Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1842-08-13
Major Pitchers Letter
ST. Louis, 10Th July, 184l..
,7ybacu JouN CuAMaERs.

6T. LOUlS, lSln JAlys 49, Il
His Erellency john CHAMBERS:
SIR-l received, some
Time ago, the "Hawk Eye newspaper
from Burlington, IN which find letter
10 YOU, from the Hon. ]. c. Spencer. Sec
rotary Of War, relating to Gen. DopGE
and myself, Of which now propose to take
Sbfiefa notice; and shall offer no apollo
" IA IN No GefJ doing SO, as his letter
was furnished from Vie files Of your Of
fee, and seems to have en intended for
publication.
The correspondents between Gena
Dodge and myself, which forms the basis
Of Mr.. Spencer's letter, appears TO have
been published in the papers in Iowa Ter;
ritory; though I have not seen it in print,
or any Of the proceedings growing out OF
it, as referred to in his letter; nor have !
the advantage Of copy ofmy letter to
Gen. Dodge: but feeling no embarrass,
ment in its absence, | will proceed to no.
tice Mr.. Spencer's letter, in which think
he has displayed more temper than judg-
ment, and forgot the dignity which his
high station should have admonished him
to maintain.
With oil his ingenious arguments to
prove the monstrous and absurd PROPOSE
ton, that the Iowas had no claim to the
country which is the source Of this con-
troyersy, instead Of being the eac1usire
owners as assumed by me in the ssopin;ono
given, think tits clearly shown by him
self that they we're joint owners with the
Sacs and Foxes, and having, by the trea-
~ Of the 18th October, 1888, relinqulshed
that ownership, the latter ls at least u
claimant in common. This is one impor-
tant point gained, and for him and his
commissioner to deny this, will prove a
fixed and settled purpose to pervert the
true spirit and meaning oiall treaties hav-
ing bearing upon the subject.
In Mr. spencer's first attempt at argu-
ment TO show that there are s.t,co filnda
mental errors" in my "opinion," he has
either miscons,rued my language, or de-
liberately misrepresented what said in
relation to the Sd article Of the treaty Of
the 18th August, 1895. In the absence
of my letter, cannot undertake to quote
its words; but as it is contained in your
public papers, can with safety appeal to
the letter itself to prove thai he has SO
misconstrued or misrepresented it. SHE
)trsl error he says. rs IN rig riding the
thru ari'cle Of tie treaty Of Tie l9L. Az
gust. 1895, as acknowledging tie tile to Tie
country rel eyred to be IN The Io,cas'' mean
ing, oil course, the exclusive title. His
language admits Of no other construction
and herein lies the Misrepresentation, for
1t is very certain that could have as
sumed no such position, with the 3rd ar
ticle Of the treaty before my eyes, every
word OF which will be found quoted in my
letter, and shows as plain as language
can show, that the Sncs and Foxes ADMIT
ted gust ciaim Oh the part of the lowas
10 apyrtion q file country between tie Mass
lsstPpa and Missouri, without specifying
what portion, and leaving to time division
OF the country with the understanding that
each party should occupy it as hunting
grounds IN common. This IS the ground
assumed by me; and the 3rd article, as
quoted, shows that | was correct. My
letter to Gen. Dodge will admit OF no such
construction as Mr.. Spencer has given 1t,
as the letter will clearly prove that no
exclusive right for the Iowas was assum-
ed unit! after what was considered by me
= final division had taken place in 1857
Subsequent treaties, as | have clearly
shown in my letter to Gen. Dodge, ex-
tinguished all other claims Of the Iowas
between the Mississippi and Missouri; and
when the time arrived at which they pro-
posed to settle the undivided interest in
the country on the Des Moines, which was
IN the Council at Washington in 1887,
the Sacs and Foxes denied the concession
made in the 3rd article ofthe treaty ofthc
18th August, 1895; and, i'll understand
MIR. Spencer, this disavowal was suili.
Gent ground disalowing the claim Of
the lowas, aud setting aside what had been
done by Gen. Clark and Gov. Cass twelve
years before! This is fairly inferable
from the language employed in his argu-
ment. He calls the claim of the Iowas,
what no one had ever questioned after the
treaty of 1925, s.prctended CLAIM
against which, he says, the Sacs and Fox,
es demonstrated" Why, sir, have
heard similar absurd circumstances from
the same people against the first treaty
ever made with the U. S.;-against the
treaty made by Gen Wilkinson in 1904;
and, if mistake not, these remonstran.
ces, encouraged as the indians no doub,
were, by interested 'white advisers, result
ted in the Black Hawk War and ifindul-
ged by the folly and weakness Of officers,
who are ignorant Of their history, and
who make point to seek imfol NATION
lromlpersons whose interest it is to mislead
them, these unreasonable remonstramces
will have no end; and we may look in
vain for the permanency Of oil former
transactions with them.
But the most extraordinary part Of MIR.
Spenrer's letter is that in which he refers Il
the report Of the Commissioner Of Indian
affairs. Its precisely what should have
expected from that officer; and bu. for a
pretty intimate knowledge ofthe absurd
conclusions at which he generally arrives
in all things touching the subject Of Indi
ans on this frontier, should conude that
he had written il under the dictation Of
Mr.. Spencer expressly for the occasion
/ thank Mr.. S. for this specimen of the
.seIaborate report as it shows The charac