Year: 1879

ened commissioners. A flood of light
was cast upon his previous efforts, al
seeming inconsistencies were made cleal
and Ouray now stands before the worlt
as the white mans friend.


He had been listening to the reading
of the testimony of the captives, AM
when the commission was announced
adjourned he remained with his head
sunk upon his breast in an attitude OF
OF deep meditation. Suddenly he lifted
his head and began to speak, holding
those present almost spell-bound by his
/ revelations. at times he discarded til,
services of the interpreter entirely and
spoke in English for short time. The
subject of his speech was as follows.
Beginning by saying that he perceived
that the commission had lost confidence
in him and believed he was playing
them false, he went on to say that the
whole object of the commission from
first to last had been misunderstood by
the White river Utes, his authority had
gone only so far that they left their
camp and came here, but every one OF
them had come prepared to fight. They
thought that each witness, as he fin
ished his testimony, of whatever char
acter it might be, would be immediate
ly arrested and put under guard. They
had determined to resist this ito the
DEATH" and at the first movement in
this direction on the part of the whites
tragedy with all the horrors of the
White river massacre repeated would
ensue.


Have you not seen," he asked,
''around on these-hills my Utes day and
night? Have you not seen all day one
of my Indians at each of these windows
watching? Had these Utes attacked
you, brothers. blood would have been
shed. My word is plighted to the whites,
and though it cost me my life no harm
can come to them"


He then went on to say that Unique,
an Uncompahgrs Ute, would appear
before the commission tomorrow and
testify fully in regard to the Thorn
burgh fight and the subsequent massa-
ere. Unique, it will be remembered,
tried to stop the fight, but was not lis
tened to by the Utes. His testimony
will bear hard on Jack, as he has before
stated that Jack was the leader in the
battle with the troops.


"The White river Utes," continued
Ouray, Twill all come in together to tell
what they know. They understand
now, and have not before, that the
commission is not for the purpose of
apprehending one single Ute, not even
one proven to be the most guilty. They
will all come in together, and what they
say will be the truth. They had begun
to think was working against them.
and 1 was obliged to act as l did to en-
courage them in their evasions and lies
in order that l might retain my influ-
ence over them until the time they
could themselves see that this was a
peace commission. working for them as
well as for the whites. They now see
it, and there will be no further difficulty
in getting them to speak,


The old chief then described in a
brief, compelling manner, his sorrow at
the troubles in the first place, his SUBJ
sequent anxiety, and his constant fear
that something might happen to the
hapless captives, his efforts for their re-
lease, and his great joy when he saw
the result of the mission of Gen. Ad-
ans.


81 do not want to be chief,'' he con-
cluded. Il grow old and am tottering.
Let some young man with the fire of
youth in his veins take my place.
have my farm which I would rather
cultivate, and watch the seed planted
by me grow up to maturity, than be
head chief. They all come to me with
their trouble. I know everything, and
have all their burdens to bear. WASH
ington no want me to give up my posi-
tion; wants me to stay and govern the
Utes. want only to be known as
Ouray. the friend of the white men,"
He went up to Gen. Adams and pre-
seDted him with beautiful Navajo
blanket as present from his squaw,
Chipeta