TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1860-1916 341 The propriety and expedience of the immediate pardon and liberation of Satanta and Big Tree, Chiefs of the Kiowa Indians. -now and for two years past imprisoned by the authorities of the State of Texas. It is not our purpose to discuss or even consider the causes leading to the arrest, conviction and incarceration of these Chiefs. It is however a painful matter of fact, that it was fol- lowed by greatly increased hostilities by the Kiowa upon the frontier settlements of Texas. Alarm and apprehension of a wide spread Indian war had taken hold of the public mind- when the General Council of the Indian Territory of June 1872. authorized the sending of a peace Commission to the Kiowa and others. This Commission in compliance with instructions of the Hon E. Hoag. President and Superintendent. met the Plains Indians at Fort Cobb. I. T. 22nd of July 1872. (see Report of Secretary to the Commission and that of the Hon Supt. E. Hoag.) As is well known to the PrPsident and the Hon. Secretary of the In- terior, the labors of this Peace Commission, at that council and subsequent to it, have been fruitful of the most happy results to all of the parties in Interest. In the emphatic words of the leading Kiowa raiders "the wa.r was cut right off." the Kiowa in due time liberating all of their White captives, sending a Delegation to Washington, complying with all the demands of the Government, which in turn had promised to restore to their people at some early future day, the Chiefs Satanta and Big Tree. The time contemplated for this liberation and restoration has expired. The Kiowa having complied, faithfully, with all the conditions exacted, confidently anticipated the liberation of these prisoners upon the rising of grass-(the month of March) They have been disappointed. They feel it. They construe it to bad faith. An occasion is thus given to the restive spirits among them to incite distrust. They reason the same as do other men touching the sacredness of pledges. They cannot understand why the Government should exact rigid compliance with every promise on their part and at the same time practice non-observance of pledges on its own part- Nor can they comprehend or understand why they are practically held responsible for the doings of the Modoc on the Pacific Coast, of whom they have probably never heard. They have declared their readiness to bind themselves to the Govt
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