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Suppose a white man should come to me and say "Joseph I like your horses and I want to buy them" I say to him "No my horses suit me, I will not sell them" Then he goes to my neighbor and says to him "Joseph has some good horses I want to buy them but he refuses to sell".  My neighbor answers "Pay me the money and I will sell you Joseph's horses".  The white man returns to me and says "Joseph I have bought your horses and you must let me have them.  "If we sold our lands to the Government this is the way they were bought.  On account of the treaty made by the other bands of the Nez Perce', the white man claimed my lands.  We were troubled greatly by white men crowding over the line, some of these were good men and we lived on peaceful terms with them but they were not all good. Nearly every year the agent came over from Lapwai and ordered us onto the reservation.  We always replied that we were satisfied to live in Wallowa.  We were careful to refuse presents or annuities which he offered through all the years since the white man came to Wallowa.  We had been threatened and  and taunted by them and the treaty Nez Perce', they have given us no rest.  We had a few good friends among the white man and they have always advised my people to bear these taunts without fighting.  Our young men were quick tempered and I had a great trouble in keeping them from doing rash things.  I have carried a heavy load on my back since I was a boy.  I learned we were but few, while the white man were many and we could not hold our own with them.  We were like the deer, they were like the grizzly Bear.  We had a small country.  Their country was large.  We were contented to let things remain.  As the Great-Spirit-Chief made them,they were not and would change the rivers and mountains if they did not suit them.  Year after year we have been threatened but no war was made upon my people until General Howard came to our country two years ago and told us he was the white war Chief of all his country.  He said I have a great many soldiers at my back.  I will bring them up here and then I will talk to you again.  I will not let the red man laugh at me, the next time I come. this country belongs to the Government and I intend to make you go upon the reservation.  I remonstrated with him aganist bringing more soldiers to Nez Perce' country.  He had a full house, full of troops all the time at Fort Lapwai.  The next spring the agent at Umatilla agency sent an Indian runner to tell me to meet General Howard at Walla Walla.  I could not go myself but I sent my brother and five other head men to meet him and they had a long talk.  General Howard said have talked straight and its alright you can stay in Wallowa, he insisted that my brother should go with him to Fort Lapwai when the party arrived General Howard sent out runners and called all Indians to a grand council, I was in that council.  I said to General Howard "We are ready to listen." He answered he would not talk then but would hold a council next day.  When we would talk plainly I said to General Howard,"I am ready to talk today.  I have been in a great many councils but I am no wiser..we all sprung from a woman although we are unlike in many things.  We can not be made over again.You are as you were made and you were made you can remain.We are just as we were made by Great-Spirit and you can not change us.  Then why should children of one mother and one father quarrel, why should one try to cheat the other?"  I do not believe the Great-Spirit Chief gave one man the right to tell another kind of man what they must do."  General Howard replied "You deny my authority do you?  You want to dictate to me do you?"  Then one of my Chiefs:Too-hool-hool-suit rose in council and said to General Howard "The Great-Spirit Chief made the world as it is and he wanted it.  And he made part of it for us to live upon ,I do not see where you get authority to see that we shall not live where he placed us.  General Howard lost his temper and said "Shut up, I do not want to hear anymore of such talk.  The law says you shall go upon the reservation to live and I want you to do so, but you persist in disobeying the law.  If you do not move I will take matters into my own hand and make you suffer for your disobedience" Too-hool-hool-suit answered  "Who are you that you ask us to talk and then tell me I shant talk, Are you Great-Spirit?  Did you make the world?  Did you make the sun?  Did you make the rivers for us to drink?Did you make the grass grow?  Did you make these things that you talk to us as though we were boys?  If you did then you have the right to talk to us like you do" General Howard replied"You are impudent fellow and I will put you in the gaurd house" and then ordered a soldier to arrest him.  Too-hool-hool-suit made no resistance, he asked General Howard "Is that your order?  I dont care I have expressed my heart to you.  I have nothing to take back.  I have spoken for my country.  You can arrest me but you can not change me or make me take back what I have said.  "The soldiers came forward and seized my friend and took him to the gaurd house.  My men whispered among themselves whether they should let this be done.  I counciled them to sumit, they should let things be done. 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Suppose a white man should come to me and say "Joseph I like your horses and I want to buy them" I say to him."No my horses suit me,I will not sell them"Then he goes to my neighbor and says to him "Joseph has some good horses I want to buy them but he refuses to sell" My neighbor answers "Pay me the money and I will sell you Josephs horses"The white man returns to me and says "Joseph I have bought your horses and you must let me have them."If we sold our lands to the Government this is the way they were bought.On account of the treaty made by the other bands of the Nez Perce',the white man claimed my lands.We were troubled greatly by white men crowding over the line,some of these were good men and we lived on peaceful terms with them but they were not all good.Nearly every year the agent came over from Lapwai and ordered us onto the reservation.we always replied that we were satisfied to live in Wallowa.we were careful to refuse presents or annuities which he offered through all the years since the white man came to Wallowa.We had been threatened and  and taunted by them and the treaty Nez Perce',they have given us no rest.We had a few good friends among the white man and they have always advised my people to bear these taunts without fighting.Our young men were quick tempered and I had a great trouble in keeping them from doing rash things.I have carried a heavy load on my back since I was a boy I learned we were but few,while the white man were many and we could not hold our own with them.We were like the deer, they were like the grizzly Bear.We had a small country.Their country was large.We conted to let things remain.As the Great-Spirit-Chief made them,they were not and would change the rivers and mountains if they did not suit them.Year after year we have been threatened but no war was made upon my people until General Howard came to our country two years ago and told us he was the white war Chief of all his country.He said I have a great many soldiers at my back.I will bring them up here and then I will talk to you again.I will not let the white man laugh at me,the next time I come this country belongs to the Government and I intend to make you go upon the reservation.I remonstrated with him aganist bringing more soldiers to Nez Perce' country.He had a full house,full of troops all the time at Fort Lapwai.The next spring the agent at Umatilla agency sent an Indian runner to tell me to meet General Howard at Walla Walla.I could not go myself but I sent my brother and five other head men to meet him and they had a long talk.General Howard said have talked straight and its alright you can stay in Wallowa,he insisted that my brother should go with him to Fort Lapwai when the party arrived General Howard sent out runners and called all Indians to a grand council,I was in that council.I said to General Howard "We are ready to listen." He answered he would not talk then but would hold a council next day.When we would talk plainly I said to General Howard,"I am ready to talk today.I have been in a great many councils but I am no wiser..we all sprung from a woman although we are unlike in many things.We can not be made over again.You are as you were made and you were made you can remain.We are just  as we were made by Great-Spirit and you can not change us.Then why should children of one mother and one father quarrel,why should one try to cheat the other?"I do not believe the Great-Spirit Chief gave one man the right to tell another kind of man what they must do."General Howard replied "You deny my authority do you?You want to dictate to me do you?" Then one of my Chiefs:Too-hool-hool-suit rose in council and said to General Howard "The Great-Spirit Chief made the world as it is and he wanted it.And he made part of it for us to live upon,I do not see where you get authority to see that we shall not live where he placed us.General Howard lost his temper and said "Shut up,I do not want to hear anymore of such talk.The law says you shall go upon the reservation to live and I want you to do so,but you persist in disobeying the law.If you do not move I will take matters into my own hand and make you suffer for your disobedience" Too-hool-hool-suit answered "Who are you that you ask us to talk and then tell me I shant talk,Are you Great-Spirit? Did you make the world?  Did you make the sun?  Did you make the rivers for us to drink?  Did you make the grass grow?  Did you make these things that you talk to us as though we were boys?  If you did then you have the right to talk to us like you do" General Howard replied"You are impudent fellow and I will put you in the guard house" and then ordered a soldier to arrest him.Too-hool-hool-suit made no resistance,he asked General Howard "Is that your order? I dont care I have expressed my heart to you.  I have nothing to take back.  I have spoken for my country.  You can arrest me but you can not change me or make me take back what I have said.  "The soldiers came forward and seized my friend and took him to the gaurd house.  My men whispered among themselves whether they should let this be done.I counciled them to sumit, they should let things be done.  I knew if we resisted that all white men present, including General Howard would kill in a moment and we would be blamed.  If I had said nothing General Howard would have never given another unjust order against my men. I saw the danger and while they dragged Too-hool-hool-suit to prison, I rose and said "I am going to talk now, I don't care if you arrest me or not" I turned to my people and said "They arrest Too-hool-hool-suit, was wrong, but we will resist the insult.  We were invited to this council to express our hearts and we have done so.  Too-hool-hool-suit was prisoner for five days before he was released.