The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-10-20


instructions from the Department of War, (Which, if moi
in his pocket at the time would soon have been within
REACH he paid the claimants and to the chiefs the
whole annutes of the year, amounting before stated
to Ssl 900; and them as if self condemned sent in his
resignation and Immediately left the country as though
unwilling to witness the consequences OF his own perdy
That the traders, who DESTROYS OF securing their
old debts without submitting them for examination, and
OF attending many payments at other agencies as pos
sibe melted and urged the Indians to demand the money
is very probable, But he had firmly and much to his
credit resisted such demand in former years, under SIM
liar circumstances and there could have been no suffer
ing inconvenience from delay this year, unless nten
tionay permitted connved at by the agent himself
for, of the money in his hands, there was the large
sum of $4,000 which remained entirely unaffected
either by the law OF the last session or by the IN
strucions, and which, by the 5th article OF the
treaty of 1912, expressly set apart "to be ex-
pended by the Chiefs with the appreciation of the agent
for national and charitable purposes among their people
such the support OF their poor buryng their dead,
employing physicians for the SICK procuring provisions
for their people in of necessity and such other
purposes of general utility the chiefs may think proper
and the agent approve" Thus there was in his hands
HIMSELF which could have been expended in supplying
the necessities and wants of the Indians. But his whole
conduct would seem to indicate that before he started for
ST. Louis to obtain the annues, he had deliberately
made up his mind throw himself into the hands of the
creditors of the Indians and heteby enable them to evade
the just and sauary operations of the law Well for
him that he did resign, he wished to avoid the disgrace
of removal for he would instantly have been dismissed
by the President, his improper and unustifabe con-
duct becoming known. But as the payment was unau-
,horzed and Illegal it is possible that he and his
lies are still responsible for the amount,
We now proceed, briefly practicable, to give
some OF the system of payment prescribed by law
which has been in operation for many years, which has
enriched Indian chiefs and thousands of whites engaged
in the Indian trade to the injury and wrong of the great
mass of the red men, against the evil effects of which the
exertions OF the Executive have for long time been
directed but the overthrow OF which has remained for
this administration accomplish, and thus to TO
the Indians generally greater degree of fairness and
Justice than for long years they have received.
The law heretofore the subject positively directed
the annutes due to the Indians TO be paid to their Chiefs
or to such persons they might designate. The conse
quence OF this system was that the chiefs and their par
cuar friends received nearly all the benefit OF the boun
ty and liberay of the government when not i'm
provdent, becoming enormously rich, while the common
Indians received little nothing. The parties most ben
efed however, the traders, who during the long
intervals OF the payments, would induce the Indians to
purchase goods and trinkets from them, which they
charged enormous profits, and who at the payments
would, on the requirement OF the chiefs, receive all,
nearly ALL of their annuites-he chiefs being controlled
by them through the hope of further large credits in u
ure and in various other ways Ii the chiefs received the
money themselves, they gave the common Indians only
much as their cupidy would spare or they would open
small credit for them with the traders goods at exraya
giant prices keeping much of the money they chose
and paying the remainder to the traders Thus in every
way the poorer and less influential Indian was ground
down, wronged and robbed For years the government
used every endeavor to prevent the enormes of this sys
tenn using argument and persuasion to induce the chiefs
and other influential Indians consent to fair and gen
eral division of the annutes among all and assem-
bling the Indians in council, informing them of their
rights and suggesting them to demand them of their
chiefs. Such however, the control and nhuen OF
the traders with the chiefs and other influential Indians
through the already mentioned, that but little pro-
gress made The efforts not RENTED however,
becoming conscious OF the niques practsed upon them
demanded their rights; and the chiefs and head men, part
ly through apprehension, and partly from the force of
and persuasion induced gradually to consent
change that for several years past the department
has been enabled TO great extent to have the annui
ties paid to heads of families according their lust pro.
portions So the Sac and Fox annuies were paid las,
year; and there doubt they might have been paid
this year, without the authority of the new law
had Mr.. Beach pursued the proper course But the in
quity of this system will be more clearly shown by the
instructions of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and
some startling evidences Of the cupdity and infamous
conduct of traders of whom were concerned in the
enormous fraud just practisel the poor Sacs and
Foxes, which will accompany it, and which we will pub
lsh in few days Mean time we give some further
accounts of the injustice of it, taken from report of an
officer of the army of high standing, now gallantly
serving his country in Mexico, who, some years since,
required TO attend the payment of the Sac and Fox
annuity, and to report the result of his observations to
the department.
Extracts from report Of Captain r. D. GARDINER, Of the
army, dated October 49, IS4 relation to the payment Of
the Sac and For annuity for that gear.
Ipresume from your letter. heretofore copied that you
wish full, fair, and impartial statement of all facts that
may know from my own knowledge, and those |
have learned from sources sufficient convince myself
shall unscrupulousy duty, trust that il
fall into the fault of proxity it will be attributed to
desire bestow justice all, than to the nat
ural pleasure dcvable from listening ones i'm