The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-25
ALAS, IT'S TRUE.
The Poor, Untutored Savage Speaks.
Tho Excitement on tho Sioux Res
ervation in Dakota Growing.
Tho Orator Chiefs Eloquently Ad-
dress 5000 Red Warriors.
They Recount the Broken Promises
of tho White Man.
All occasionod by the Expected Advent
and Demands OF the Special Com
mission Appointed to Negotiate
with the Sioux Chiefs.

STANDING Rock AGENcY, D. T., July "a
| All IL excitement on the Sioux rrserya-
ton. Never since the granting of the great
tract Of land 10 the Indians at the close Of
the Sioux war have the Indians been 50
thoroughly awakened or the white settlers
80 deeply interested. 1t has been sup
posed 10y great majority OF the reading
people that the Sioux reservation, con-
tanning ., GOO, 900 acres Of land, WIS opened
for settlement by the recent act OF Con-
gross, but the clause making 1t necessary
TO secure the consent Of thrc.iourths Of
the Indians may keep the land from tho
public domain for many years. The CONF
mission appointed 10y President Cleveland
has arrived.
Nearly the entire 1000 Indians Of this
agency arc camped within two miles Of
Fort Yates, aud additions to their number
are arriving hourly Without regard to
the merits Of the proposition made 10y tho
government and with no definite under
standing Of the proposed treaty, the tribes
gathered here 10 oppose the opening Of
the reservation. Sitting Bull is the only
well known Indian not present and he
| will hc brought
The Indians called council Yesterday,
and In the center OF thciryasl city " tents,
which wcrc pitched at daylight sunday
morning, they found the circle which Was
composed Of wagons, ponies aud nearly
5000 Indians. The Indians selected
Chiefs Gall John Grass, Mad lIcar, Big
Head AMI Running Antelope Tor their ora
tors at the commission conference. John
Grass ono Of the head chicls, was tho
fiSt 10 speak. lie advised the Indians To
be- careful IN what they said a. the COM
mission, aud. no matter what IL said. TO
make no decision until mature dclibCu-
ton, lie said:
"rhc treaties made before los the whites
have been broken los them. | think these
men sent out by the great father to mako
| this treaty about our land, have come Tor
| somc purpose. The government will sup
| port us for Twenty-Five years, and after
that time we will have 10 pay taxes, and
We will bc poor.
Mad Bear another Of the great chiefs,
said
These commissioners have come 20
talk with ~ about our lands They como
here with an interpreter aud W. must
have one Ia look after our interests. You
have chosen four NJ M IN do the talking
Tor the tribe. aud We will work harl DO
not iou'rt, fellow warriors, that II you sign
this paper, giving away your lands, YOU
can never get Il back again NJ matter how
much YOU may pray. II will be- gone for
ever Mad Bear repeated that tie whites
had broken all former tpJtcs with tho
Indians. and nt the close oi his speech
there We're numerous grunts Of applause
from the circle.
Up Ia this time the council had been
quiet and comparatively cold. Tho ap-
plause, which was given by grunts and
deep gulirrul explosions, was mild, but
when Mad Bear took hl- seat aud Chief
tall nrusc malCsticnlly. the Indians went
Wild. Call IL the handsuuosi aud most
commanding Indian oi tho tribe, aud as
field general led nll the brilliant mnncuv-
cr during the Custer campaign. i1r which
sitting Bull was gwen credit lie ~ I'M
qucstipnnbly the finest living Indian ora
tor. aud his speech nt this council b. pro-
nouncrd by the Interpreters 81 D. tho most
eloquent over delivered on the reserve
ton. Among other things hc said. IN al
luding a. the arrival Of thc commissioners
and thc proposed new treaty. These
commissioners have come 10 talk about
lands. Five Of Ms have been chosen 10
speak. when W. confront them la coun-
cil We must not speak fist W. must know
what We want When W. SEX i1r iL We
should listen ~ the whites aud learn what
they carr 10 offer, and then We should,
without foolish speaking. think what we
ara willing tO give. When was at Fort
Rice many ycur ago. there vas treaty
4. Ia Ia a.
male great promises. They told ~ that
We would have many cattle and that our
horses would cover the plains returned
la few ycaB and learned that We Wcro
again deceived. They did not keep their
word and We Ncrc ~ fools. When they
made that treaty thpy toll w. that
our lands went north IA iiu river a
the Cannon HALL. Now they irIl us o goes
no further toward the great north Light
than the Cedar tvck. Again w. af" de-
rciycd. When tio commissioners have
come out they have made us many bg
promises They would not trIl ua What
ihc great father said, bat would talk 10
please the Indian heart We believed
them, but W. have Loot much at our lands
aud our children have been hungry Ia
tie past have not complained. believed
the great father was honest AMI acted
with a g..,l heart, but unIp-. th.s treaty
with M Is fair and We are told Toe truth
my heart will not be- gO1l. We cannot
accept land apart (mcau.ng rrNymliyl.
We want grazing lands oar reservations
have been growing smaller aud -nun 40
will boz without hunting ground, They
come, ! hear, With tWopapcb one 70 iako
our lands and one 10 keep them. lhey
tell M W. must sgu one ~ ihy other and
our names will be- counted THIS D. tho
iirst time ever knew that n Indian eau
be- made Ia sign paper against hH Nhl'
At the close NJ Gall zsp,yyhthc applause
was snyagply enthusiastic,
After spcoghrs hy Running Antelope.
High Bear anil oihrrI and The reading u
the proposed treaty. which was printed "a
the sioux Language. Nal licM again nd-
dressed the circle aud called up all OPP
posed to giving consent 20 the ucaty to
rise. Every Indian in the rirric spfang 10
his feet with q vhoop, and thcpcHoImancc
WAS so satisfactory a. the Omt IN that Il
WIS repeated thvc timcE.
The pacific speech Of The day vas made
by Running Antelope, Who al,iHvi his
PEOPLE Ia be calm aud deliberate ~ no
ruuiprpuco with the commission.