The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-08-14
A Great victory for Civilization.


new Northwest and for civilization has
been finally compassed by the United
States commissioners i'm Dakota. All Of
these gentlemen are entitled Ia credit
for the varied ability, tact and persist
ence with which they haye conducted
this unique canvass amoug the Sioux
tribes in the Dakotas for the sale of the
IL ,000 900 acres of land reserved for
them in some of the finest mining and
agricultural regions Of these incipient
states
Seldom before was SO large IA sale of
lands made by the Indians at one time,
never before was a sale So Immensely
important 10 new states; never were
the Indians represented by SO many
able chiefs, of all sorts of character;
never were all the most vital and deli
cate questions at issue between us and
the Indians better handled. We have
regarded the progress of this long pro-
tracted negotiation rs one of the most
important features of the rapid devel-
Opment of the new Northwest and of
1.-The Indian question generally far
more important TO us than Il general
European war might be. From time 10
time we have called attention 10 the
difficulties that beset the negotiations,
and To the great fact that Gen Crook
was evidently the man of all others To
work ont the solution of these Difficult
ties. His published talks" To the Sioux
will go into literature and history as
affording the finest illustrations of the
ability of an old Indian fighter To deal
successfully with Indian human nature
He has been the hero of the prolonged
efforts of the commission that were SO
recently crowned with success.
The sudden change of front by Chief
Gall simply meant that Gall knew that
the same facts and reasons with which
Crook converted John Grass were ill
tering the minds of thousands Of Sioux,
and Gall felt that the final success of
the commission was tolerably certain
He finally admitted that he had only
held out As long rs he did to get better
terms, and performed "A service both To
posed Sitting Bull rs utterly worthless
To us, and a man "who keeps us back
more than he helps us" He is" said
this rising chief, "of no consequence to
us, and if the whites think so much of
him they had better come and get him
He. never was Il chief, and is always
noisy and making trouble. He has
gathered around him band of bad
men, having no idea of civilization, and
all he seems To want is notoriety. He
has not only opposed the present treaty
but has always opposed civilization and
| always will be II nasty man To get along
with. When he gets into trouble he
makes fine promises but afterwards
Sneaks out of them
The intelligence of these Sioux chiefs
was further illustrated by what Grass
said of Gov Fosters idea of an indus
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is said the former, IA good one. If
the government would build big houses
where they could teach our young men
To make wagons, harness, shoes and
clothes for ourselves, and teach them
the white peoples language beside, it
would be good, and we would like il.
| hope they will do this. 1t would help
us along and give our young men EN-
/ ployment, instead of leaving them to
loaf around their camps making mis-
chief"
A long struggle for the peaceful ac-
QUESTION of the big Sioux reservation is
thus happily ended, and in such way
as to leave no bad blood. Eleven mill
ion acres of land, including the untold
resources of the Black Hills mining re-
gion, are to be opened for white settle
ment in the Dacotas, and the Sl4 ,000, 600
paid therefor is comparatively nothing.
Not only the magnitude of this transac-
ton, but the open and honorable meth
DDS by which it has been put through,
make it the most important of all tri.
umphs of our government in dealing
with the Indians - the most honorable
and the most certain to fill permanent
chapter in our national history.-N. y.
Mail md Express.
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