Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 July 1877 — The Indian Outbreak in Washington and Idaho. [ARTICLE]

The Indian Outbreak in Washington and Idaho.

Thk original cause of the dispute may be said to date from the treaty 'which Gov. 1.1. Stevens, of Washington Territory, made with the Hex Farces and other tribes in June, 1887. At that time Gov. Stevens refused to recognize the hereditary Chief of the hex Perces, and practically elevated Lawyer, a cunning and tractable Indian, to the Chieftainship. The Nea Percea were then, and are yet, the most numerous of any of the tribes of that whole region. TTiey are generally peaceful, and live quietly on the fine and extensive reaervationtm the Snake and Clear*

water Riven, near toe Town of Lewiston. They cultivate Urge farms, have n well-to-do people. But some of their tribe are “ wild" Indians, and, instead of believing with the majority of their bre&ren in the policy of n somewhat civilised life, they prefer to follow after the traditions and tobita of their savage ancestors. Among the Chiefs who very reluctantly signed the treaty of 1867 wn Joseph—the father of the Chief of the same name who now heads the outbreak. Old Joseph was not a Nez Perce. He was a Cayuse Chief Yet Tie claimed the Wallowa Valley, and waa recognized aa a leader of his people. Some of the Nez Perces who were dissatisfied with toe treaty, but mere with the oondnrt of Guy, Stevens in elevating Lawyer to the Chiefship. measurably sided with Joseph, and toe disaffected of still other tribes joined them, so as to swell the number to somewhat formidable proportions. Before that time a very cunning Indian had begun to evolve anew faith or superstition among toe Indians. He was known as Hmohalla, or “ The Dreamer.” He had been taught by miasianariea, and he turned what he had learned to account in a way hit teachers never intended or expected. Of all the Bible-lesson* the one he most and particularly set store by was that which is contained in Judges vi., vii., as to Gideon and his band, reduced from many thousands to only 300, overcoming the Midlanltes. Smohalla preached to his tribe the doctrine he derived from the text, and inspired them to believe that, although the whites, or Midianites, were powerful in numbers, yet could the Lord’s own people, Gideon’s hand of 300—the Indians themselves—triumph over them and drive them from toe land. During the Indian War of 1858, when the late Gen. Wright severely whipped the Indians of the upper country and obliged them finally to sue for peace, he put a stop to Smohslla’s preachings and influence by keeping him a close prisoner. But after Gen. (or Colonel, as he was then) Wright made peace he allowed toe mischievous “ Dreamer” his liberty, on condition that be should cease his efforts to propagate his peculiar incendiary doctrine among toe Indians, and until Gen. Wright was called away from there, during our own Civil War, Smohalla found it advisable to refrain from openly seeking converts. Since that time, however, he has been very active as a prophet and missionary to spread his faith, and his success has grown into alarming magnitude. It is not only among his own tribe that he has found converts. He has gone every season to the buffalo country and other hunting grounds to the east and sooth, and everywhere he has found followers, for it is a most inspiring idea, or hope, to the average savage that he shall yet see the day when he can glut his never-dying revenge upon the white man, exterminate the race, and again redeem, to himself and his peoSle the lands from which toe whites nave, riven them.

To thoroughly indoctrinate his believers Bmohalla impresses upon them certain cardinal duties. They must be “ wild Indians ;” they must not practice any of thwarts of civilization, hut live as their fathers lived before toe coming of the whites. They must not tolerate the approach of the white man, hold any intercourse with him, accept any_favor from him, enter his house or deal with him, exceDt for firearms, powder and lead. They must not go upon any reservation, enter any church building or school-liquse, allow any clergyman or teacher to preach or to instruct them, listen to anything spoken or read irom a book, or hold converse of any kind with any of their own people who persist in friendship with or copying after the civilization of the whites. In short, they must absolutely resist and abstain from any effort or act calculated to bring them into toe association or under the influence of the whites in the slightest particular; but they must never neglect to seize an opportunity to advantage themselves at the expense of the hated race. It is to this exclusively savage doctrine young Joseph has committed himself. His father, the old Chief, is dead. Young Joseph is his successor. He is now in the full vigor of manhood—about forty vears of age, and is a model of a warrior Chief —tall, well formed, of bold bearing, dignified demeanor, and every inch a leader. He has a haughty scorn of white men, and despises any of his own race who will consent to he at peace with and submit to them. With him are allied the renegades, or “ wild Indians,” of the various other tribes of that, wild region, and no doubt there are nearly 1,000 of them in all. That they arc generally well armed and equipped for prolonged hostility is very probable. They have been for years preparing for war, and toe country is entirely favorable to their hostile purpose. Before troops can reach them they can secure large supplies of provisions from toe stores of the whites they either massacre or drive away, and it will be almost impossible to hunt them In their many ana quite impregnable hiding-places in the mountains, along the rivers and tributaries, among the rocks and canyons. They have a range of hundreds of miles in extent, and thev are familiar with toe whole country, ft Is their chosen season for war, and their ponies are in good condition for a prolonged campaign.— San Francisco Examiner.