Grand council with the Indians.

The grand council between the Indian delegations, the Secretary of the Interior, and Commissioner Parker, was held at the Indian Office yesterday morning, June 8, 1870. Several gentlemen holding official positions under the Government, having relations with Indian tribes, were present, including General Smith, Commissioners Brunot and Colyer, of the peace commission, and others. The red men took their seats in the council about 11 o'clock, the conference lasting until 1 o'clock. They were arrayed in all the finery they possess, and were evidently much impressed with the importance of the occasion.

After the usual formula of handshaking, the Commissioner announced to the chiefs that what Red Cloud had spoken to them had been thought over, and the Secretary of the Interior would now give our reply. His words were the words of the President on the subject of Red Cloud's speech.

REMARKS OF SECRETARY COX.

"Red Cloud and his people have now been here several days; and we have had him go about and see the sights, that he might know more about our people and their power. They will now know that what the President does is not because he is afraid, but because he wants to do that which is right and good. When our people grow so fast as to travel upon the plains, we wanted to find a place where they could live and not be troubled. For that reason our great soldier, General Sherman, made the treaty to give the Indians the country where they now are, and take our people out of it, so they could be there alone.

"Lately some of our people wanted to go there to look for gold, but the President refused to let them go, saying he had given the country to the Sioux. They may be sure that the President will do what he said, and that they may live peacefully in that Territory. We have asked Congress to give us plenty of money to continue feeding them, that their rations may be sure, and we expect them to do that, and therefore we can say that that part of their request will be granted. We will send them also the goods promised.

"They asked for powder and lead. I want to tell them first what we think and feel on that subject. The whites who live on the frontiers are frightened. They say that Red Cloud and his people have murdered some of them. We want Red Cloud and his people to say to us here, before they go away, that they will not do so, but will keep at peace with all our people. When they have said that, and told the people so, we think it will be safe for them to have arms to hunt with. Lately some whites have been killed"

RED CLOUD. I have heard reports of this thing up above, before I left. There are no Sioux south of the Pacific Railroad.

The Secretary continued: "We will believe that what he says is so; but, while the people are frightened, we cannot give the Indians guns, but when we find they are at peace we will do so. We believe that by Red Cloud and the rest of his chiefs coming here, and learning all about the country, we can induce him to be at peace. We want them to know that we shall watch every chance to do them good instead of hurt if they will remain steadily our friends. The people who move out into that country, many of them, never saw an Indian; they don't know their language, and cannot talk to them-cannot tell one tribe from another-so that when an Indian kills a white man anywhere they charge all Indians with it. The Indians must, therefore, try to make all other Indians keep peace with us also. When we stop having complaints from the frontier, and the people tell us they are friends, then we can do all that we want to do. We know it is a great loss to them to be separated from the buffalo and the other game. That is why we give them rations. We know, too, that it is hard for grown-up men to learn other ways of getting food and clothing. We are trying, therefore, to take care of them, and to give them things in place of those they lose. We hope, when they have gone through the country, and seen what the whites get from the ground and other sources, that they will be glad to have their children learn to do the same. We believe the little children can learn these things when the grown men cannot. The whites are now so many that we must live near neighbors to each other, and then the Indians could not help learning the ways of the whites. We want to be good neighbors, and we will help them to try and live in peace with those near them. By this I do not mean that the whites shall come on their reservation given the Indians by General Sherman, but I mean they are to live beside the railroad, so that we may know that our people do them no wrong, and that they get their goods; and we are going to send out Mr. Brunot this summer to see you. When he goes he will ask what is the best thing we can do for them-if any one has done them wrong, and they can tell him what they want, and when he comes back we will try to do what he will say they need to have done. The great thing we want to say to them is, they must keep the peace, and then we will do what is right for them,”

RED CLOUD RESPONDS.

When the Secretary had finished Red Cloud arose, shook hands, and talked: "The Great Spirit has seen me naked; and my Great Father, I have fought against him. I offered my prayers to the Great Spirit so I could come here safe. Look at me. I was raised on this land where the sun rises-now I come from where the sun sets. Whose voice was first sounded on this land? The voice of the red people, who had but bows and arrows. The Great Father says he is good and kind to us. I don't think so. I am good to his white people. From the word sent me I have come all the way to his home. My face is red; yours is white. The Great Spirit has made you to read and write, but not me. I have not learned. I come here to tell my Great Father what I do not like in my country. You are all close to my Great Father, and are a great many chiefs. The men the Great Father sends to us have no sense-no heart. What has been done in my country I did not want, did not ask for it; white people going through my country. Father, have you, or any of your friends here, got children? Do you want to raise them? Look at me; I come here with all these young men. of them have children and want to raise them. The white children have surrounded me and have left me nothing but an island. When we first had this land we were strong, now are melting like snow on the hillside, while you are grown like spring grass. Now I have come a long distance to my Great Father's house-see if I have left any blood in his land when I go. When the white man comes in my country he leaves a trail of blood behind him. Tell the Great Father to move Fort Fetterman away and we will have no more trouble. I have two mountains in that country-the Black Hills and the Big Horn Mountain. I want the Great Father to make no roads through them. I have told these things three times; now I have come here to tell them the fourth time.

All

"I do not want my reservation on the Missouri; this is the fourth time I have said So. Here are some people from there now. Our children are dying off like sheep; the country does not suit them. I was born at the forks of the Platte, and I was told that the land belonged to me from north, south, east, and west. The red man has come to the Great Father's house. The Ogallallas are the last who have come here; but I come to hear and listen to the words of the Great Father. They have promised me traders, but we have none. At the mouth of Horse Creek they had made a treaty in 1862, and the man who made the treaty is the only one who has told me truths. When you send goods to me, they are stolen all along the road, so when they reached me they were only a handful. They held a paper for me to sign, and that is all I got for my lands. I know the people you send out there are liars. Look at me. I am poor and naked. I do not want war with my Government. The railroad is passing through my country now; I have received no pay for the land-not even a brass ring. I want you to tell all this to my Great Father."

In speaking of Richards, the half-breed, Red Cloud said that he belonged to him, but the whites wanted to take him away from him; that Richards had been treated badly by the whites. They had taken away all his stock and shot at him at Fort Fetterman when he was a contractor cutting hay for the Government, for which he was going to kill them. When the Great Father had given him permission to trade with the Indians, the soldiers robbed him; that is why he had something to tell the Great Father about killing one of his white children. General Smith had told them everything straight.

At the conclusion of Red Clouds remarks to the Secretary, Commissioner Parker said to Red Cloud:

"The Secretary will go to the President now, and tell him what Red Cloud has said to-day; he will also make arrangements to fix a time when the President will see and talk with him; The President had told him (Commissioner Parker) last evening that he would talk with him very soon, and when the President was ready for him he would send him word, and he would then have a chance to see the President and report to him what he wanted."

Red Cloud then said:

"I forgot one thing: you might grant my people the powder we ask; we are but a handful, and you a great and powerful nation; you make all the ammunition; all I ask is enough for my people to kill game. The Great Spirit has made all things that I have in my country wild; I have to hunt them up; it is not like you, who go out and find what you want. I have eyes; I see all you whites, what you are doing, raising stock, &c. I know that I will have to come to that in a few years myself; it is good. I have no more to say."

Little Bear then addressed a few remarks to Commissioner Parker, as follows:

REMARKS OF LITTLE BEAR.

"I got little to tell you, Father. I want you to look at my relatives, who are living on the Missouri. The whites told me to go to farming; I listened to them and did

so; I thought it was good for me when I had done it, but I found out the whites only did it to fool and kill me. I have farmed for several years. In the spring the commanding officer told me to go out and get meat and build lodges; I was glad and went. Returning, I camped at the bridge on my way to Laramie; I received orders that I was to raise no more corn, and was fired upon."

On saying this, Little Bear pulled aside his robe, and exposing his naked side, showed the mark of a bullet where he had been shot: "This is what I got for trying to farm," said he.

"I now cannot trust them; I am afraid they will play the same tricks. At the Platte, when my children returned from hunting, they were shot down like dogs. "When you talk about farming I listen to you, but we do not want to go on the Missouri River, for we hear every day of the deaths of ten or fifteen of our people. The climate does not agree with them. That is all I have to say, Father."

Spotted Tail then spoke in behalf of the half-breed Richards, whose trial for the murder of a soldier at Fort Fetterman will soon come off. He said that Richards was good and much loved by the Indians, both by Red Cloud and himself. He wanted him to tell the Great Father all these things, so that he would pardon Richards, and that the Indians might return to their homes with a glad heart.

Commissioner Parker said to the Indians that the case was before the President, but he did not know what would be done with it, but whatever he did would be right. Commissioner Parker, before dismissing the council, invited the chiefs and their bands to visit the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, but Red Cloud declined, as he said he came for business and not for pleasure. The Commissioner then dismissed them, promising to have another big talk in a few days.

Interview with the President-Red Cloud addresses the Great Father-He demands the removal of Fort Fetterman—The President's response—He informs Red Cloud that Fort Fetterman cannot be removed.

The President yesterday, June 9, 1870, received Red Cloud and his band of Ogallallas, who, with Commissioner Parker, visited the Executive Mansion for the purpose of having a final big talk. They were received in the room where the President transacts all his business; and after they had, like well-trained ducks, placed themselves all in line, Red Cloud arose and addressed the President. He and his brothers were much pleased with their visit to Washington. It was the home that the Great Spirit had first given the red man. He protested that his people did not murder or rob white men, but were good to them; but the whites murdered and robbed his people. He urged the Great Father to take pity on his people, who he claimed were the original owners of the land in this locality, but now they came from where the sun set. He made the demand that Fort Fetterman should be removed; and said that Fort Laramie had been appointed by treaty as a place from which to receive corn and clothing. He again urged the President to give arms and ammunition to his people, that they might hunt the buffalo, and concluded his remarks with another demand for the removal of Fort Fetterman.

The President, in reply, said that he had ever desired to live at peace with the red men. He would protect the Indian from the encroachments of the whites, and the whites from the war of the Indian; and further, that he would see that all appropriations and laws were faithfully carried out, and that they were not molested on their reservations. He advised them to go to farming and raising cattle as soon as possible, and thus thereby greatly add to their comforts. As to Fort Fetterman, it was needed, and was very useful to keep the whites off of the Indian reservation and to protect the whites against the Indians who were badly disposed. It was also needed as a base of supplies, and therefore could not be removed.

Red Cloud said that he knew the Great Father had a great many children-so many that he could not hear of the actions of all of them, and he knew the Great Father did not know of all the bad acts committed by the whites against his red children.

The President replied that he was glad to hear what they had to say, and that he had given instructions to the Secretary of the Interior to supply all their wants, and see that justice was done them.

This produced great satisfaction among the Indians, who all shook hands with their Great Father and withdrew.

The entire proceedings were viewed by the ladies of the President's family from an adjoining room.

Although the Indians departed seemingly satisfied, it is not improbable that the proud chief of the Ogalallas will return to the war-path unless there should be some more satisfactory developments from his next interview with Secretary Cox and Commissioner Parker.

ENTERTAINMENT AT THE WHITE HOUSE.

In the evening the Indian delegations now in this city, upon the invitation of President Grant, extended through Commissioner Parker, visited the White House, where they were shown through the house, and finally into the State dining-room, where a sumptuous repast was set out for them and a large number of guests to whom invitations had also been extended. There were present all the foreign ministers with their wives, and the ladies and gentlemen of the legations, and many of the cabinet officers and their wives. The Indians were very much delighted with what they saw, and expressed themselves as having a good heart toward the man who could have "So much good eat and so much good squaw." The ladies, who were in full evening toilet, rather dazzled the son of the forest.

WASHINGTON, June 11.

Red Cloud and his party were again at the Indian Bureau this morning, it being the final interview between them and the Government. They appeared to be much depressed, having reflected over the proceedings of yesterday. They reluctantly came to the meeting this morning, earnest persuasion of the interpreter, agent, and traders having induced them to do so. They stated that their refusal to attend might result to their injury. Last night one of the chiefs was so much depressed in spirits that he wanted to commit suicide, saying he might as well die here as elsewhere, as they had been swindled.

Commissioner Parker opened the proceedings to-day by saying the Indians were asked to come up, because it was thought they might have something to say before they went home.

Secretary Cox said to them he was very sorry to find out that Red Cloud and his people have not understood what was in the treaty of 1868, and therefore he wanted him to come here, so that all mistakes might be explained and be discussed. It was important to know exactly how matters stood. This Government did not want to deprive them of any of their rights. The Secretary then explained at some length the provisions of the treaty of the hunting-ground, the reservation, &c. He understood that Red Cloud and his band were unwilling to go on the reservation, but wanted to live on the headwaters of the Big Cheyenne River, northeast of Fort Fetterman. This was outside of the permanent reservation, but inside the part reserved for huntinggrounds.

The Secretary was willing to say, if that would please them, he would make it so and have their business agents there. This would still keep white people off the huntingground. The Government would give them cattle, and food, and clothing, so as to make them happy in their new home. The Secretary said he would write down the names of the men in whom the Indians have confidence and want for their agents and traders. He desired to find out whether they were good men, who could be trusted by the Government. He was sorry the Indians felt bad on finding out what was in the treaty, but the best way was to tell it all, so there might not be any misunderstanding.

Red Cloud having shaken hands with the Secretary and Commissioner Parker, seated himself on the floor, and said: "What I said to the Great Father, the President, is now in my mind. I have only a few words to add this morning. I have become tired of speaking. Yesterday, when I saw the treaty and all the false things in it, I was mad, and I suppose it made you the same. The Secretary explained this morning, and now I am pleased. As to the goods you talked about, I want what is due and belongs to The red people were raised with the bow and arrow, and are all of one nation; but the whites, who are civilized and educated, swindle me; and I am not hard to swindle, because I do not know how to read and write.

me.

"We have thirty-two nations, and have a council-house, just the same as you have. We held a council before we came here, and the demand I have made upon you is from the chiefs I left behind. We are all alike. You whites have a chief you go by, but all the chief I go by is God Almighty. When He tells me anything that is for the best, I always go by his guidance. The whites think the Great Spirit has nothing to do with us, but He has. After fooling with us and taking away our property, they will have to suffer for it hereafter. The Great Spirit is now looking at us, and we offer to Him our prayers. When we had a talk at the mouth of Horse Creek, in 1852, you made a chief of Conquering Bear, and then destroyed him, and since then we have had no more chiefs. You white people did the same to your great chief-you killed one of your Great Fathers, (Lincoln.)

"The Great Spirit makes us suffer for our wrong-doing. You promise us many things, but you never perform them. You take away everything, and yet if you live forty or fifty years in this world, and then die, you cannot take all your goods with you. The Great Spirit will not make me suffer because I am ignorant; he will put me in a place

where I will be better off than in this world. The Great Spirit raised me naked and gave me no weapons. Look at me. That is the way I was raised, (pulling aside his blanket, and exposing his bare shoulder.) White men say we are bad-we are murderers, but I cannot see it. We gave up our lands wherever the whites came into our country.

I

"Tell the Great Father I am poor. In earlier times, when I had plenty of game, could make my living; I gave land away; but I am too poor for that now. I want something for my land. I want to receive some pay for the land where you have made railroads. My Father has a great many children out West with no ears, brain, or heart. You have the names to the treaty of persons professing to be chiefs, but I am chief of that nation. Look at me; my hair is straight. I was free-born on this land. An interpreter who signed the treaty has curly hair. He is no man. I will see him hereafter. I know I have been wronged. The words of my Great Father never reach me, and mine never reach him. There are too many streams between us. The Great Spirit has raised me on wild game. I know he has left enough to support my children for awhile. You have stolen Denver from me. You never gave me anything for it. Some of our people went there to engage in farming, and you sent your white children and scattered them all away. Now, I have only two mountains left, and want them for myself and people. There is treasure in them. You have stolen two mounds containing gold. I have for many years lived with the men I want for my superintendent, agent, and traders, and am well acquainted with them. I know they are men of justice. They do what is right. If you appoint them, and any bláme comes, it will not be on you, but on me. I would be willing to let you go upon our land when the time comes, but that would not be until after game is gone. I do not ask my Great Father to give me anything. I came naked, and will go away naked. I want you to tell my Great Father I have no further business. I want you to put me on a straight line. Want to stop in St. Louis to see Robert Campbell, [one of the board of commissioners,] an old friend."

Red Cloud then pointed to a lady in the room, saying: "Look at that woman; she was captured by Silver Horn's party. I wish you to pay her what her captors owe her. I am a man true to what I say, and want to keep my promise. The Indians robbed that lady there, and through your influence I want her to be paid."

Secretary Cox replied to Red Cloud that the treaty showed how the land was to be paid for. They were to be given cattle, agricultural implements, seeds, houses, blacksmith shops, teachers, &c., and food and clothing. The land is good in two ways. One is to let the game grow for the hunt; the other is to plough it up and get corn and wheat and other things out of it, and raise cattle on it. The reason why so many white men live on their land is, they treat it in this way.

"I was glad to hear Red Cloud say he would not go away angry. General Smith will see that you get good presents. But these are small things compared with the arrangements which will be made to make you happy and prosperous. Some of the peace commissioners will go to your country to see that you all are well treated.

"I do not want you to think the days coming are black days. I want you to think they will be bright and happy days. Be of good spirit; if you feel like a man who is lost in the woods, we will guide you out of them to a pleasant place. You will go home two days from now; one day will be spent by General Smith in New York to get you the presents."

Red Cloud replied: "I do not want to go that way; I want a straight line; I have seen enough of towns. There are plenty of stores between here and my home, and there is no occasion to go out of the way to buy goods. I have no business in New York. I want to go back the way I came. The whites are the same everywhere. I see them every day. As to the improvement of the red men, I want to send them here as delegates to Congress."

Secretary Cox said he would be guided by General Smith as to the route homeward. He was not particularly anxious the Indians should go to New York.

Thus ended the interview. The Indians shook hands with the Secretary and Commissioner Parker, and then hurried from the room, followed by the crowd of people who had gathered at the door.

RED CLOUD AND THE MORMONS.

WASHINGTON, June 12.

Senator Morrill, as chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, and who had charge of the Indian appropriation bill, Delegate Hooper of Utah, and Vincent Colyer, secretary of board of Indian commissioners, called last evening on Red Cloud to pay their respects. The Senator assured Red Cloud of his profound sympathy with him and his race, and that Congress, the grand council, the President and the people, would deal justly with the Indians. For his part he was convinced they had been too much neglected and abused, which operated to the injury of whites as well as red men of the West. If Red Cloud were to go north he would find multitudes of friends who would