Evening star., 1909-09-10

dams. They lived peaceful. industrious
lives, were more free from vice and SUI
perstition than any other tribe. were
friendly to the whites and always loyal
to the government.
In looking over a history of Oregon
the other day I noticed the following
paragraph, referring to the Indian out
break in 1851:
And now. though no battle was to
the outfitting point for the most re-
markable disaster in the history of the
territory: one which, IL ii had not been
for the ever faithful Nez Perces. would
have probably anticipated the Custer
massacre in completeness and horror.
ITO hold the Walla Walla country
seemed to the governor the key of the
situation. because thus only could he
come in touch with the faithful Nez
Perces. He resolved to hold another
tribes and to get as many as possible
of the hostiles to attend the same.
The writer then describes great coun-
Gil at Walla Walla. and says:
"On every day of the council but the
first, Indians armed to the teeth took
places near the governor with the evident
desire of numbering him. But the faith
full Nez Perces protected him, kept their
drums beating all night and always main
tanned a guard around Stevens camp.
tude to these Nez Perces is beyond
computation. One of the remarkable fea-
lures of the council was the speech or
Spotted Eagle, Nez Perce. one OF the
warm adherents of the whites Gov.
Stevens afterward mentioned this speech
as one which, for feeling, courage and
truth, he had never seen surpassed"
And, the white settlers rewarded this
fidelity by driving the Nez Perces from
their homes and robbing them of their
lands.
Efforts to Regain Lands.
Chief Joseph clung to the hope that he
might some day return to his old home
with his people. The government which
had stolen the land from him made two
or three feeble efforts to negotiate with
the settlers to sell 1t back to him, but
the price was $50 an acre, and that was
considered too much to pay in restitu-
tion.
In August, 1s99 he came to the valley
and asked for meeting with the white
citizens to whom he made pathetic
appeal for section of GAO acres ad1oin-
ing this town, which was named In MS
honor, and 1900 acres farther down the
valley where his tribe were in the habit
of pasturing their ponies for centuries.
The people sneered and scoffed at him,
and treated the appeal as a Joke.
That white Christian should be ex-
pected to return stolen property to a
pagan Indian appealed to their sense
of humor. And Joseph went back TO the
reservation to die.
When Joseph paid a visit to Washing
ton he was received with great consld-
Grafton because of his military reputa-
suffered by his tribe. 1t was admitted
by all that his mastery campaign had
been conducted nearer the standards or
civilization than had ever been known
in Indian warfare.
During his march of 1,4OO miles he
bought and paid for the cattle and other
supplies he confiscated on the way; he
spared hundreds Of lives which other
Indians, and probably white men, would
have sacrificed: he destroyed no private
property except where it was absolutely
necessary for self-defehse. Furthermore,
every intelligent citizen, outside of the
settlers on the coveted territory. and
few politicians, sympathized with him
and his people.
Everybody conceded that the Indians
were in the right, but realized that 1t was
the last desperate stand of the aborig-
inc against the invasion of the superior
race. Even Joseph admitted that there
was no hope for the red man.
Monument to Joseph.
A monument to Joseph, erected by the
State Historical Society Of Washington,
over his grave at Nespelem. a village
on the Colville Indian reservation on the
north bank of the Columbia river In
Okanogan county, Washington. and about
thirty miles northwest of Spokane. was
dedicated June 20, 1905, in the presence
Of four or five hundred warriors and
about one hundred white people.
An address was delivered by Albert
Waters. an educated Nez Perce. who had
been elected chief of the tribe few
weeks previous. Yellow Bull. the son
of Joseph, and the hereditary chief OF
the tribe. also spoke, and created pro-
found impression.
Joseph is dead" he said. in conclu-
sion. ''But his words are not dead. His
words will live forever. This monument
will stand. And Josephs words will
stand as long as this monument.
I'VE, the red and the white, are both
here. The Great Spirit looks down upon
us both. If we are good and live right,
like Joseph, we shall see him.
For the same reason the law of the
soul Is the same for both of us. l have
Prof Edmund S. Meany of Washington
State University. representing the His
torical' Society, delivered the principal
address, reviewing the events Of Joseph's
life and drawing the moral that it teaches
both races.
Joseph's Chosen Grave Site.
The monument stands upon an ideal
site. at the summit of hill. about half
a mile from the village of Nespelem,
commanding a view of the distant noun
tains and the valley of the Columbia.
Joseph selected this spot as his burial
place few days before his death. which
occurred shortly after his return from
Washington in September, 1901.
His visit was. for the purpose of max
ing another appeal to the President and
the Secretary of the Interior to restore
to him and mis- children the home of
the fathers in the Wallowa valley. But
he could not get a hearing.
He came back to his people In de-
spondent mood. He told the driver of
the stage on his way to Nespelem that
he was broken in spirit and did not ex-
pect to see another snow.
On the morning of September p, 1904,
feeling that death was near, he sent his
wife to the "Ictas house, to fetch his
war bonnet and other ornaments. so he
could die robed as chief; but upon her
return with the garments she found him
lying lifeless upon a buffalo robe.
The agency physician said that the
cause of his death was heart failure.
Maj. Lee Moorehouse. the famous Indian
photographer of Pendleton, Ore, who
knew Joseph better than any other white
man, insists that he died Of broken
heart. victim of the injustice of a
Christian nation.
Joseph was a. man of the highest
sense of honor" said Mr.. Moorehouse;
his word was good as gold. He always
did what he believed to be right, and he
expected that the white people and the
government would treat him In the same
way.
After repeated appeals for restitu-
tion of the lands that were fOrcibly taken
from him by the military. under orders
from Washington. he became hopeless.
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