Red Cloud, having shaken hands with the Secretary and Commissioner Parker, seated himself on the floor, and said:
"What I said to the Great Father, the President, is now in my mind. I have only a few words to add this morning. I have become tired of speaking. Yesterday, when I saw the treaty, and all the false things in it, I was mad. I suppose it made you the same. The Secretary explained it this morning, and now I am pleased. As to the goods you talked about, I want what is due and belongs to me. The red people were raised with the bow and arrow, and are all of one nation; but the whites, who are educated and civilized, swindle me; and I am not hard to swindle, because I cannot read and write. We have thirty-two nations (or bands), and have a council-house the same as you have. We held a council before we came here, and the demands I have made upon you from the chiefs I left behind me are all alike. You whites have a chief you go by, but all the chief I go by is God Almighty. When he tells me anything that is for the best, I always go by his guidance. The whites think the Great Spirit has nothing to do with us, but he has. After fooling with us and taking away our property, they will have to suffer for it hereafter. The Great Spirit is now looking at us, and we offer him our prayers.
"When we had a talk at the mouth of Horse Creek, in 1852, you made a chief of Conquering Bear and then destroyed him, and since then we have had no chief. You white people did the same to your great chief. You killed one of our great fathers. The Great Spirit makes us suffer for our wrong-doing. You promised us many things, but you never performed them. You take away everything. Even if you live forty years or fifty years in this world and then die, you cannot take all your goods with you. The Great Spirit will not make me suffer, because I am ignorant. He will put me in a place where I will be better off than in this world. The Great Spirit raised me naked and gave me no arms. Look at me. This is the way I was raised. White men say we are bad, we are murderers, but I cannot see it."
[Red Cloud did not use this slang phrase,—no Indian speaks so,—and the interpreters spoil much of the beauty of idiom in translating what the Indian says. He meant, "I did not so understand it.">[
"We gave up our lands whenever the whites came into our country. Tell the Great Father I am poor. In earlier years, when I had plenty of game, I could make a living; I gave land away, but I am too poor for that now. I want something for my land. I want to receive some pay for the lands where you have made railroads. My Father has a great many children out West with no ears, brains, or heart. You have the names to the treaty of persons professing to be chiefs, but I am chief of that nation. Look at me. My hair is straight. I was free born on this land. An interpreter who signed the treaty has curly hair. He is no man. I will see him hereafter. I know I have been wronged. The words of my Great Father never reach me, and mine never reach him. There are too many streams between us. The Great Spirit has raised me on wild game. I know he has left enough to support my children for awhile. You have stolen Denver from me. You never gave me anything for it. Some of our people went there to engage in farming, and you sent your white children and scattered them all away. Now I have only two mounds left, and I want them for myself and people. There is treasure in them. You have stolen mounds containing gold. I have for many years lived with the men I want for my superintendent, agent, and traders, and am well acquainted with them. I know they are men of justice; they do what is right. If you appoint them, and any blame comes, it will not be on you, but on me. I would be willing to let you go upon our land when the time comes; but that would not be until after the game is gone. I do not ask my Great Father to give me anything. I came naked, and will go away naked. I want you to tell my Great Father I have no further business. I want you to put me on a straight line. I want to stop in St. Louis to see Robert Campbell, an old friend." Red Cloud then pointed to a lady in the room, saying, "Look at that woman. She was captured by Silver Horn's party. I wish you to pay her what her captors owe her. I am a man true to what I say, and want to keep my promise. The Indians robbed that lady there, and through your influence I want her to be paid."
Secretary Cox replied to Red Cloud that the treaty showed how the land was to be paid for. They were to be given cattle, agricultural instruments, seeds, houses, blacksmith-shops, teachers, etc., and food and clothing. The land is good in two ways: one is to let the game grow for the hunt; the other, to plow it up and get corn and wheat, and other things out of it, and raise cattle on it. The reason why so many white men live on their land is that they treat it in this way. He would correct Red Cloud in a remark made by him. "The whites do not expect to take their goods with them into the other world. We know as well as the Indians do that we go out of the world as naked as when we came into it; but while here in the world we take pleasure in building great houses and towns, and make good bread to eat.
"We are trying to teach them to do the same things, so that they may be as well off as we are. Here [pointing to Commissioner Parker] is the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, who is a chief among us. He belonged to a race who lived there long before the white man came to this country. He now has power, and white people obey him, and he directs what shall be done in very important business. We will be brethren to you in the same way if you follow his good example and learn our civilization."
Red Cloud responded, "I don't blame him for being a chief. He ought to be one. We are all of one nation."
Secretary Cox.—"Those Indians who become chiefs among us do so by learning the white man's customs, and ceasing to be dependent as children. I was glad to hear Red Cloud say he would not go away angry, General Smith will see that you get good presents. But these are small things compared with the arrangements that will be made to make you prosperous and happy. Some of the Peace Commissioners will go to your country to see that you are well treated. I do not want you to think the days coming are black days. I want you to think they will be bright and happy days. Be of good spirit. If you feel like a man who is lost in the woods, we will guide you out of them to a pleasant place. You will go home two days from now. One day will be spent by General Smith in New York to get you the presents."
Red Cloud replied, "I do not want to go that way. I want a straight line. I have seen enough of towns. There are plenty of stores between here and my home, and there is no occasion to go out of the way to buy goods. I have no business in New York. I want to go back the way I came. The whites are the same everywhere. I see them every day. As to the improvement of the red men, I want to send them here delegates to Congress."