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Show 4 REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. against them since they abandoned the war- path in the spring of 1870. His report will be found herewith, marked A a. When lied Cloud visited Washington, iu July of last year, it was maintained by a portion of the Western press, and the people of the frontier, that his return would be marked by the renewal of outrages upon the settlers. Happily, the prediction was not realized, and peace still continues. The Sioux are extremely sensitive in regard to the slightest encroachment upon their reservation, or the hunting grounds allotted to them in the treaty of 1868, and have objected even to the establishment of an agency for their own benefit within its limits. They are impressed with the conviction that where one white man is allowed to enter their territory many Avill inevitably follow. In view of their past experience, we cannot think them unreasonable in this. The same wise consideration which led the Government to withdraw the garrisons of Forts Eeno, 0. F. Smith, and Phil. Kearney, in 1868, and to prevent the proposed Big Horn expedition in 1870, should induce a proper effort to gain their consent by negotiation, before permitting any breach of the treaty stipulations by the invasion of their hunting grounds by sur-veying or exploring parties. It is believed that the privilege which may be deemed necessary for the Northern Pacific liailroad Company may be had by i^ lgotiation. at a moderate cost, whereas the attempt to sieze it without will probably occasion a renewal of the war. EAST. The wisdom of keeping faith, in honestly fulfilling our part of the treaties, and in making the chiefs acquainted with the character and resources of our people, by inviting them to visit the East, is thus prac-tically demonstrated by our present relations with these Sioux. Some of the chiefs of the Cheyennes and Arapahoes of the southern plains, in acceptance of a similar invitation, visited Washington and the other principal cities of the East, during the past summer. The kind treat-ment they received from the President and executive officers of the Government at Washington, and from the citizens of Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, ( see Appendix A, No. 1,) made so favorable an impression on their minds that, on their return to the Indian country, when their neighbors, the Kiowas, angry at the arrest of their chiefs, Satanta and Satauk, earnestly pressed them to go on the war path, they promptly refused. If the Cheyennes and Arapahoes had joined their forces with the Kiowas, we should have had a bloody war. But the Kiowas, finding themselves unsupported, had the wisdom to abandon the project and remain at peace. ARREST AND PUNISHMENT OF KIOWA CHIEFS. The Kiowa chiefs had been invited to accompany the delegation of Cheyenne, Arapahoe, and Witchita chiefs on their visit to the East, but had been dissuaded from so doing by some evil- minded half- breeds who were in the habit of inciting them to raids on the Texas frontier, and who feared their vicious trade in the product of the robberies would be broken up. The consequence was, that while the other chiefs visited our principal cities, they went on one of those plundering tours into Texan, and, boasting of it rn their return home, were arrested by Gen-eral Sherman, and justly punished. |