Kamiah Feb 5^th 1885
Rev. Dr. A.L.Lindsley

Dear Sir
I enclose to my Pastor a copy of the letter to which I alluded in my last – not to cause him any trouble, or ask him to do anything, but only for the glimpse it gives of Indian ‘tactics’ & the modus operandi of the Lawyers. What of the past is written in it, is passed, and cannot be recalled, only results remain. P . & James Hines were both ordained, as perhaps Dr L knows. J Hines placed over the North Fork church. (P. & wife returned alone from the hunt barely in time to go with our boys to the Com. Meeting. I sent the letter (& a note) with them to Mr D. principally as I told him that he might know why P went before the Com. unprepared and after his studies having been the previous Spring hindered so long from the same cause.) Mr D sent a note from Lewiston, saying that he had been too busy to read the letter, but would read it on the road home. The letter from him this winter, simply a friendly letter (or relations are friendly of course) had no allusions to the enclosed, so that the questions in it are still unanswered.

But God helps us. All my pupils were in school this winter – though some of them were hindered long in the fall. I have a class of eleven, besides Robert, who is with us when he can. My sister decided to take no married pupils save those whose husbands were pupils of the Men’s school, so that in the absence of the troubles from the inside, we have had only peace and harmony in the schools. Our boys were a unit, as was the Session and God has blessed the Church. But the efforts of the Lawyers have never ceased. (If they had my Pastor would have never seen the enclosed) only that failing so far to divide, or draw away and, having to work from the outside, the operations, of course were (are) different.

To understand the "Situation" at Kamiah: Before the return of stragglers and "Exiles" from the ‘hostiles’ there were only four ‘piimlaulakin’, or full grown men at Kamiah (so my pupils told me) who were not members of the Kamiah Church. Two of these four were Jimmy Lawyers Sub-Chiefs, who although they attend church, and one of the, at last, has been united in Christian marriage with the mother of his children – a professor, are still ‘at heart’ unchanged. There was not (our boys said) a family at Kamiah not connected with the church by some of its members. So that, what affects ‘Kamiah’ affects the church and visa versa. Robert is still counted a pupil of my school. Ministers, licentiates, and ‘helpers’ are my pupils, as are the two leading Elders. All the S.S. teachers are my pupils, or my sisters. So Dr. L. can see the connection between Church and schools.

Last fall after I wrote the enclosed the Agent appointed Jimmy Lawyer ‘Judge’ or chief policeman at Kamiah. (the first Judge at K – though there was one at Lapwai & North Fork.) At the same time Jim Moses and one of the Catholic chiefs, were appointed Judges at Lapwai. Seeing with surprise what had been accomplished in the line of an old scheme of the Lawyers, together with Archies talk about becoming ‘Minister & Governor’ – as he expressed it- over the Nez Perces, Spokanes &c – perhaps in conjunction with James Reuben and feeling the efforts in that direction caused me to ask my pastor the question about Nez Perce Sub Agent &c. The ‘Rev.’ to Archie’s name, help of his Eastern friends, help of James Reuben and his present wife (the most of her life, before her marriage was spent in the Gov. school) in English correspondence &c &c made me fear after seeing what had been and was being accomplished on the Reserve.

Of course, the confederate Judges Archie &c have had a very busy winter, working among the people. Working chiefly through their bands & others & trying to make trouble for our boys & church leaders with the whites here and at Lapwai, as in Agent Warners time. (with lying stories), some of them almost identical with those of that time – the whites not here & there are different have come on the reserve since then. Of course, Jimmy almost at once added his two sub Chiefs to his police force then others, until now the old time Chiefs are about reinstated in their old places and the old time ‘haswalawit’ with them. (There is no exact equivalent for the word in English, or for what it represents of the ‘ways of their fathers’ not in any government (civilized) of which we have knowledge. It would take too long to describe it clearly.

Failing so far to ‘make a road for Archie’ in to the Church here, (Robert has a strong hold on the hearts of the people) and, failing so far to draw off from, or divide my school ‘haswalawit’ comes in. For illustration.
Archies (step) father, a member of the K. church, a peaceable man until Archies return not long since came back from a long visit at Archie’s with many words against Robert. His (this Nez Ps) brother – (I am shewing the ‘links’) went to Robert for counsel in some difficulty, and Robert gave him such counsel as he thought right & best. This was twisted, and added to, and made a pretext to stir up trouble.

Jimmy, almost every Sabbath held (holds) a council with his helpers, on the church grounds, while the Sabbath School is in Session, between the two sermons, circulating orders &c among the people, then, or after church ‘putting the sermon’, out of their i.e. the peoples minds, say the session who have tried in vain to stop it ‘and sending them home taking & thinking about the orders &c instead

A few weeks since, Jimmy held a long Council with his helpers, on Sabbath, outside the church, the plot of which it afterwards transpired was (‘making the ‘twisted & added to’ counsel of which I have written a pretext to bring Robert before the Council and bind him in order to demonstrate that they had power to do it; to intimidate him & the people and degrade him in the eyes of the people, and to exalt themselves.

The next night, while Robert and family were at supper, suspecting nothing, Archie’s (step) father in law came to him (R) with a summons to go before the Council then convened at the house of his (Rs) nearest neighbor an old time Council of he Sub. Chiefs and others, & a policeman, Jimmy having laid all the trains was himself discreetly absent) Robert declined to go. (Robert does not recognize the authority of any of the old time ‘haswalewit’ councils, which since Jimmys ‘Judegeship" have almost obliterated the ‘Court of Indian Affairs.") Another of the band soon came, with a like summons, which Robert again declined. ‘Bind him and bring him’ was the dicision of the Council. (‘twice called, the third time punishment’ was the old heathen law.) and Jimmy’s nephew and the policemen went after Robert. ‘Yes L’ (the policeman) said Robert quietly, but firmly, ‘If you want to bind me, bind me here. If you want to kill me, bring your gun, and kill me in my own house, for I will not walk one step from it to the Council.’ The men were afraid to lay hands on him; the defeated tools of Jimmy ashamed, when the word went out like a shock, among the people; and Jimmy enraged.  Robert went quietly forward in his work, as if it had not occurred (has never even told me the story – I have it from others). The Church leaders quietly closing around him to a man, helping him try to keep trouble out of the Church.

The next Sabbath, Jimmy, his helping Chiefs &c were absent from Church. We have eleven weekly services at Kamiah and the out stations & three of these (services) on the other side of the river, where Jimmy, and the majority of the Kamians in his part of the valley live. The next Thursday at the close of school, Robert who was with us that day appointed P to hold the over the river service that evening when he was told by one present who had been over the river the day before that Jimmy Lawyer had ‘wakilked’ (judged or judge’) that he, himself, would take control of the over the river meeting and had ‘appointed’ or ‘judged’ one of his neighbors to lead the services there "What shall we do, now?" queried Robert and the two pupil Elders present ‘ ‘Pay no attention’ was their decision. ‘P – go to your appointment, conduct the services as usual and try to still any trouble among the people’

Feb. 14^th

When the Commission from the Home Board reached Archie four years ago, he, Jimmy & Sub Chiefs here and at Lapwai were busily engaged in a conspiracy having for its aim the removal of all the whites from the Res. and getting the management of the Res into their own hands. (The Misses McB were to be ‘put’ off the ground’ and their schools in this way stopped) They accomplished nothing then, save the closing of the Gov. school at Kamiah, temporally, and the removal of the teacher & family. But what a winter.

But James Reuben was with Joseph then, Archie only a licentiate there & no ‘judge’ at Kamiah. The very same conspiracy in on foot, today with the same workers save, James R and I am not sure if it is the same Catholic Chief who is also Judge now, and Archie an ordained minister with the use of James Hines "Rev" in addition to his own. It is that "rev" and the Home Boards possible endorsement, in addition to Dr Spinning and others which trouble me most. If the Home Board and the Ind. Department knew the true character and aims of the men I would not be so troubled. But they do not. No white person, save the writer now living knows them thoroughly through experience, their language, tradition &c. or can see what is seething beneath the surface. If a petition headed by two ordained ministers (Archie & J.H.), 3 Judges, signed by many of the people, perhaps a majority as they can command the Catholic vote & the North Fork in addition to Bands at Lapwai & here asking that they might be left to themselves to govern their own affairs or under an Agent at a distance would the Dept consent? Think you possible? If it were not for the endorsement of Eastern friends. I would not be so trouble.

My pastor can see the prospects of missions & schools should the present conspiracy succeed. And no stone is being left unturned to secure this end. I have not time to go into details but I cannot bear longer the burden, and responsibility of silence. (I say little even to our boys I tell them ‘you are men and your eyes are open. You must watch over and care for your people yourself now.)  I can see no help from the Res. friends who have, so unknowingly played into the hands of the Lawyers &c. M. Boyd is probably going through an experience similar to my own in the first years, before I knew Archie. (I look back now with some indignation to the time when I all unsuspecting was used for their own purposes) and Rev. Boyd has enough of his own burden. Presbytery will know nothing of how matters really stand, nor will Mr D if he returns, and cannot manage Archie, even if they did. They have had no experience of Archie Lawyer.

Later

The conspiracy has advanced enough to be brought to the light, Jimmy & aids with others, held a Council, in which it was made known that Gov. was to be petitioned to make Archie Agent of the Nez Perces &c. A similar Council was to be held at North Fork the same night. Archie was to be with the Spokanes this week. I suppose to finish up matters there. The time for the action of the Lawyers is near. Perhaps I have delayed sending this too long now. Will my Pastor please send me a line to let me know that this had reached him. I will feel better if I know he knows. Pray for us all.

S.L. McBeth