Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-04-28

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important Mr.. Meeker may think thi
one point, the evidence that most pee
pie willing to accept shows that he i
wrong in insisting that the nineteel
witnesses lied when they said owe
their signatures that Leschi did sigl
that treaty.
1t is a bold attitude to assume tina
the making OF these treaties was shee
fiction and that they caused the wa
that followed. 1t is acknowledged b,
Mr.. Meeker that it was at that tim
the custom OF this country to max
treaties. II so, some one would hay,
to make them. The evidence i
abundant and convincing that Gov
Stevens entered into this work will
the same lofty patriotism that char
acterized his whole life. He had
remarkable intellect and energy, boil
of which he gave unsparingly to what
ever work came to his hand. Whel
interpreter Shaw returned from a visi
to the Inequalities and reported then
dissatisfied with the reservation, Gov
Stevens replied that they could b,
given better lands, but the treaty haC
already gone on to Washington.
Mr.. Meeker repeats over and owe
again the statement that the smallnes
and poorness Of the reservation wa
the cause Of the trouble, and make
the Governor assume a ludicrous ap
pearance when he consents as will
reluctance to the new reservations
which the author claims were wor
through the martyrdom of Leschi.
HI regard to this last thought neal
what Col. Shaw has to say: "The In
dians did not fight for any reservations
but against all reservations, as they
wanted the whole country to roam
over. Besides this, at the end OF the
war the Indians were at the mercy oil
the government and were not in a
position to demand anything; but
there was no disposition upon the
part OF the government to take ad.
vantage of their situation"
1t is further shown by Mr.. Shaw
that one reason for giving the Indians
such small reservation at first was
that it was hoped to establish some
where on the Sound one large reserva.
ton for all the Indians. That is
shown in Article vi. of the Medicine
Creek treaty, and like provision is
made in tho other Puget Sound treat
les. That was found to be q mistake
and was corrected. No such thought
enters the mind of Mr.. Meeker, and
yet he often speaks of weighing evi.
dence."
Even Mr.. Meeker says it is unthink.
abe to have left the land of the saw.
ages. Some arrangement had to be
Made. Gov. Stevens undertook to
obey the instructions OF the govern.
ment, and the very signatures to the
Medicine Creek treaty shows that he
was taking counsel OF men who knew
the Indians. The official instructions
show that it was not expected that all
would 60 on smoothly in the matter OF
dealing with the Indians and yet
negotiations must proceed in the
interest OF the future of both races.
See what Lieut.. Kip's diary says in
regard to the Walls Walla Council
"For some time they had been rest.
less, numerous murders of emigrantt
crossing the plains have occurred, and
it is deemed necessary by the govern
ment to remove some OF the tribes to
reservations which have been selected
for them. The object OF this council
was, therefore, to propose to them the
purchase of their territory-a PROPOSE
ton which it was expected Gas it after
wadrs proved) would be received b,
some tribes with violent opposition"
Harvey w. Scott, in a sympathetic
review of Mr.. Meeker's book in tht
Oregonian, uses this language: "Ye
it seems to US that while this so-callet
treaty, which made a disposition o
lands that was not favorable to th'
Indians was an immediate and incit
ing cause OF the outbreak, the trouble
between the races was sure to come
for it had come or was still to come il
every locality where the white maj
was an intruder. We see now
though as pioneers we did not see it
how natural it was for the Indians t.
resist this encroachment. There i
human nature also in primitive ant
savage man-all the more powerful
because it is subjected little to th'
restraints of self.control and OF arti
fetal and conventional life."
There is no such sane reasoning a
this in Mr.. Meeker's handling OF tn
case. He is set and determined t.
heap blame upon Stevens in ever.
way possible. By inference he evel
twits friends Of Stevens of havinI
stolen papers referring to the treat.
from the archives at Washington afte
showing that they had been move'
from one Office to another.
The charge of drunkenness is th
most nauseating part of Mr.. Meeker'
book. In an effort to prove tha
Stevens was incompetent he publishe
a letter by George Gibbs and rehashe
other statements to the same or simi
lar effect. If the authors statement
and often expressed conclusions ha'
sufficient basis in fact. Stevens wa
q diseased inebriate. The whole tissu