Page:The Indian Dispossessed.pdf/44

The Indian Dispossessed this Council on the Umatilla reservation. Now, the records are full of such councils with reservation Indians; some of them drag along for a month, three months, or all summer, before the desired "consent" is gained. In others, the Commissioners wear themselves out before the Indians give up, and depart, always to come again, prepared to win.

This Council lasted six days—just long enough to carefully present the question of removal to the Indians, and to hear the replies of their chiefs. Possibly it would have lasted no longer had Mr. Brunot not be there. Who knows? But it stands significant among all the land-winning efforts of the white man as the shortest unsuccessful council on record.

The surrounding whites were out in force, highly interested spectators; a United States senator for Oregon made one speech to the Indians, in which, amid protestations of friendship, he pictured the overwhelming advance of the white man in a way that must have terrified these simple-minded people.

". . . The whites will, perhaps, in the course of time, want to build railroads through your reservations, when the President thinks it necessary. The railroads will bring more white people into the country. They may settle about the reservation, and we may not be able to prevent their committing some wrong. If they should commit wrong on the Indians, we fear you would commit some wrong 32