Arizona silver belt., 1891-01-24
a mumnu.rIxG oonrRonssE.

of the Indians may be inferred by a
 Pine Ridge (S.. D.) dispatch, of the
 18th, to the s. F. Examiner: "The In- dian chiefs had promised to collect and
 bring the guns of therr warriors, and
 Big Road, leader of the Ogalallas at the Custer massacre, was the first and only
 one to comply with the promise. By count he had exactly eleven guns in the wagen--two muzzle-londing shotguns, one broken Winchester, and the rest old rim-fre carblnes, for which no car tridges can now be bought. It was farce of this kind that led to the search ing of the tepee at Wounded Knee and started the frightful butchery on that ill-omened field. The dispatch also says: "Of all the picturesque days at Pine Ridge, to-day took the palm. The Indians began moving their camp up White Clay creek, the position former ly occupied by the Seventh Cavalry, at dnyhreak, and it was an almost solid procession of horses, wagons, men, women and children until late in the afternoon, It was one of the most re- markable scenes witnessed on the from tier for many long years. The long lines of Indians, guarded on the flank by their own cavalry and infantry to protect them from treachery on the part of the whites, moved with the pre- cision of soldiers, and as each division drew up ou the plain the long lines of red soldiers drew up in order along the hillside facing the agency, and re- mained motionless for hours, as if they had graduated at West Point A count was being kept as near as possible, and 1t was found there were over 6,S00 h. dians, all told, including 2, 100 soldiers. Counting boys who could and would fight, there were over 2,700 fighters. It was only by watching the seemingly endless procession for hours that one conld appreciate the strength of the foe Tonight, counting tue friondiies, over 10000 Indians are camped on the southwest of the agency.
 Information of the 18th says: More guns were turned in to Agent Pierce to- day by the hostiIos. They told him systematic search was being made and all weapons found would be turned over, The custodian said to-day 5G0 guns had been surrendered and at head quarters it is claimed the arms turned over exceed i'll number those received ill any other campaign. Last night several shots were fired in the hostile camp but nobody was hurt. To, day the Indians were gloomy and sullen. The friendlies informed the Associated Press correspondent that number of young men still have bad hearts and cannot be converted News of subsequent date states the number of guns surrendered at 104, mostly of obsolete patterns.
 Al first blush this array of hostiles seems formidable and that if was the part of prudence to temporize with them rather than fight to subiugate them, but such reasoning is fallacious The fact is recalled that during the WAT of the rebellion 3,352, 133 men (Federals and Consederates) were en- rolled, and that the North alone ex- pended S6, 189, 929, 908. 5S to maintain the integrity of the Union, and in the present instance, ii would have been far better for the government us well as the settlers in the Northwest had the military fought the Sioux 10 finish and settled once and for all the ques- tion of supremacy in the Dakotas. Millions are expended annually for the protection of those living on tLe sea- board. The question naturally suggests itself, are they more entitled to the of the government than those extending the borders of our common country for an advancing civ ilization?
 Had the government done its duty, in the first instance, by augmenting General Miles command to threaten ing number, the Sioux would have real ized the hopelessness of resistance and would probably have been the means of saving valuable lives as well as those of Indians, as also many hundred thous- ands of dollars of the public treasure, and although notwithstanding the teln- porary lull in hostilities, in view of the warlike character of the Sioux and their innate hostility to the whites, the situ- ation can not be regarded otherwise than as an armed truce. A Pine Ridge dispatch of the 10th announces that General Miles had indefinitely post poned the date of his departure and additional forage, and has an- nounced that he will remain at Pine Ridge until he can announce satisfac- tory termination of hostilities.
 Gf You Had n Friend