The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-08-04

hs 'fonnd lust. regardless Of the wishes anu ue
,armination Of the Indians. In the opihion -
The committee, the Indians should AZ so sn,a ,be
~ other. admit the Justice of deot' peioi' ~
Government can properly pay u''uN
treaty Ian, IN admitting
49, nrrny;s IONS IN a treaty providing LOT Tue
,oa,,mnnt of large sums 10 hali-breeus anu .'eu'
,,e, NOS Ia content the Indians. ihe "eaY
~. ~, ~ onobt not TO have been maze WIN
49, -, ~ nav the debts OF their creditors.-
ny ,.,sra not he creditors OF the Government
~ i i under any obligation TO make pfovi-
s;on 10 nav them they, therefore, can haNe ~
Ground OF complaint against 'ne sosei"'i"'' :
5i,s Italians. their debtors will contumaciousiy
"a arbitrarily refuse 10 admit their CLAIMS
The government could only be responsible Tor
axercising lis influence with the Indians 10 with
bolJthe admission required by the treaty.
In The present case though Mr.. Fleming APP
nears 10 have invited the Indians 10 lnterpose
their objection TO any re dudicatlon OF the debt
claims; vet the committee do not believe 'ha'
he did or could have persuaded the INDIANS 70
adopt that course; but there were those on 'he
ground who could, and undoubtedly did. Ihey
rere those who furnished their necessary sup
nLes-ther fayorite traders. They had already
lied a protest against any revision OF 'heH
claims The Indians were under their iniiuence'
and il would have been almost superhunah ~.
tearance, if they had not exercised H. bu. ~ =
quite clear from the circumstances anu ihnu
,nces under which the treaty was maze, tha'
besides the benefits secured TO the immaculate
agents employed, to get up the treaty was
mainly designed TO pay the debts OF the trauefs'
"hn hen had the principal influence over their
councils This class OF traders evidently hah
he address 10 satisfy the Department that no
debts ought 10 be paid but such as could be esta-
blished by regular books or entries, II was then
their treaty--it was in fact framed Tor their pc
ne6t. Ii is notorious in the country oil the W IN
nebagoes that the boxes OF SILVER that are ahhu-
aIly sent up the Mississippi, now amounting 10
800 600. are often not even opened by the In
dams. or in their presence, but pass directly INTO
the hands of their traders. II is not therefore
surprising that after causing treaty to be made
for their exclusive advantage, they should con
troll the execution oft. II is true, that the mum
Der OF old traders and claimants, was, IN tins
instance so great, and possessed so much inhu-
ence that they were able to set aside the instfuc
tons of the Department in regard TO the nature
ofthe evidence required to establish the justice OF
debt'yet the fund was large enough to pay the
traders of principal influence, and still leave
considerable balance and those who were per-
mtted to prove their claims by evidence forbid
den by the instructions, were wise enough to
consent to an evasion OF the pro rata principle
provid by the treaty in order to protect the
interests of those TO whom they were indebted
for the treaty and without whose good offices,
they knew the Indians could never be induced
to own one of their claims. The controlling IN
nuence over the debt claims has been, and con
tinues to be- in the hands of the mass Of traders
alluded to.
II this be the correct view of the subject, a
new commission for the adjudication Of the re-
iected claims would be as abortve as the past
ones in any attempt to do equal justice to the
claimants, as long as the Indians have voice
in their proceedings. After agreeing to the pro
vision in the treaty that their admission should
| be condition without which none OF their debts
should be paid the Government would have act
| ed more wisely to have extended the dlstribu-
ton of the entire fund to the liberality and
honor Of the principal traders at once, and thus
have avoided both the expense and embarrass-
ments of the commission, which is obliged to
decide according TO the dictates of the traders.
The committee believe there would have been
less complaint if the traders had been vested
with the power Of making a distribution among
themselves they would have been check upon
---L 49,, @.l f.... a.sii knowledge OF the
4 ground upon which every claim was sustained
| they would have been less liable to be imposed
upon--they would probably have given to each
just claimant some portion of the fund
| The committee think il due to Mr.. Murray to
state, that although he gave his official sanction
to the awards made TO the half breed claimants,
under the circumstances already stated yet there
was no evidence before the committee TO show
any connexion in interest, on his part, with
Brodhead, in his purchases. On the contrary,
the witnesses examined on that point, generally
expressed decided opinion in favor Of his inno-
cence. Still the committee cannot consistent
ly, with their views OF what is due to the pub
lie, forbear TO say that they regard the conduct
of Mr. Murray in giving his sanction TO pro
ceedlng Of 50 much importance, and in its ma
ture so liable to the exercise OF tavoritism and
fraud, without a more careful investigation OF
the grounds Of adjudication, was highly cen
surabe.
II may also be proper that the committee
should further state that there does not appear
to be any sufficient ground of evidence to charge
any OF the officers of the departments which has
had charge OF this subject, with any unworthy
motive IN the proceedings adopted TO carry into
effect the clause OF the treaty making provision
for the halt-breed and debt claims.
The committee, after giving to the whole sub
jet, all the attention in their power, recommend
the adoption Of the following resolution:
Resolved That the Committee on Indian A fairs,
be discharged from the further consideration of the
matters referred 10 them relating TO the execution of
the treaty with the Wmncbago Indians, concluded at
Washington in the year 1887.
THE ADMINISTRATIONS HIRED ELEC-
TIONEERERS
The case Of Mr.. EXTRA SMITH, (spoken of
in the subjoined paragraph from the Richmond
Whig,D is of common occurrence, under the
present spoils Administration The country is
oyerun with paid canvassers and electioneerers,
wearing the garb of democracy, y but in reality
rloting on the plumber of the peoples money.
"Mr. Rives addressed the people of Madison
at their last Court. He was replied TO by Mr.
Extra w Hliam Smith, in coarse, vituperatve
strain, which provoked retort, he will not soon
forget Mr.. Rves placed him upon the stand
and in the face of the people Intercepted him
He asked him, among other things, il he had not