Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1904-03-30
JOSEPH SITS IN COUNCIL
WITH HIS FORMER FOEMAN
Chief Joseph and General Howard, Old Foes
Meet in Friendly Conference
at Carlisle

Il wish my children would learn more
and more every day, so they can mingle
with white men and do business with
them as well as anybody else
These are not the words of young
Chief Joseph the daring leader of Nez
Perce warriors-the man who defed
the white man and his armies; they are
the words of old Chief Joseph, con-
quered, banished, made wise by years
boys and girls of the Carlisle school.
A striking incident Of the anniver-
sary exercises at the Indian industrial
school at Carlisle, Pa, last month is set
forth in the Red Man and Helper the
school publication. This was the pres
ence OF General o. o. Inward and Jo-
seph, chief Of the Nez Perces, the COM
mander in the remarkable Indian war.
of which General Howard has written
in his book "Chief Joseph Of the Nez
Perces in Peace and War"
that war ~ years after it ended in
Chief Josephs suppression. and the
things they said to the Indians boys
and girls at Carlisle, make picture
out Of the ordinary. Thus General
Howard is quoted as saying:
There are no people we honor more
than we do the Indians. You will say.
But didn't you fight the Indians %
Yes. am an army officer. I would
fight you if you rose up against the
flag.
Il want 1t understood that when I
fought with Joseph I was ordered by
the government at Washington to take
Joseph and his Indians to the reserva :
ton that was set aside for them. 10.
seph said he would not go on any res.
ervation. A majority OF the band had
agreed to leave and go to the place
designated. But Joseph and White
Bird and Looking Glass were left out
They did not agree to the treaty be.
cause they did not understand that &
majority rules. They would not agre.
to be ignored and left out in the divi.
sion of land when the best Of it was tc
go to some one else.
After the Indians accepted the res
ervation the government of the United
States reduced it and reduced it again
and the Indians rebelled and l wa.
sent to carry out the governments in
structions. l could not do otherwise
1 did my best to perform the duty
Some would not come. understood tn
reason then. But it is all past.
took a great war.
II would have done anything to avoi,
the war. even to giving my life. Blu
the time had come when we had t,
fight. There comes times when a figh
is a mighty good thing, and when it Il
over let's lay down all our feelings
and look up to God and see II we cal
not get q better basis on which to liv
and work together. ~
Colonel Pratt, the head Of the school
in calling out the other leader. stated
Il present to you Chief Joseph of tn
Nez Perces in Washington. Genera
Howard and Joseph fought each othe
in II. two years before Carlisle began
Their line OF battle was 1,400 mile
long. We think Gettysburg big bat
tlefeld and we are proud of it. josef
would not go on his reservation. AM
had his way for a time. He reall,
never did go there. l have always re
garded Chief Joseph as one of GU
great Indians. He kept ahead of Gen
eral Howard for 400 miles"
The speech of Chief Joseph, as in
terpreted to the audience, is reporte,
as follows:
Friends, l meet here my friend
General Howard. l used to be so anx
iOus to meet him. l wanted to kill hin
in war Today l am glad to meet him
and glad to meet everybody here, an,
to be friends with General Howard
We are both old men, still we liv
and l am glad. We both fought il
many wars and we are both alive.
Ever since the war l have made VI
my mind to be friendly to the white
and to everybody. l wish you, m,
friends. would believe me as | believ,
Myself in my heart i'm what l say
When my friend, General Howard an,
; fought together, I had no idea tina