New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-24
THE FUTURE INDIAN OUTBREAK"
TIE SIOUX RESTLESS, DISCONNECTED AMI
PANATICAI.

THE SIOUX RESTLESS. DISCONNECTED AND
FANATICAL.
ro the editor OF Tho Tribune.
Sir: In your Sunday morning issue you mention
sunposed outbreak the part OF the Indians OF tho
southwest and Dakota. While this is In some respects
rather sensational stl. far tho Sioux OF Dakota
are concerned. the writer would not be surprised TO
hear OF trouble with these Indians at any tune. lou
pcak Of prevailing belief that some great medicine
man coming to annihiatc the whites and to restore
the Indians to their former hunting grounds. This Is
the belief OF nearly the entire Sioux Nation at the
present day.
Not very long ago an Indian youth announced In
council trat In a vision he had been told that were
the Sioux to take up Arms against the whites they
would be aided by the Great Spirit (Wauksnanka and
that the EVIL Spirit Waukanscka) would conspre 70
harm the enemies Of the red man. lie also told them
that In case OF death In battle the souls OF those VINO
died in defence of their nation would be transported
Immediately to beautiful land where the buffalo ana
ellt. corn and wild honey were very plentiful, and
where sickness and suffering were unknown Inc
usurpIng white man had not entered the realms OF
this fair spirit world and there nothing TO deter
those who entered from living In perfect happiness
This to an Indian indeed w0noeru
,oycation Accustomed, as arc the Sioux. In
sn,te of the influence OF schools and churche3
many OF which are maintained upon the reserva
t,on, TO regard with slperstltous reverence the
words spoken by a medicine man. they soon wer2
c.rrIcd AWAY by a whirwind OF enthusiasm Meet
ines were held all over the three rcservatloAS Mon'c
men and head warriors In nnimmatory speeches GA
hortcd the young mon to be brave, 70 cast on 'hc
odous yoke OF the whites From letters received iroh
deputy marshal connected with the f1he hids'
arcncy and others, am Convinced that never since
tho campaign OF 1879 have the Sioux assumed such
war like attitude. There is no que ton but that
,hs militia would he able to force them into submission
in A few weeks nor Is 1t at all probable that INC,
would form union or confcderacy WIN the oti'Fr
tribes While this much is true BY concerted aeu'h
they would be able In five days To destroy a" the
small towns and ranches in Nebraska bordering upon
south Dakota The fertile Niobrara Valley OF $50
miles I'm extent runs but two days journey south cf
The reservation. AS this used to be their favoritc
stanpirp ground, In rs and rs, and as Fort Meade
vhere there are hundreds Of soldiers continually Is
long distance to the nolthward, they would proDabH
he able 10 range the entire river valley Tho Fremont
Elkhorn and Missouri Valley RAILROAD terminates Al
.turvs City. about two mics from Fort Meade. or
eleven miles from Dcadwood. The railroad IS iorC
miles from the reservation and before the soldiers
could be tansp ,rtcd down tn line tn Rushvle Nep'
the nearest point to the Sioux Reservaaon, th2
warriors. mounted npon their feet ponies. would be
many miles from agency headquarters carrying oh "e
work OF arson and assassination
Tie Agencies OF Pine Ridge. Rose Bud and standing
Rock would be able 70 put 1000 Sioux we'll mounted
and armed with wlnchcsters. Remingtors and Colts
into the heldwcrc the Sioux to take into their
heads to go upon the warpath Last summer. when
the Commission laborlng with the Indian: 70
cqt them 10 give up portions OF their land, certlin
young men at the Pine Ridge Agency made solemn
vow that they would escort these Commissioners u
the Rushvlllc station and send them back Fast They
actually would have carried this into effect but Tor
older and wiser heads who cOunseed against the 100!
hardy action. Had the Commissioners (who were all
noted white mem been unceremoniousy loa1ed lnto a
wagon and sent under armed guard TO the railroad
there would have been great Indignation all over the
country, and Indian war would have undoubtedly
resulted ,,,,,
there may trouble result from the eyhorAtlons OF
their medicine yet these people arc so headstrong
and narrow minded-obstlnate, ! might add-that u
they start out upon warlke expedition u WOMB
lie many weeks before they coud either BIO killed or
returned to their respective agencies snperby mounted
herds would afford them ample provisions they could
do great damage and cost this country In human lvc'
and property millions Of dollars. Attacking one
settlement town and wipng II out OF existence thcy
would scatter In the hills IS the retreated and then
flock together at some distant rendezvous. Thus It
would be very difficult for soldiers to spprrhend them
There Is mistaken notion East that these Indians
are not strong they were fifteen years ago The
Government has we'll fed them we'll clothed them and
they have received much money from the sale OF
horses. Of beef hides and OF homes Philanthropc
societies have also dlstr uted hundreds OF barrels Of
goods. They all armed. in healthy bodily con
dition and never In the history OF the SiOux Nation
were they in better condition for war. II the Gov
eminent docs not put stop to the eXhOrtations Of
those medicine men. the entire nation Will q upon
to be there when they start out. W. NJ.
No, York Sent. %. 1900