Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1837-08-24
WHOLE NO. 376.
LAST WEEKS" OMIssIOS&
From the St. Louis Dullsiin
HIGHLY IMPOREANT.

~ IATOh
/, Copy Of a letter from the Editor ofthe Peoria
\ Register and Northwestern Gnzetteer.no
on a tour in the Wisconsin Territory, to
1 the Editor ofthe S'.l.ouis Commercial But
y letin, dated
4 CArrrMsx, Lrly 4ih, 1897.
\ Dear Sr-The pecuniary en,barrussments
of our national 60; ernment are likely to az
feet most gricvously the repose of this from
tier in stirring up the Indians 10 acts Of hos
tiliiy. ] will explain.
!, BY the treaty of 1852, in which the S1cs
and Foxes ccded their land. bordering on the
Mississippi to the United States. generally
known as The Black Hawk purchase. govern
mcnt pledged itself 10 pay them $50 1000 an
nually, ~ specie, and to furnish them with ~
certain quantity of tobacco and SAT-. In the
treaty OF Ie:N, ceding the iowa reserve, siIni-
lar stlpulatl"ns were made. Hitherto gov
ernmeni has faithfully performed it's contracts,
and the Indians have been perfectly satisfied
and ct course entirely friendly towards their
white neighbors.
\ This year they repaired to Rock Island, i'm
June, rs usual, to the number Of 400. to rcA
eewe their annuity, amsuntlng to $4,000 on
the Black Hawk purchase, $4,000 on the To-
wa Reserve, and $1,000 under toraler troas
ties, together with 40 kegs of tobaccs and 4G
barrels of salt. In the Iowa treaty (last yeary
was also a provision, binding The United States
to furnish $4,000 worth Of horses. TO bs rea-.
dy at Rock Island at the same time. Judge
of their surprise, on reaching Rock Island
to find that no preparation had been made to-
receive them, md not even the agent was
here. a gentleman present nj his own risk
chartered a steamboat to proceed to Prairio
du Chen, the residence Of Gen. Street. the
agent, and urged his immediate attendance.
Gen. Street replied that II was needless W CD
down, ms the government had provided no
means Of paying the annuity. He however,
returned in the boat,and attempted TO explain
to the Indians the cause of the delinquency,
arising from the suspension of specie pay
mcnts by the banks. The chiefs replied that
the President had promised them the spocie
said they had been told that it was all his,
ond that he could pay them if he chose. The
agent further attempted To eXpair- But could
not sntisfy them. swell, where is the tobac.
CO and salt, and where are the horses for our
summer hunts?" said they. Unfortunately
these had not been provided. and the disap-
polntment Of the Indians was manifested by
,nuttcrings, long ana srroug. Orr. otrcer ut
tered TO accompany them 10 st. Louis to sce
Capt. Hitchcock, the d.bursing agent, and
satisfy them the money would soon be paid
thither with him and yon doubtless saw them
in your city last week, thoui perhaps know
ing the object Of their visit. They however
cbIaiDed nothing, and returned IN the steam
boat Pavilion, passing Oqnaka on Saturday
last where / then was.
! Do not he surprised if something serious
should grow ont of this. Mr. Phelps, Of o.
qnakn, who knows the Indians as wen ns any
man living on the Mississippi. told ne he had
never known them so highly ntlanrd without
breaking ont IN open hostility. Indeed they
have already committed some dcpreda'ions
on Skunk river below Burington) by driving
off two or three w.,Hc families; Az. s!:"y r.
also killed some cattle belonging 10 the set
tiers on the lows, near whore now write YOU.
II is Thought that Keoknk will he able to re-
strain the Sacs on the Dcs Moincs, but ,her
Foxes, on the Iowa, will bc more difficult tO
| control.
I Should it be asked, why does not the gov-
ernment take the specie from the land cfacey
and pay the Indians? frcply. that il has nW
! specie in :hose offices or comparatively none;
il was deposited in the banks, before the late
suspension Of specir payments, and can now
no more be obtained by the government thar
it can be obtained by private individuals.
\ have written you this letter, in order thaa
should n frontier war grow ont Of this affair.
the cause Of it may be properly undcrstood.--
There are two or three other circumstances,
growing out of the well meant, though mis-
understood advances OF our government to-
wards the Sioux, the natural enemies Of the
Sacs and Foxes, and Of which Keokuk spoke
in bitter irony at the last meeting, which GO
to irritate still more the disaffected. sin
eerely hope, however, thnt the annuity viii
he speedily paid, that the apprehensioas of
danger which now prevail may speedily pass
away. ] reinair, &c.
Il SAMUEL. H.DAVIS.