Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-22
AMERICAN HORSES ADDRESS.
The Indian Orator Speaks Before
the Council at Pine Ridge.
BOUNDARY LINES INSISTED ON.
He Makes Generous Offer With
Regard to the Fair Sex OF the
Tribe - Great Obstinacy
Still Shown
stin Lnborinr With TO.

PINE RIDGE, Oak, (via Rushville, Neb.,)
June 81 Especial Telegram to The BEE l.
General Crook held conference with his
old-time scouts to talk over old times and in
cidentally to give them little advice coz
cerning their present and future actions.
Most of those present agreed to
sign the bill. While General Crook was
meeting the scouts Governor Foster and
Major Warren held council with the other
Indians, headed by American Horse, who
was their spokesman. a
The meeting was opened by him desiring
that the several tracts of land allotted to each
one by the severalty clause, should be meas
ured and staked so that all could see how
much land 1t contained. This request being
granted, American Horse continued:
81 am going to feed you on the minds Of
my people every day, but will try to not
overfeed you and make you sick. l do not
say this for your dispeasure, but for the
sake of your regulations. We do not wish
to tire you, but we are slow people and
want time to thoroughly understand this
matter before we decide Then, il
they decide to sign it is well, If
not to sign, well and good; 1t
will be our fault, not yours. The lines of
the reservation, as he understood it at the
tluuG VI tuc lOOO tTcuOy, WcIo bhCh SltSu duu
the truth of this assertion left to any of the
Indians at any agency to be visited. The
line of the reservation in the
1876 treaty was also traced and
described. These things we supposed were
done, and never would be changed, for we
thought that when the Indian put down his
name it would be forever. If there is q
whiteman now living who saw this line, we
would like him brought here. You are high
people at home," alluding to the former of
fees held by them, land want this matter to
be well known, so that when we decide it
will not hurt your regulations at home.
Let us accept this or not, in forty years
from now we will remember you, and if we
make mistake we will not blame you at all.
We must have plenty of time, so that there
will be no trouble hereafter III you get
homesick for your children, we will loan you
our children II you get lonesome for your
wives we will loan you our wives to run
| about with you and entertain you"
Major Warner then addressed them briefly
| in bis own inimitable style, expressing graft
| tude for the friendship displayed and told
they would not promise ayth1g
perform %s% nef The as recent no admission pGwsn Of
| the Dakotas as states and their representa-
| tion in congress was explained. "The north
ern line of Nebraska is YOUR south line, as
| fixed by the treaty of 1868 and we cannot
| change it, If mistake has been made III
the survey it shall be rectiied."
Americun Horse kept constantly alluding
| to the Nebraska line as wrongly surveyed
| and wanted to have some one here who knew
| where it ought to be. Time to thoroughly
understand the bill was the burden
of his talk, saying: 'lf at any
| agency the names are signed at once 1t may
| be right or wrong by chance. We do not
want to go this way, for when we thoroughly
| understand whichever way we go, we alone
| will be responsible for any trouble coming
| hereafter. If can take the bill apart and
put it together | can understand it them"
He was also afraid that if the land was
| taken in severalty, taxes would have to be
| paid. This they would not have, as their IT,
ties are not of record, and was so stated by
| Major Warner and Governor Foster. Com
| plant was made that the Indian had no
| means to earn money even where competent
| to act as herdsman or other employe. A
| former agent here was scored for his nepo-
tism in employing his wife as teacher, his
| brother in the commissary department, and
| his other relatives in other places. The
| right of the squaw-men, half-breeds and In
| dians to have stores was also mentioned,
| after which Major Warner gave them little
| lesson in patriotism and love of the Ameri-
can flag, which caused Governor Foster to
inquire if he was rehearsing for August.
Governor Foster also addressed them, re-
ferring to the former opinion of what made a
| good Indian, and expressing himself greatly
| pleased at the change.
Red Cloud handed in paper containing
the names of squaw men who were incor-
| porated in the tribe in 1868. This straw
shows that he is weakening in the force Of
| his opposition to the bill, though 1t is highly
improbable that he will ever be signer of
the treaty.
AT a two-hour conference held with him
by Major Warner and Governor Foster he
used much the same arguments and obje.-
tion as did American Horse at the council.
American Horse, in his talk about the poor
quality OF goods furnished them, asked
1 AIn.a II ~.
to pick out a blind man to buy their goods
for them, and suggested q better inspection
| by honest men, So
1t is thought here that American Horse will
sign tomorrow with part of his band, and
the others soon. There are $40 names on the
| roll. ar-r