Page:A Century of Dishonor.pdf/147

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THE NEZ PERCÉS.
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gations toward the Indians. A failure to do this is looked upon as bad faith, and can be productive of only bad results.”

At last Chief Joseph consented to remove from the Wallowa Valley with his band, and go to the Lapwai Reservation. The incidents of the council in which this consent was finally wrung from him, are left on record in Chief Joseph's own words, in an article written by him (through an interpreter) and published in the North American Review in 1874. It is a remarkable contribution to Indian history.

It drew out a reply from General O. O. Howard, who called his paper “The true History of the Wallowa Campaign;” published in the North American Review two months after Chief Joseph's paper.

Between the accounts given by General Howard and by Chief Joseph of the events preceding the Nez Percé war, there are noticeable discrepancies.

General Howard says that he listened to the “oft-repeated dreamer nonsense of the chief, ‘Too-hool-hool-suit,’ with no impatience, but finally said to him: ‘Twenty times over I hear that the earth is your mother, and about the chieftainship of the earth, I want to hear it no more.’ ”

Chief Joseph says: “General Howard lost his temper, and said ‘Shut up! I don’t want to hear any more of such talk.’

“Too-hool-hool-suit answered, ‘Who are you, that you ask us to talk, and then tell me I sha’n’t talk? Are you the Great Spirit? Did you make the world?’ ”

General Howard, quoting from his record at the time, says: “The rough old fellow, in his most provoking tone, says something in a short sentence; looking fiercely at me. The interpreter quickly says: ‘He demands what person pretends to divide this land, and put me on it? In the most decided voice I said, ‘I am the man. I stand here for the President, and