New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-01
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
.rNF WIN GENERAL Mills az TIiI INDIAN
arr,rIoN ra,SsFER or THE INDIAN
RrRnA~ To THE ARMY WILL lN"NLIS

vv,.ti,st,r Nov. 30 -Gencnl Nelson \. Miles.
H., IN Washington for a bricf conference
,ttb ,te Sccrr'ory of War; viii leave Washington
.,-,,orrow morning 80 return 10 his post There
A., h.rn much speculation conccrnn2 the INDIAN
.t,,..ion Thr IS always q carpng spirit ih
,v.sh,ncfor c,nccrnir- Tie motives OF All punhc
,.n "a nom the, lanpcn 90 hc no the centre oi pun
"a, attention Grrcnl Miles las been charged
A., military critics v.'h h,Nr~ exaggerated the
.ia,tl,. in ire West for the purpose of attracting
...,u., f, himself Indeed. 10 has even hccn saii
- bln tat DO has planned tho whole thing for
.to ,u-pose oi posing before to American pub
T., - n hero rud consequently. 20 become some
- he tb.laht If M connection with the NOM.
ian f,r fIc Pre-, drncv II is rot safe for any
so, .,..r - fhi. particular tine tO attend 10
Ao,ies .II r wv o. attract notice. II be- docs
"a "a certain 20 hc charged with waiting am
,,on for t.c Presidency. General Miles Is The
las, man 90 Jo ANYTHING sensational He l. re-
,..,oA exceedingly sclfcoutaincd. and with
.a.,,e,t which COOS with cool temperament
ft 4 IN the stricicst sense of The word, soldier.
"A although an ardent Democrat. has never
mixed in any w1, u politics Recently The dis
pa,ches from The Wc,t have changed IN market
S.grrs, Tho sons. tionaI stories sent over the
wins have -iycu WaV for socciol communications
which assert that tlcrc is mo- occasion for any
,care Opinion al the Capital has followed M
,he groove Of The two cl1>scs of stories ! called
mon General Miles this morning tor the purpose
NJ learning the truth concerning the situation
found him i'm conference with the representatives
u the War Department hut be- kindly gave me "a
portion Of bits time General Milo, is about siN feet
In height Ills figure is STRAIGHT and fills ont well
his dirk frork suit Ills head is large and ms
features are rccular. His ewes are dark gcay
III. fcc is smooth-,haycn. with the exception of
n thick rray-brown mustachc which shades his
firmly lined mouth His chin is prominent and
indicates great strength of character Every
thing about General Miles is iuaic1iivc of srcneth
IN reserve and iron decision. llc hos deep, rich
voice and gravclv earnest manner In every
thing he gives the idea OF being opposed 10 sen
,atonalism. In answer - a general question this
distinguished officer said:
There may lave been cNagecIations tele.raphed
70 tic East concerning the situation, hut in gen
eral ! can say that the situation i grave. Inc
conspiracy which exists 81 the present time j,
the greatest which has ever been organized since
the DAYS of Pontiac II is as widespread and takes
in AS many diverse elements Tribes which have
never been friendly. which have carried their
unfriendlinesS 20 the pitch Of warfare, are now
united
7 asked the General what was the motive Of the
eonspiracv lie said that NJ the bottom there was.
Of course RELIGIOUS fanatioiSm. Sitting Bull had
originally planned for the outbreak - take place
in the coming spring. but there had appeared an
other prophet. who had advocated the beginning
Of the war early in the winter, and his influence
seems - have prevailed. The General said that
these Northern warriors were Injured 10 cold and
that the severity Of the weather would not be an
element 20 bc considered II they had once made
up their minds 10 20 ont. lie said that he had
seen some Of the Northern Sioux take OF their
moccasins and run in the snow for n long time on
a severe winter day withou; apparent suffering.
The General was asked if il true that he
had the situation now under control through the
concentration Of the troops made during the last
few weeks lie said that he could not say that
lie had the control 10 the extent that he would
he able absolutely 70 prevent an outbreak The
Ind ans were 5000 warriors strong. and some OF
them were desperate men. They believed that
they he'd suffered great wrong and injustice al
The hands Of the AGENTS. This dissatisfaction with
teir agents has placed them in condition Of
mind which has made them particularly suscepti
he T. The religious craze which is al the
bottom Of the conspiracy. General Miles
saws that the Indians are desperate and
that white people when they are desperate may
do ANYTHING. and so be base, his judgment Of the
sti1 sayaecs and unrcstroincd ny ordinary cond-
tions of life. General Miles says further that in
spite Of all the precautions taken an outbreak
may occur any day He is proceeding upon that
theory He fears that there will BE- great loss
Of life before the conspiracy is ended. This
opinion was expressed with great federation
An army officer friend Of General Miles, with
whom | talked afterward. said that lie thought
10 rIo ,t-fsb fln Ind in no
came from the Indian agents. and they nearly
always abused their positions. and the Indians
nearly always had some apparent justification for
an outbreak. lie recalled amusing instance
when he on duty in the West Of a council
where the celebrated Indian chief Blackfoot asked
for on audience Of visiting general who ont
on inspection duty. Backfoot made eloquent
speech. the point Of which when il translated
being that he desired TO have the Indian agent
Of his reservation changed and his predecessor
restored But, - said this general, "the man
who was removed was clearly convicted OF having
taken onc-third of the appropriations set
aside for this particular res rvation" Blackfoot
said that this was true, hut that the present
agent tool, half and they thought, therefore, they
would he gamers by onc-slXth if they could have
the old agent back again.
Those who advocate the transfer of the Indian
BuTChh 10 1fc war department sly iHd' iIf
troubles with the Indians will never be settled
until such a transfer is made. The Indian agents
nearly always men with no experience IN
Indian affairs and nearly always abuse their
POSITIONS The Army officers, while they do not
claim that there is not at times found with them
mon who also abuse theii positions, yet insist
that under the Army system there Is greater
sense Of responsibility and that It's Methods Of
accounting are much superior 10 the OF the
Indian Bureau, and that the opportunity under
the Army system Of any transportation oil sums
is small. Then the Army men have, through
their special duties, great familiarity with the
Indians. and as they are always called in in the
case of trouble 10 settle disputes they believe that