forcing the non-trcaty Indians upon the
Lapwai reserve Socing this fate to be inev-
liable, and that the protection guaranteed in
1873 had been withdrawn, Chief JosErH's
band took the initiative and planned break
Tor escape across the line to Canada, some OF
them prefaciDg 1t, In savage fashion, by