Year: 1875

WASHINGTON, June All the dele.
cations OF Indians assembled in the
! rooms Of the secretary of the interior,
this morning, to have another council
with the secretary. All the agents and
inteI prefers were present. The Indians
were gaudily attired and painted.
Bishop Hare came in with Secretary
DelanO. Commissioner Smith told the
Indians that, when they were here last,
the secretary made a proposition to
them to go to the Indian Territory, and
also asked them to consider the offer of
the government of twenty-five thousand
dollars to relinquish part of their hunt
ing grounds; also, Of the desire OF
the white people to 90 to the Black Hills
and the difficulty OF preventing them,
and requested them to agree to such sr-
rangements Gs would prevent blOodshed.


In regard to going to the Indian Ter
ritOTy they expressed themselves Rs Op-
posed to it, ana unless they had changed
their minds there was no use in saying
anything more about that. In regard to
the offer of twenty-five thousand dol
lars, their answer wsq not so definite.


The secretary told them if they did
not accept it within thirty days they
might not get it at all. In regard to the



They had now plenty of time to think Of
it, and it was hoped that they could give
such definite answers to-day ss to make
it unnecessary to have any further talk
on the subject.


Red Cloud said: "Great Spirit, hear
me; have mercy upon me; pity me-"
He called upon heaven and earth to
witness before ne spoke. He had not
forgotten what had been spoken. The
President must have made some mis-.
take in telling him when he first came
here that their arrangements were for
thirty-five years. The President told
him at that time to select a country for
hunting, and he had done so. The two
men by his side came out last summer
and told him for the first time about the
twenty-five thousand dollars, and he
said, wait till go and see the President,
and see il he has got money, and il it is
really there. ] have children, and am
not willing to do anything to make them
poor. This twenty-five thousand dol
lars will only pay for the land to Paw
nee creek. We wish TO retain the rest.
When he was here four years ago he
was shown large building where all
the money is kept, and ne knows he has
large amount of money there. He
would take this twenty-five thousand
dollars, but when winter comes he want
ed them to try and get more. When he
came here before, nothing was said about
the Indian Territory, and since he hau
come here this time he had seen but lit
tie of the President, and he thought it
hard that he should be sskeI to
go there to live, and he now told
them twice he would not go there. His
country was a good one, and he wished
to keep it. He did not like the running
OF the Nebraska line through his cOun-
try, and he considered it robbery. List
winter, when annuities were issued,
many ~ his people were absent, and did
not get their goods, and he wanted more
goods for them. He w83 not satisfied
witt the food that was sent TO him; did
not like salt pork, and thought his chit
dren had died from eating it. He want
ed rice and hOminy and tea sent TO him.
He was looking 10 the future for his
children, and tried to do the best for
them. After further talk, the Indians
agreed to accept twenty-five thousand
dOllsrs IN consideration Of reIinqUishing
large portion Of their hunting-grOuuds
in Nebreska. The secretary is willing
to cOnCede them considerable territory
ten or fifteen miles south OF the Nebrss-
ka river.


A treaty was drawn up, but Spotted
Tail refused TO sign it until he received
the twenty-five thousand dollars appro-
priated 10y congress for this purpose. 1t
was explained TO him that the money
could not be obtained until the treaty
was signed, and the Indians were given
a copy of the treaty to take to their
rooms to consider.


n--- IL In Lr.r.-r,..a .,.nr. LIZ. 49,