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Show A SHLFISH 6ECTAR1 AN INDIAN AOlNf 1HE RESULTS OF HIS FOLLY. j An apparently well-informed cor e reapondeut of the Idaiio World, ' writing lrom Mount Idaho, eives history of the proceedings which led , to the Nez Perces war, and its remote i onuses. The first treaty made with ; this tribe iu 1855 combined the entire tribe, but when Ihe treaty of 1863 was , made a large number of bands would not agree to its regulations and re fused to' go on the reservation or receive annuities. The then agent O'Neill, adopted an honorable policy with the Indians, and bis kind and just treatment of them indicated that the disaffected bands would scon be upon the reservation, bubsequeutly Caleb Lyons, governor of Idaho, falsely represented tho Indians to the department and, the writer sajB, robbed the Nez Perces. Other agents followed, and in 1871 J. B. MouteiUu was "appointed, as the ideal representative repre-sentative of that curse to humanity, the peace policy. And perfect representative he hB proved himaelf to be. From the outset he has acted tho part of the persecutor." Mon teith's principal aim appears to have been to convert the Christian Indian of all denominations to Presbyterian -ism, and he inaugurated a war ol persecution on all not professing to aid hie favorite sect, thereby widen ing the gap between the non treaty Indians and the whites: Another sourco of irritation has been Monteith 's opposition to the wishes ot many of the Indians ofi' th reservation, wbo desired to sever their tribal relation and enter their land under the land laws of the United States, thus mkiug permaneut homes for themselves ou'uide of Mou teith's jurisdiction. He wished to force them to abandon their improve nients and remove to the reservation. Several Indians nave niea oomeaieaa declarations, but not without being violently opposed by the agent in spite of tho law passed by coup.ress for the express purpose of enabling them to do so. And they would not be able to enter land without encountering encoun-tering resistance from him if they waited until theday of iudgmcnt. For yere it has been known to the people of this section ot the territory that Joseph and his Wallowa band and the Indians living on Salmon river would go on to the reservation il Monteith could be removed from the position of Agent. Many Indimshave repeatedly told influential whites that such was the case, and less than a year ago a gentleman residing on Salmon river was urged vehemently by them to start a petition asking for the removal of Monteith. Tney promised him his owu reward if he would start the petition, to say noth ing about ita being grunted. When a petition was finally' gotten up for his removal, Monteith mauaued tn have it nipppd in the bud. He was inside the ring; the petitioners were not. Some half-breeds who have lived on the reservation from their infancy, and who possefS'd tine houses and well improved farms signed the pe tition. "I'll make it hot for you for this," and be kept bis threat. Some have in consequence of their action in regard re-gard to the petition been compelled to abandon their homes and leave the reservation ; and all that signed that fatal paper have since been perce-cuted, perce-cuted, intimidated and bulldozed by the God-fearing (?) Mnnteith. Tne result fixed tne non-treaty Indians in their determination Dever to place themselves under bis control. Monteith also interfered with the election ot the Indian chiefs and head men in order to obtain the elevation of his pets and favorites. He inaugurated inaugu-rated ft war cn the kteptrs of stage itatious, who held their pUces under i maty stipulations, in order to obtain heir larnis for himself. 1 When it was dptcrmined to forco J ilie non-treaty NVz P, ria on the ret ( 'rvutlon. Gen. Howard wasMHiitio do ' the forcing. His othcial position ' threw him under the smUter influence ' nf Agent Monteith, by wlione repre- , nentatious of courao he was greatly influenced in his lino of treatment of 'he Indians. The agent wished to make his case us .km1 as possible, uid he induced Howard to believe the Indiana were all well pleased ith his style ut runtiin the agency, and that but a nominal force- would he n quired to tiring the non lrotlien iO the reservation. Gen. Howard went to the Wallowa valley and meL with but very littlo visible opposition 'rom Joseph and hU anso:iaie chin la I Tnen the council :ut held at the I agency. What was the result of that I threat "wa wa?" Trie utuhut ot the matter wa an order from Gennral I Howard to Joseph, to which the latter uruiuiut-d obeuitDce to get ready and j goon the reservation, and the-insu-l 'tnce of a pass to Joseph and his hand for thirty days. Howard all ts lime had but two or three companies il soldiers where they could be on nand in case o I an emergency. Tb'-y were partly in the Wllow valley j tod partly at Fort Lapwai. Not hall the lime allowed Joseph had passid helore that personage was on Camas prairie preparing tor the stri'ring of the blow that waa to fall m heavily aud so unexpectedly on the people of this BeciioD. Tne action of Uie lull lu-ll iaus, their preparations for war, etc., wai all report d by the people nere to General Howard and Anent Mouteitb. Here ayain Gen. Howard a mieled ijy Monteith, who but 'au;hcd at what he termed idle tears. And alter the murders of several parlies par-lies hud been reported to him. he still persisted in asserting that the Indians were doing nothing wroug; that if anyone was hurt by the Indiana they had been killed by them in eelt'-defeime or in some justiuable manner at least. Had Monteith acted promptly aud in a manner becominii an oflicer upon vhnoi the nattily ol many people de-j volved, much, probably all, of the doodshed and destruction we of this I aection have seen and felt, would j u&ve been avoided. He and he alone J is responsible. Why wtieu he was aware that the Indians were conduct- j ing themselves m such a manner as; to inspire terror in the hearts of the settlers here, and to bring lrom them , appeals to him lor aid andprotec-j tion, he was, satan-like, isBUiug per- mils to the merchants of Lewiston to sell ammunition to the Indians indiscriminately. indis-criminately. This iB the sample of the fruit he has borne. Where must his birthplace have been? We cannot but recognize the tree of which he is a branch. "By their fruits ye shall know them." |