Evening star., 1909-09-10
Friendship Of Nez Perces.

Lewis and Clark found the Nez Perces
occupying the territory between the Sal
mon and Pelouse rivers and west of the
Bitter Root mountains in 1906. and were
kindly received by them. This had been
their home from time immemorial.
In 1856 they ceded to the United States
part of the territory without objection.
In 1860 gold was discovered upon that
portion which had been reserved for
opened to "the whites in common with
the Indians for mining purposes These
concessions were acts of friendship.
But the white invasion was SO great
that in 1863 the government attempted
to persuade the Indians to relinquish the
Wallowa, the Alpowai and the Salmon
River valleys. Certain minor chiefs were
bribed to sign the treaty. Joseph, the
principal chief: Looking Glass, Big Thun-
der, White Bird and others refused to
bound by the signatures of their subordi-
mates.
However, the government accepted the
signatures of the minor chiefs as bind
ing upon the whole tribe, and referred to
the principal chiefs and their followers.
who composed the greater part of the
nation. as ''non-treaty Nez Perces.''
This condition of affairs continued for
thirteen years, until 1876. when the dan
ger OF a conflict between aggressive white
Tending their homes. became SO acute
that a commission was sent to arrange
a permanent settlement.
The report of this commission, pub
lished with that Of the Secretary of the
Interior for the year 1877, represents that
the Nez Perces were mentally and NOR
ally far above the average Indian; that
they had been converted to the Christian
faith by pioneer Catholic missionaries.
and were the most civilized Of all the
" Io1 T. L.
of cattle and ponies. and cultivated q
considerable area Of the soil.
They steadfastly declined to part with
their homes, and expressed the hope that
the government would permit them to re-
main in possession Of the graves of their
fathers.
Ejectment Is Enforced.
The commission nevertheless recon-
mended that the treaty of 1868. signed
only by the minor chiefs. should be en-
forced by the military. Gen. 0. o. How
ard, commanding the Department of the
Columbia. was instructed by President
HAYS to remove all the Nez Perces fam
lilies to a reservation which had been
selected for them near Spokane.
In other words, the government decided
to forcibly evict the only loyal and friend
ly tribe of all the Indians in the north
western section Of the country, drive
them at the point of the bayonet into a
strdnge country and sell their homes and
farms and ranges and the cemeteries in
which their ancestors are buried to white
settlers for $1.25 an acre. If this crime
had been committed by Russia or China
or any other power, the President of the
United States would have entered a
solemn protest in the name of Christian
civilization.
For time it seemed as If the Indians
would submit. Perhaps they might have
done so but for an unfortunate collision
between two white men who were hunt
ing lost horses and a NeZ Perce, whom
them accused of stealing them.
The Indian was brutally killed. The
white men were tried for murder and ac-
quilted, although the evidence against
them was conclusive.
The whites raised an outcry that the
Indians must go. Chief Joseph, in des-
pair. decided to seek an asylum in Can
ada.