Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-04-15

The original territory claimed by
the Sioux aud the title TO which kept
them in perpetual hot water was larger
than that of Great Britain, France and
Germany combined. When the French
missionaries, 200 years ago, first en-
tered the territory OF the Dacotahs, as
they called themselves, it extended
from the banks of the Mississippi in
Minnesota west to the Rocky Noun
tains and the sources OF the Missouri
and north to British America. At that
time the nation comprised sixteen
tribes or bands, each under an indie
pendent chief. They had frequent
wars with each other, but they were al
ways ready to make common cause
against an outside foe.
Terrible as is the recital OF Sioux
butcheries along our northwestern from
tier, a careful examination OF the in
citing cause must trace It TO the door
of the Indian ring, which has so long
despoiled the red man while plundering
the government at Washington. The
Sioux war that began in 1852 was, 1t is
believed, melted by agents Of the South
ern Confederacy, who led the Sioux to
believe that there were no white SOL
dlers 10 the forts along the Mississippi
and Missouri, they could retake the old
hunting grounds. They tried it. and
fully 1000 peaceful settlerS-men,
women and chlldren-Were butchered
before troops could be recruited at home
or sent from the front TO check the red
invasion. Forty OF the Sioux were tried
and hanged. fact that did not tend TO
win their affection, though Harvey and
Sully compelled them to sue for peace.
This war ended in the pushing OF the
Dacotahs still further west. Forts
were again built 10 their territory,
against which they protested; white
hunters swarmed In to prey on their
natural herds, the buffalo, and COLL
sions were inevitable. In 1866 the dis
covery OF gold led to white invasion
Of the Sioux hunting grounds, in the
ueighborhood OF the Rocky Range.
From the south, the west and the east,
swarms of bronzed gold hunters, who
knew nothing about Indian treaties and
.eared less, aggreSsively entered the
very heart oil the Sioux territory, and
believing that the Only good Indian is
dead one, they started TO remove hlm
of the face Of the eGrth-and with
sDirit we cannot condemn he resisted.
In 1865, an effort was made to get the
Sioux 10 sell their land and go into the
Indian Tertiary, west OF Arkansas, but
the love OF home was too strong IN
them. 1--WE were born in the shadow
of the Black Hills" said Red Cloud,
when he went 20 protest against this
move, "there sleep our fathers, and
there we want our graves TO be when
tie great spirit calls US TO the hunting
grounds OF the silent"
With hunters, miners, sharpers and
soldiers swarming about them peace was
impossible; each time the Indian was
driven to take up arms for what
he believed to be self-protection.
Experience had taught him that the
white man was the stronger, but the
same experience also taught him the
white mans methods and the use OF the
white mans arms. The Sioux rejected
civilization, but availed themselves OF
every new appliance for destruction
that they could purchase. Their war
riors, man for man, were equal TO the
whites, and their chiefs, as Custer,
Crook AID Terry learned TO their cost,
were not surpassed in the essential
qualities Of generalship by onr best Of
fcers.
Piece By piece the splendid domain
over which the Dacotahs held control
has been taken from them, until there
are only eleven millione OF acres left,
and this is the poorest OF their territory.
But as the game has been long since
DESTROYED, and these people do not take
kindly to farming or stock raising, pre-
ferring to live on the rations supplied
by the government, they have far more
land than they have use for There can
be no doubt, but this territory will be
gradually reduced, il is certain 1t will
be as soon as the whites find that It has
any value
/ end that though the famous Sitting