The daily phoenix. (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, June 10, 1875, Image 2
coeijmjiiat^
Thursday Morning, June 10,1075,
Proposed Wholesale: EmiqeatIon to
Liberia. ?A pamphlet. has been i lately
published by Mr. Alexander G. Murray,
of Georgia, advocating the romoval of the
wbole body of the negroes of the United
States to Africa. The writer, who is a
prominent lawyer and an ardent sup?
porter of General Grant, takes the ground
that the negroes are a burthen to tho
country, being totally deficient in
energy, foresight, economy and intel?
lectual oapaoity. He asserts that the
best workers among the old negroes will
do no more than sixty per cent, of tho
work they did as slaves, and the young
men not more- than forty per cent, of
what they ought to do. The losseB by
stealing before the fruits of the earth or
animals can be brought to maturity n
so great that it discourages the raising of
vegetables, fowls or stock. Mr. Murray
apprehends tho abject impoverishment
of both whites and blacks whenever tho
latter equals or nearly equals the former.
To remedy this state of things, he pro?
poses that all the negroes should be
shipped ofT to Africa, a country which
?"God made to suit the negro," where tho
spontaneous productions of the earth
supply him with food, and where the
climate is so warm the year round that
the transported freedmcn will have no
need to buy clothes. A more impracti?
cable suggestion was never made. Con?
ceding the desirability of removing tho
negroes in the United States to Africa,
will Mr. Murray inform us, pertinently
inquires the Baltimore Sun, how it is to
be effected? Let us suppose, in tho first
place, that they decline to go, which is a
very reasonable supposition. How does
Mr. Murray propose to deal with them in
that event? Is, there any power in Con?
gress to order and compel tho departure
from the country of any class of its in?
habitants, not to say citizens, not con?
victed of crime? "We have had the expe?
rience of the long existing colonization
societies of the country to prove to us
that but a limited number of the colored
race horn and reared on this continent
are disposed to make the venture of
emigration to Africa, either for their own
or the good of the race in general. Why,
then, should j it be expected that the
negro in this wholesale way would wont
to go to Africa? i What opening is there
for such numbors? What business could
they engage in? Supposing, however,
that there were inducements in Africa
for the emigration of the black race from
this country, how would they go, at
whose expense, and how long would it
be before they were all gone? There are
4,000,000 of them at least in the United
States, In the last fifty years 9,000,000
of Europeans have come to this country
This is on enormous influx, but it has
been stimulated by the unheard-of de?
mand for labor here, the vastness and
variety of our natural resource, the
penury of the European masses, the at?
tractions of free government, and tho
indomitable enterprise of the European
racos. They came, too, at their own ex
Sonse, spread over a great length of time,
o Government on the face of the earth
could, in a limited period, have paid the
cost of such an exodus, even if it had
been willing to do so. The negroes of
the United States have no means of then
own to emigrate, and the immense ex
Eense of the wholesale emigration would
ave to he borne by the General Govern?
ment. Does Mr. Murray think this
practicable, especially with such a na?
tional debt as we now have? If they are
n burden to the country now, when they
produce by their labor the most valuable
of its exports, what would they bo if the
country had to pay their way to Africa,
especially if their plaoe as laborers is
not properly supplied? Muking all rea?
sonable allowance for what is stolen, it
is but a drop in the bucket compared
with the national wealth which they pro?
duce, even with their labor in a disor- I
ganized condition as at present. There
Is no country in the world which has I
labor better adapted to its section or pro- I
ducts, if properly regulated, than tho
South has in its negro population. While
the North and West are ransacking the j
earth for workingmen, the South has '
them in abundance for the cultivation of
its leading staples. What would hecomo
of this cultivation if the negro laborers
could be suddenly shipped off at once to
Africa? Where would the men come '
from to supply their places? We look
upon all such projects us Utopian in the
highest degree. The negroes will not
go; they could not go if they would, and
if they would go and could go their
places could not he supplied in many a
day to come. Hence tho proposition is
not only impracticable, but undesirable.
A Talk with the Indians.?Those of
our readers who have been befogged as
to the exact nature of the negotiations
which were carried on during last week
with Spotted Toil and his party at Wash?
ington, will find the following a very
entertaining letter from a Washington
correspondent of tho Louisville Courier
Journal, who gives the results of an in?
terview with Spotted Tail and a descrip?
tion of the talk with Secretary Delano
and Commissioner Smith. Spotted
Tail's exposition of the religious status
of our red brother is quite encouraging
and highly ' poelloal.' The'HBeaven of
Spotted Tail la strongly materialized,
qnito enoagh no to satisfy the authored
of "Gutos Ajar/' as Lo will havo his
gun, dog and pony and Other material
comforts ip.' tho other world. Spotted
Tail's views concerning civilizing influ?
ence are highly intelligent. Ho Bays all
the Indians want is a chance and time.
But then there is little doubt that Spot?
ted Tail is a first class liar:
Tho Sioux Indians arotstill undecided
as to what they will do with rogard to
the propositions made to thorn by the
Government, and the strong likelihood
now is that they will go buck to their
homes in Dakota without signing any
treaty whatever. Tho pow-wow which
was held yesterday at the rooms of the
Socrotary of the Interior, between Mr.
Delano and Commissioner Smith on the
one side and the wholo Sioux deputation
on the other, was a very remarknblo
nffair. It exhibited to a very great
degree the utter ignorance of the red
men of tho binding forco of the white
man's statute laws, and the extraordinary
amount of patience that is required of
the persons who deal officially with
these savages.
Red Cloud, in preparing hiB toilet,
had endeavored to appear from the waist
up as a white gentleman, but from the
waist down, in that regard, ho was sadly
deficient; the white man's apparel in
that part being represented only by the
tail of his close-bodied black cloth coat.
His coat was of good cut, was new and
glossy, his black silk vest fitted him
well, and his white linen shirt, with its
plaited bosom, was faultless; but it was
a number fifteen around the neck, and
the paper collar ho wore was about num?
ber seventeen and a half, and the result
was that on both sides of the collar
button tho collar bulged out in an un
eracoful curve so as to turn tho little
lack bow or neck-tie outwards and dis?
play its under side. It was some little
time beforo I discovered that Red Cloud
didn't wear trousers, that below his vest
his shirt made a part of'his outside
apparel, and that he wore on his nother
limbs the nsual Radian leggins. When
he arose to speak, his shirt in front ap
Seared somewhat-like a Mason's apron,
ed Cloud was the only person of the
Sioux who, on this occasion, wore a coat
All tho rest' wore shirts, vests and leg
gins. All wore, or had with them, their
blankets. Red Cloud had no paint upon
him whatever, and Spotted Tail was also
unpainted, except on his scalp where
tho hair parted, which was colored with
a streak of vermilion. All the balance
were painted?no two alike?and seemed
to vie with each other as to who should
look the ugliest. Ball Eagle was smeared
all over his face, scalp and hands with a
light yellowish green, suggesting at first
Bight a bad case of jaundice, while Black
Bear was marked with streaks of red
vermilion around his eyes, nose and
mouth very much after the manner of
the scarification of the South Sea Island?
ers. The paint in most instances covered
tho wholo face, neck, scaty and hands.
It was very warm; tho perspiration
flowed copiously from the "white
brothers," but the colors of the red man
remained unbroken. Their suffering
from heat must have been intense, as
they each used a fan, and that a large
one, as vigorously as the hottest blood ed
Japanese.
When the Secretary of the Interior
finally arrived, the "how! hows!" had
passed around, and Commissioner Smith
had explained the object of the conncil,
Rod Cloud came to the front There
was some disappointment manifested by
the whites present at this movement, for
it had been expected that Spotted Tail
would bo the speaker. However, when
Red Cloud commenced his speech, the
impressivenesH of his manner and the
words used seemed to suggest the idea
that piobably ho had been under-rated.
With uplifted hands and eyes reverently
turned to Heaven, he said: "Great Spirit,
hear my voice; have mercy upon me
now, and pity nie. Before I speak, I
wish to call Heaven and earth to bear
witness to what I say." He then pro?
ceeded in quite a long speech to say that
he and the bands connected with his
agency had concluded to accept tho
$25,000 offered by the Government, but
not on the terms under which it was
offered. He wanted $10,000 in one hand
and $10,000 in the other, and the $5,000
laid on top of that. lie wanted it now
in cash and not in presents, and he
wanted tho Government to be ready with
more money next winter. lie com?
menced then a long and tiresome state?
ment of the grievances of his tribe, and
before hu concluded had to be reminded
that such matters could not be consi?
dered ut that time. Altogether his
speech was a failure. The first impres?
sions created by him were dispelled by
his subsequent talk, and he stepped
down and out rather in disgrace, and
much to the relief of all his "white
friends."
Ho was followed by White Swan, who
was put forward by old Lone Horn, as a
"young man" who knew tho w ishes of
tho Sioux well, and who dared to say
what he thought was right. White Swan
in dress was the best representative pre?
sent of tho wild Indian chief. He was
crownod with a high band of eagle
feathers, from which there hung a trail of
the same materials about ten feet in
length, and which stood out on his back
much like tho fin of a sun-perch. On
his breast was a shield of porcupine
quills, bright silver bracelets woro on
his arms, and large rings in his cars.
Ho is evidently a swell among his peo?
ple, and a great heart-smasher among
the maidens of his tribe, but there was
not a singlo point or angle about his fea?
tures that did not indicate the most
heartless cruelty. Your correspondent
was informed by ono of tho agents pre
sont that White Swan had just como in
off the war-path when he was sum monad
^jy tho Great Father to como to Wash in g
ton.\*-, The burden of White Swan a
speeoh seemed to be en endeavor to have
all the people of the great Sioux nation
regarded as equals in whatever distribu?
tion of presents should be made, but he
was far from being intelligible as to any
matter that he spoke about. Notwith?
standing his great apparent gravity, he
became confused, got his subjects mixed
up, and finally wound up by saying:
??Well, I'd like to know what you all
want with us, anyhow?" Many of the
Indians seemed to appreciate the fact
that he was making an ass of himself,
and told him to .stop; but he didn't heed
them. The report of his speech in the
papers is very much oinheihshed. Hav?
ing heard every word of it, however,
your correspondent was impressed with
the idea that White Swan was a court
that didn't know itself, and that his talk
simply amounted to nothing.
As soon as White Swan had finished,
Little Wound, a chief of no mean quali?
fications, belonging to the Red Cloud
agency, arose, and, in n very decided
manner, told the Secretary and Com?
missioner that he nnd his band would
not accept their propositions. That
while ho had counseled his young men,
since the establishment of the agency, to
peace, and would do so still, yet if the
Government should offer them $40,000 a
year for 100 years, they would not yield
the rights, or any of them, they now had.
Little Wound was remonstrated with by
severnl of tho chiefs of his agency for his
course, but he remained unmoved.
Mark the word! That Indian will give
the white people trouble before he dies.
He is yet a young man.
When Little Wound had concluded,
Mr. Delano said ho wanted to hear from
Spotted Tail. Tho latter did not hesi
tato to arise, but before speaking very
solemnly wont through with a hand?
shaking all around, saying "how" to
each person. After calling on tho Great
Spirit to hear what he said, he imme?
diately announced that he and the bands
of his agency would be entitled to 510,000
of the money offered by Congress, jjjid
that they accepted the offer. Here was
a long pause. The Secretary and Com?
missioner seemed pleased, and expected
that this speech would make a pleasant
finale to the council, but the next sen?
tence told on thorn very differently.
??But," said the chief, "I want the cash
in niv hands before I sign the paper." It
was hero explained to him, as it had in
the outset been explained to Red Cloud,
that the North lino of Nebraska included
tho South port of the <5ioux reservation,
which extended to the North fork of the
Platte; thot it was absolutely necessary
for tho Sioux to give up their hunting
Erivileges South of the Niobrara River,
ecause this privilege, resulted in an
endless collision between the Indians
and whites, in murders, robbery and
other crimes, and that Congress had,
last year, authorized the payment of
$25,000 for presents, to be distributed
among the Sioux, if they would give up
tliOj privilege mentioned; that if tho de?
putation present, or u majority of them,
would sign a treaty for that purpose now,
the probabilities were that more would
be given them by the next Congress.
Spotted Tail said that the matter was of
so gravo a nature that he would rather,
beforo signing the treaty, submit it to
the whole Sionx nation in grand council;
but he was reminded that the Act of
Congress expired by limitation on the
30th day of June* 1875?about one
moon?and that he would not have suf?
ficient time to call this grand council,
and that if the treaty wos signed now,
the Indians present might nominate
their own agent to make the distribution
of their presents. Spotted Tail insisted
on the cash, and said that if the presents
were bought here and distributed out in
his country after the treaty was signed,
his children (meaning his people) would
get very few of them. He further sug?
gested that the money be drawn now, so
us to bring tho matter within the limita?
tion of the Act of Congress: let the pre?
sents be bought and distributed, and
then the treaty would be signed. The
Secretary and Commissioner now became
impatient, and told him that his sug?
gestions were entirely impracticable, as
the treaty must be signed, and presents
bought afterwards, before the vouchers
for the money would be cashed by the
disbursing Ofncers of the treasury. The
council came abruptly to a close. Spotted
Tail saying that he would go and have
another talk with the Groat Father he
fore ho signed the paper, and at once,
without further ceremony, getting up
with all his people nnd stalked out of
the room.
The deputation hail tluir proposed
[ talk with the Great Father, this morning,
but they were told just what Mr. Delano
' and the Commissioners had said to them,
j and still they refuse to accept the terms
of the treaty. Red Cloud, Little Wound
\ and Spotted Tail each distinctly and
j more than once said that it would bo of
j no use whatever for the Government to
propose that the Sioux should move
away from their present reservation,
yield up the Black Hills and go to the
Indian Territory, for they would not do
i so under any circumstances.
I After the close of the council yoster
i day, vour correspondent was accorded a
long interview with Spotted Tail. Seve?
ral Indians and halt-bloods wero present.
The conversation was oponed something
aftor this manner:
"Spotted Tail, you are regarded by
the white men ns tho wisest chieftain of
your nation. Have you any objection to
talking with mo on matters not pertain?
ing specially to your visit to this city?"
"I have no objections, except that iny
mind has been, and is now, troubled
about that paper which the Commissioner
wants us to sign, and I cannot talk to
you long. What do you wish to know
from me first?"
"I was very much impressed with the
manner of Red Cloud nnd yourself when
you opened your speeches in tho council
this morning, and I want you to tell me
-rznr.?. .. .-.?? ~ -??
somewhat of your religious belief.",
Spotted Tail, after quite a pause, pro?
ceed edj in answer to questions, to talk
very gravely, the following being subf
stantially what he said: . ;?
"Most Indians believe in die Great
Spirit, ion heaven and in a hell. Bnt
some are unbelievers, and think that,
when they die, they are no more, just
like the dog und tue horse. There are
but two worlds, tho one on which we
live and that one where the Great Spirit
dwells. Tho spirit world is more than
10,000 times larger than this, its hunting
fields hnvo no end, and tho game there is
inexhaustible. Its flowers are more
beautiful and. fragrant than any we
bave ever known, and its maidens are
lovely as the colors of the clouds before
a setting sun, and never grow old. The
land does not have to be cultivated there,
but every kind of good fruit, and in the
greatest abundance, hang upon the trees
and vines continuously waiting to be
plucked. Nothing ever dies there, and
tho wants of all who go there are con?
stantly and forever supplied without the
necessity of any work. All good men,
whether they are white or red, go to
heaven, but a great difference will exist
between the conditions of the races of
men and individuals there and what they
are here. Everything nearly will be re?
versed. The wealthy here will be poor
there, the powerful and great here will
be humble there.
"The Indiana who liikve Jjoen over?
powered by the intclligenco and skill of
tho white man here will have a better
chance there. Everything which has
been taken from them here will be given
back to them there, even to his gun, his
dog and his pony. Here the Great Spirit
has been oh the white man's side; there
be will lean to the cause of the Indian,
and then," said the chiel, his eves flush?
ing tho meantime a fearful realization of
the present condition of his people,
??we'll fight it out, and we will not be
driven from our hunting grounds like
the sneaking, savage wolf. The bad
men of all nations will go down into the
centre of the earth and be excluded from
the spirit land."
"But tell me. You know that when
you die?when your people die?they
rot like the horse and dog. and their
bodies go into tho earth, the air and
water. How is it that you are to go to
the spirit land and do everything there
as individuals very much alter the samo
manner that you do here?" "We go
there as spirits, and there get new bodies,
which tho white man cannot kill."
"Have you not heard through your
missionaries about Jesus Christ, tho Son
of the Great Spirit?*' "Yes, I have heard
all about Him; how good He was; what
great things He did; how He would help
the bad man to be good, and how He
would lead all who would listen to Him
to the Great Spirit, His Father; and I
have also heard how the whito "man I
killed him. The Indian never would
have done that; he never would have
murdered the Son of the Great Spirit.
He would rather have loved Him better
than his own life; would have given
Him anything and all he had, and for
Him would have gone upon the war?
path and conquered the world. It was
for a long time after I first heard about
Jesus Christ that I did not ?inderstand
how the white man could have killed
Him; but when I got better acquainted
with the wdiites, when I realized the fact
that they had no respect for the rights of
the Indian, would take away his home
[ whore he was born, murder him and his
children, despoil his women, and rob
him of his winter's food, I then very
readily understood how they could even
kill the Son of the Great Spirit u.s they
did." ?
"Do the Indians often pray to the
Great Spirit?" "Yes; on almost all oc?
casions, whether great or small."
Does the Great Spirit answer their
prayers?" "Yes; he always answers the
good man. He has given us all wo have,
and is always present to give us more, if
we ouly do no wrong."
This conversation was, notwithstand?
ing that Spotted Tail had said it must be
short, prolonged for nearly two hours,
and much was said by this chief which
was of great interest to all who had heard
hhu, even to the Indians and half bloods
present.
On the subject of dress and civiliza?
tion, the following conversation in sub?
stance occurred:
'?You have said to the Commissioner
of Indian Affairs that you want in your
annual distribution of rations,'' (which
for the last seven years to the Sioux has
amounted to from $1,000,000 to $1,200,
000 per annum.) "you want tho same
kind of food the white man eats. Don't
' you think it would be much more com
I fortuble if you would wear the same kind
I of clothes as the whito man? Would not
! the white man's trousers suit you better
? than your leggins and blankets? '
I "Yes, 1 would much prefer the tl'OU
? sers, but if I put them on my people
j would laugh at me. You would not like
to put on the Indian dress and walk
i about the streets of the city of Washing
I ton among your friends, for the same
j reason that I don't wear your breeches.
My people would prefer to be and do
: like white people, but they must have
time. We have only had agencies about
seven years, and grand councils are not
often called. Soven years is not enough
to change the Indian into a white man.
How long," continued Spotted Tail,
turning to your correspondent and
laughing, "do you think it would take
to make an Indian out of you? Would
soven years be enough? My peoplo are
not lazy; for years my women havo raised
fields of corn and pumpkins with tho
spade alone. We havo no good farming
implements, but if tho Great Father will
give us some, ho will soon see what we
can do. Our ground is very rich and
fertile. Wkntovor we plant grows well
and high, and it would not bo many
years, it we had the implements, before
we could grow all the food we wanted.
The Yanktons, on the Missouri, have
their farms and houses and plows, their
school-houses and churoh.es, and (heir
young men /Bretf litt} thf|wfn& and
speak English. Four?en fears ago they
were as wild as. my people; and qfy peo?
ple can do aa ranch Qs they. Give us
time and you will see what we can do.
But we will nerer move from our present
land."
"You said some time ago that all good
men went to Heaven. What is a good
man?" "I must go and think over that
paper the Commissioner wants me to
sign," and ho strode out of the room as
unceremoniously us he had out of tho
room of the Heeretm y.
In a talk with the Sioux agents, your
correspondent learned that none of tho
Sioux could he trusted; that they were
in all respects like children, and were
totally unconscirms of gratitude; that if
the Government or any of its officers
yielded to them at all, it was accounted
to cowardice, and not to the desire to
benefit the Indian. All in all, they are
a very curious people.
Crrr ILvrrnns. - Cool spell continued
yesterday.
The hair is to be worn up high on the
head again.
Figures never lie, but they don't al?
ways stand straight.
"Yours truly," often means "not yours
by any means."
A well known medicine, of recognized
merit, is Heinitsh's Queen's Delight 8
The festive mosquito is now practicing
industriously at the bar?netting.
The Randolph Rifles pic-nioked, yes- ?
terday, at Fielding's grove, and had a
target-firing also.
A new and popular perfume is called
"Modesty." It knocks the spots out of
all others.
, A man too busy to hike care of his
health, is like a mechanic too busy to
take care of his tools.
The Fourth of July falls on Sunday
this year, and what are we going to do
about it?
[gif Seth Green is right, you con take
your wife fishing with you. He says
fishes are not frightened by talking; they
have no sense of hearing.
Old type metal, suitable for many pur?
poses about mills, can bo obtained at
Pi;cen ix office at 25 cents a pound, or 20
cents by the 100 pounds.
Round trip tickets arc being sold by
the Greenvillo and Columbia Railroad
officials for the college commencements
at Williamston nnd Walhalln.
A double daily passenger train is soon
to bo run over the Spartanburg and
Union Railroad -avoiding the tedious
delay at Alston.
If there is not a city ordinance subject?
ing to a fine any person throwing orange
and banana peel on the pavements, there
should be one. If there is such an ordi?
nance, it should be enforced.
Mulony and Hayward, convicted of
personating Deputy United States Mar?
shals, passed through this city, yester?
day, on their way to the prisons in New
berry and Anderson.
Rev. W. S. Plumer, D. D., Professor
of Didactic and Polemic Theology in
the Theological Seminary, in this city,
has resigned his chair. Subsequently
Rev. John L. Girardean was elected to
fill the vacancy.
A colored forger, named Frank Chirp,
was arrested, yesterday. He had at?
tempted to pass notes at Mr. Gyles'
grocery store, and being suspected, a po?
liceman was sent for, when Chirp ran off,
but was overhauled. He was lodged in
the guard house.
Col. LeRoy F. Youmans delivers an
address before the Richland Rifle Club,
in the. Opera House, this evening, at 8
o'clock. He is an excellent speaker.
The doors will be open at 8 o'clock, and
members of the club, acting as ushora,
will he on hand to seat visitors.
The Baptist Sunday School have a pic?
nic, to-day, at Fielding's Farm. Wo
have been requested to say that wagons
conveying tho children will leave tho
church at half-past 8 o'clock. Persons
furnishing baskets will please Bend them
around by 8, with a card attached, bear?
ing the contributor's no mo. The mem?
bers of the congregation arc invited.
The following tablo shows tho rate of
commission charged by the Post Office
Department for money orders: On orders
not exceeding $10, 5 cents; over $10 and
not exceeding $20, 10 cents; over$20 and
not exceeding $30, 15 cents; over $30
and not exceeding $10,20 cents; over $40
and not exceeding $50, 25 cents. No
fractions of cents are to be introduced
on an ordor. United States treasury
notes or national bank notes only re?
ceived or paid.
-? o- ?
Committee op Twknty-Fiye.?At the
request of E. J. Scott, Esq., Chairman
of tho Committee of Twenty-Five, who
is now absent, I give notice that a meet?
ing of tho committee will be held at 10
o'clock, this (.Thursday) morning, at
Hibernian Hall, over Agncw's store.
Punctual attendance is requested.
JOHN FISHER,