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Show REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. 107 you whether you were willing to sell. He knew they were men who would tell you both sides, and carry your answer back to him. They are men whom the white people trust, and he knew they were your friends. They have come, and given you a week to think of it, and to talk about it, and you have made up your minds, and told these commissioners you would not sell your reservation ; that you will stay here. Now, the white man knows the land was made to he cultivated, to raise corn and grain and stock upon. Whenever they see land with nobody living upon it they want to have it, that they may build houses on it, and fence ir, and plow the land, raise grain and cattle on it, arid get rich. There is a great deal of land there that has nobody living on it. If you want to keep the white man from wanting it after a while you must live on it yourselves. You must plow and fence it and build houses on it, and raise . grain and stick to it yourselves, so that your children after you will be as white men, and will be making laws for their children. Seme of you are doing well, and the President will be glad to hear it; but he will be sorry to hear that so many of you are Indians still. However, he will hear Hom- i- li's words that after a while the men who have the care of you will write a letter to the President, and tell him what you are doing, whether you are still wild men or whether you are improving this laud. I hope that you will never make the President sorry that he allowed you to stay here, and I hope none of your friends will ever regret that they protected you on the reservation. There are a few white men here I am sorry there are not more to hear what I am going to say to them. The men who, like myself, have marked the past course of events in our country know what has been the usual course in regard to Indian affairs. You know, also, that there have been great changes in the country in regard to many things. I need not go over them. You will recollect that some years ago if a member of Congress, in a district where there was an Indian reservation, got up a bill to sell it the bill was likely to be passed. The question asked was not, " Is it just to the red man?" or, " Is it our duty to protect him? " but it was: " Do we want his land* 1 " For several years there have been efforts made in some parts ot the country to procure the lands of Indians, but lately these efforts have failed. Just as the great hearts of the people have changed on the questions over which we battled so long on both sides of which some of us have stood ; just as those questions have been settled for-ever, so I believe the great heart of the nation will not permit the Indians to be wronged. Now, I am saying this for the reason, I know that there are many persons within reach of this reservation, and other reservations, who suppose that the Indians will be removed, and they are waiting for places on them. These men will be told by their candidates for Congress that they will get the Indians removed. If they should ever succeed, and I do not believe they ever will, it will be with the certainty that the Indians will get the full value of their lands, and I believe the man who waits here to get a pre- emption claim on this land will die a poor man still waiting. Now, my friends, I never expect to see you again, ( unless we may hope, as I hope to meet you in a better world hereafter,) and in parting I will venture one word of advice. If 1 lived near this reservation with the idea of ever living on it I would abandon it at once. I would hitch up my team Monday and I would go to where the Pacific Railroad will probably come, or I would settle on some other good place. It is just possible the Indians may have trouble from bad men much of the trouble that comes to both whites and Indians comes from one cause whisky. The Indians are sold whisky, or they get it contrary to the law, and they drink it. Another is, the disposition to encroach on the lands. I hope that such trouble may be avoided here. I do not know that there will be any, but I know that the power of the Government will be used to protect the Indians in their rights. ( To the Indians:) As Mr. Meacham told you, I did not come here to talk to you about the business of selling your lands, but I came here to see you, and to hear you talk of what is being done on your reservation. I do not want you to go away to- night and not see you again, but I want you all to come to Father Veermeesh's church to- morrow morn-ing, and in the afternoon to come here, and we will talk to you about God and things that are good. THOMAS K. CREE, Clerk. APPENDIX A d. REPORT ON OREGON AND WASHINGTON TERRITORY. REPORT OF A VISIT TO THE RESERVATIONS IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON TERRITORIES Y COMMISSIONER FELIX R. 11RUNOT. To the Board of Indian Commissioners : GENTLEMI N: At a meeting of the board in New York, on the 3d of May last, Messrs. Campbell, Farwell, and Brunot were appointed a committee to visit the Pacific coast to inquire into the management of the Indian reservations in California and Oregon, and Wash-ington Territory; also, to be present at a council to be held on the Umatilla reservation in Eastern Oregon under the joint resolution of Congress of July. 1870. Messrs. Campbell and Farwell were obliged to be in New York and Washington in con- |
