THE CELEBRATED CASE THAT WON CIVIL RIGHTS FOR INDIANS Order Issued by Carl Schurz,While Secretary of the Interior, Brought Long-Standing Trouble to a Crisis. SPLENDID ORATION MADE BY INDIAN CHIEE Eloquence of Standing Bear, Pleading for His Own and His People's Rights, ihe Cause of An Ovation in Crowded Nebraska Court Room — Judge Dundy's Famous Decision. Omaha. —The late Carl Schurz Is best remembered lu Omaha as the cause of the American Indiana being admitted to lull citizenship in this country—not through his taking the side of the red men in the long struggle, but because lie, as secretary of the interior, issued an order which so aroused the west to the wrongs of the Indian that, a cru sade was started in Omaha which reached to all portions of the United States, lasted seven years, and ended toy supreme court decisions and legisla tive enactments making the Indian as Jfres as a white man if he choose to be so, and to accept the conditions of 'Civilization. Schurz had the order issued to Cen. Crook, then stationed at Omaha and ■commanding this department of the army, and immediately the cause of the Indian was taken up by Thomas H. Tibbies, late vice presidential can didate on the populist ticket; Cen. •Crook, John L. Webster, Judge Dundy, ard a score of other men prominent in the west. Previous to the light spoken of here •e>ery Indian in the United States was subject to the orders of the secretary of the interior. The government was an absolute autocrat over the destiny •of the red man in the entire country. Pitiful Funeral Procession. Back in 1879 a pitiful procession wended its slow way northward from Indian territory, bound for the prairies ol Nebraska. There were !J0 Indians on foot and one old wagon, drawn by two wornout horses. In the wagon was the dead body of a child —an In •dian boy. The leader of the little par ty was the father of the dead child; the famous Ponca Indian chief, Stand ing Bear, a few years later to be the best-known Indian in the entire world —and to speak in every city in the •country in behalf of his people. Standing Bear's party was cn route to iho Niobrara country. 11l northern Nebraska, to bury the child in the an cient burying grounds of the tribe. They had started on the long trip, al though permission to leave the reser vation in Indian Territory, on which they had been settled against their "Will, had been refused. Formerly the Poncas lived in north General Crook Intercepted and Arrested Standing Bear. ern Nebraska, along the Niobrara riv- i er. They had fought the Sioux, in be-! hall of the white men, for years, and \ had lost 700 braves in the white man's j behalf. For this a previous secretary j of the interior haJ given them, in fee ! simple, full title to their reservation and lands. Lands Taken from Poncas. Then Mr. Schurz was made secre tary. and at the point of the bayohet had driven the Poncas down into In dian Territory, depriving them of the lauds for which they held government deeds. The Poncas were left months without rations in the new country, and more than one-third of them died' while there. And among those who died was the son of the old chief, Standing Hear, j The chie.? jilted to have the little ! oody buried in the strange country, but instead, gathering a few members of his tribe, he started tyr the ancient hunting grounds of his tribe, intend ing to bury the child where genera tions of Ponca chiefs lay. Schurz heard of the runaways, and through the war department tele graphed Gen. Crook, in Omaha, to ar test the Indians and return them to Indian Territory. But the chief of the Omahas, Iron , Eye, went to meet the Poncas and of- j fered them a haven of refuge on the Omaha reservation. "We have all the land Standing Bear J and his people wish for; we have corn ' and meat in plenty; come live with j us." said Iron Eye. But the government, through Schurz, j said "No." So Crook arrested the old chief and j brought him and his followers down j to Omaha. And with them came the ! wagon bearing the dead child. Standing Bear told Crook his indi vidual story. The great Indian lighter knew the general history of the In dians and was already indignant at their treatment, but the treatment ac corded Standing Bear was too much, and even the stern warrior rebelled. Campaign Mapped Out. That night Crook came into Omaha and had an all-night's conference with Tibbies, then an editorial writer on a newspaper. A campaign of Indians' rights was mapped out, and both men started out the next day to carry out their parts. Crook was to delay returning the In dians to Indian Territory until a writ of habeas corpus could be asked for from the United States court on the ground that the constitution, in the fourteenth amendment, guaranteed to l ail persons born in the United States ' equal protection of the law. Tibbies looked out for the legal end of the deal. Ho went to John U Web ster, then a struggling, unknown young lawyer, laid his case before him, and asKed him to defend the rights of the Indian. "There is no money In it, but there is fame, honor and glory," said Tib bies. Webster took the case, and asked Judge A. J. Poppleton, then general counsel for the Union Pacific, to assist, him and make the argument.. Popple tun agreed, and then a writ was ap- ; plied for in the United States court at Omaha, over which Judge Dundy pre sided. Made Thousands of Citizens. The case came to trial. It was the must notable trial ever brought in the weal, and, in fact, the scope was as wide as any ever tried in the United ! States, for by its decision ')0,0U0 peo ple were made citizens. Thomas H. Tibbies attended every session of that court. In his own words he describes it this way: "The courtroom was orowded with 1 fashionably dressed women, and the ciergy, which had been greatly stirred , by the incident; was there in force. \ CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, JUNE 2:, igc6. lawyers, every one IT Nebraska an<f many from the big eastern cities; busi ness men, Gen. Crook and his full staff, in their dress uniforms (this was one or the few times in his life that Crook wore his full dress in public), and the Indians themselves, in their gaudy col ors. The courtroom was a galaxy of brilliancy. "On one side stood the army officers, the brilliantly dressed women, and the white people; on the other was Stand ing Bear, in his official robes as chief of the Poncas, and with him were his leading men. "Far back in the audience, shrink ing from observation, was an Indian girl who afterward became famous as a lecturer in England and America. She was later known on both conti nents by a translation of her Indian name, In-sta-the-am-ba, Bright Eyes. Long and Able Arguments. "Attorney Poppleton's argument was Tha ' Listened to St ending Bee carefully prepared, and consumed 10 hours; in the delivering, occupying the attention of the court for two days. On the third day Mr. Webster spoke for six hours. And during all tne pro ceedings the courtroom was packed w:;h the beauty and culture of the city. "Towards the close of the trial the situation became ter.se. As the wrongs indicted on the Indians were described by the attorneys indignation was often at u white heat, and the judge made no attempt at suppressing the applause which broke out from time to time. "For the department Mr. Lambert son made a short address, but was lis tened to in silence. "it was late in the afternoon when the trial drew to a close. The excite ment had been increasing, but u reached a height not before felt when Judge Dundy announced that Chief Standing Bear would be allowed to make a speech in his own behalf. "Not one in that audience besides the army officers and Mr. Tibbies had ever heard an oration by an Indian chief. All of them had read of the elo quence of Red Jacket and Logan, and thev sat there wondering whether the mild-looking old man, with the lines of suffering and sorrow on his furrowed brow and cheek, dressed in the full robe:' of an Indian chief, could make a speech at all. "It happened that there was a good interpreter present—the son of Father Hamilton, a well-known missionary. Standing 1 Bear's Address. "Standing Bear arose. Haif-facing the audience he held out his right hand ard stood motionless so long that the stillness of death which had settled down on the audience became almost unbearable. At lust, looking up at the judge, he said: " 'That hand Is not the color of yours, but if I prick it, the blood will flow and I shall feel pain. The blood is ot the same color as yours. God made me, and I am a man. I never committed a-crime. If I had, 1 would not stand here to make a defense. 1 would suffer the punishment and make no complaint.' "Still standing, half-facing the audi ence, he looked past the judge out of a window as if gazing upon something far in the distance, and continued: "'I seem to be standing on the high bank of a great river, with my wife and little girl by my side. I cannot cross tl>e river, and impassable cliffs arise behind me. I hear the noise of great waters; I look and see a flood coming. The waters rise to our feet and then to our knees. My little girl stietches her hands toward me and says-, "Save me!" "'I stand where no member or my race ever stood before. There is no J tradition to guide me. 'Hie chiefs who ! preceded me knew nothing of the cir- j cuinstances that surround me. I hear \ only my little girl say, "Save me!" Reached Heights of liloquence. " 'lu despair 1 look toward the cliffs I behind me, and I seem to see a dim trail that may lead to a way of life. But 110 Indian ev®r passed over that troll. It looks to be impassable. I | make flie attempt, t take mr child by | the hand and my wife follows after me. Our hands and our feet are toru by i sharp rocks and our trail is marked by our blood. At last I see a rift in the rocks. A little way beyond there are green prairies. The swift running wa ter, the Niobrara, pours down between the green hills. There are the graves jof my fathers. There agr.in we will pitch our tepee and build our tires. I see the light of the world and of lib erty just ahead.' * "The old chief became silent again, | and, after an appreciable pause, ho turned toward the "judge with such a look of pathos and suffering on his face that none who saw it will forget, j and said; " 'But in the center or the path there ; stands a man. Behind him I see sol | diern in number like the leaves of the ! trees If that man gives me permis ' sion I may pass onto life and liberty. If he refuses, I must go back and slak beneath the flood.' "Then, in a lower tone: "'You are that man.' "There was silence in the court as tho chief sat down. Some tears ran down over the judge's face. Gen. Crook leaned forward and covered his lace with his hands. Some of the ladies sob Led. Orator Given Ovation. "All at once that audience by one common impulse rose to its feet and such a shout went up as was never haard in a Nebraska courtroom. No one heard Judge Dundy say 'Court is adjourned.' There was a rush for Standing Bear. The first to reach him was Gen. Crook. I was second. The Indies llocKed toward him, and for an hour Standing hear held a reception. "A few days afterward Judge Dunijj I handed down his famous decision 'in i which lie announced that an Indian j was a 'person' and was entitled to the I protection of the law. Standing Bear and his followers were set t>ee, and with his old wagon and the body of his dead child he went back to the hunt ing grounds of his fathers and buried the boy with tribal honors. It was the very first time an Indian was ever per mitted to appear in court and have his rights tried." Up at the Ponca reservation there Is an eld white-headed Indian (he is the only known really white-headed In dian, too). It is old Standing Bear old and decrepit. But he remembers Carl Scliurz, and still blames him for mich of the hardships through which the western Indians passed. When told of the death of Schurz, the old .man smoked a full minute be fore answering the one word of Eng lish which he ever uses: "Good." Duke of Wellington's Vanity. Among the portraits at the Koyal academy, London, there are some which could tell stories; some with little touches of idiosyncrasies of sub jects no less than or painters. Is the story of Lawrence's portrait or the Duke of Wellington commonly known? The duke had only one vanity— his wrist was like steel. Now, when he was given the sword of state to carry it was his infinite delight that ho was able to carry it upright; all his prede cessors had to slope it toward the Fhoulder. He would go down to pos terity, he resolved, gloriiled by the power of his wrist. In vain Sir Thomas Lawrence point ed out that, as a matter of art, it would never do; that the sight of a man perennially carrying a sword from Mifc wrist would fatigue those who looked at his picture. The duke in sisted upon having bis way. Lawrence did manage to smuggle in a cushion upon which the duke seemed to rest his elbow, but close examination shows that arm and cushion do not meet. Shifting the Bills. "If you will give me your daughter, sir, we will always live with you." "Nope; you marry her and I will al» ways 1 live with you."—Houston fot»l, j Balcom & Lloyd. j | I I WE have the best stocked 1 general store in the county !$ and if you are looking for re- ii liable goods at reasonable g prices, we are ready to serve \\ you with the best to be found. H Our reputation for trust- nj 1- worthy goods and fair dealing L is too well known to sell any Til flf but high grade goods. k| fi jjj Our stock of Queensware and (jft B Chinaware is selected with u| f| great care and we have some of the most handsome dishes tfi II (IH g ever shown in this section, y | both in imported and domestic I, makes. We invite you to visit ii B us and look our goods over. Ij I 1 I 'i I If P I | | | Balcom Lloyd. J * mm mmhtm |j LOOK ELSEWHERE BUT DON'T FORGET II THESE PRICES AND FACTS AT tt M I ]LaB AFSI Ij II J] u M - ~ li fti • We carry in stock * -. , £4 the largest line of Car- ~ | |J || pets, Linoleums and ft' i 10FTlHTlTnTrnMl ' C 2 Mattings of all kinds «W M ever brought to this pMffEl J ? M Sup.- 50 ' g " JMI M \ 112 Avery large line ot FOR THE |* PI Lace Curtains that can- • pfl II XreVr'The price 3 '" COMFORTABLE LOD6ING || s J Art Squares and of fine books in a choice library J* ; £1 Rugs of all sizes and select the Ideal pattern of Globe- PI kind, from the cheap- Wernicke "Elastic" Bookcase. jf* est to the best. Furnished with bevel French M plate or leaded glass doors. li Dining Chaire, I ran sali o* I |j« || Rockers and GEO. J. LaBAR, ** jkjj High Chairs. Bole Agent for Cameron County. £3 A large and elegant L— ———__J * * line of Tufted and Drop-head Couches. Beauties and at bargain prices. * M |J Ms3o Bed room Suite, COC S4O Sideboard, quar- tfQfi £2 __ solid oak at 4)ZD tered tak IMI Fi? s'2B Bedroom Suits, COI $32 Sideboard, quar- Rtf solid oak at 4>Z! tered oak ** If* $25 Bed room Suits, COfl $22 Sideboaid, quar- fflC M solid oak at j tered oak, N A large line of Dressers from I Chiffoniers of all kinds and $8 up. all prices. fc# gj jg fcg The finest line of Sewing Machines on the market, fc* {J the "DOMESTIC" and "ELERIECE.' All drop- Eg heads and warranted. A fine line of Dishes, common grade and China, in £2 se ts and by the piece. M As I keep a fulj line of everything that goes to 14 SI make up a good Furniture store, it is useless to enum- M erate them all. ... n Please call and see for yourself that lam telling *4 you the truth, and if you don't buy, there is no harm g* done, as it is no trouble to show goods. » GEO. J .LaBAR. » M UTCDBRTABLmo. Ik ifl %. J ie*aik A A jfcji at*:* **.4 3
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