The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-12-26


HEssRs. EDfvoRs addressed you
a Communication in the month Of Sep
tcniber. correcting one or two statements,
made through the Pioneer" Of, be-
licve, August I'd, in regard 10 thc coun-
Gil held BY bis Exccllency, Coy. Ram
sey, with the iVinnebagocs, in July last;
bu, no notice OF my letter has appeared
ia youy paper, and | suppose 1t either
did not reach you, or has been mislaid.
Il is but an act Of justice to the persons
misreprcsented by the report alluded to,
and particularly to the officer at this In
dian Agency, that these mistakes should
be corrected.
We are told by your reporter, that an
Indian, naned the prophet, denounced
the Indian Agent, General Fletcher,
oompiaining of his official acts, in 4
peech, which we are led to infer, was
endorsed unanimously by the Councils
and that the charge made by him, was
echoed by the other chiefs. The ''proph-
EFT did make complaints against he
.|genf, and IN such tRc0urteouS and Q6u-
Sire language, as to subject himself to q
reprimand from the Governor. but it is
necessary to be acquainted with the rank
and standing of the prophet with his peo-
pie in order to determine how far he
laay be looked upon as the organ of the
tribe. Whatever may be his qnaliiica
lions for a Fourth of Juiy Orator." he
- looked upon by his tribe, as noisy,
insubordina;e demagogue; and has 10
=. Al l.: fh.,
INJUSTICE of considering his speech, as
m expression of the wishes or senti-
..oents of tie chiefs, or Indians gener-
ally. OF this fact, however, your cor
respondent may have been ignorant, and
would be in some degree cxcusable, for
taking his tch, as the index Of the feel
ings of the tribe. had not the chiefs pro-
yided against the possibility of such a
mistake being made, and removed all
doubt on the subject
Big Canoe" one of the principal
chiefs. stated to the Governor. in full
council, the following day, that ''the
chiefs unanimously diselaimed any par
ticpation in the sentiments expressed by
the Ioung nan, whom they did not con-
sidcr a chief; and they desired their
Father, the perintendcnt, to under
stand, that his 'tais' was MS o,rn, and
not that of the chiefs of the " inneba-
goes" He then went on to say, that
they had complaints to prefer against the
Government, particularly in reference
to their present location, which he, (and
not Wakon Dekorri, as stated, said was
a good country for frogs, sc.
Little Hill, another influential chief,
stated, that "ke had, OF one or two oc-
casions, which he named, been treated
roughly by his father, Gen. Fletcher, ior
ahich he felt hard towards aim; but that
q his official acts, he had nothing to
say" He also complained OF the Gov
eminent, for withholding balances that
were due the tribe; and urgently re-
quos;ed the Superintendent to investi-
gate the subject. and take the response
btlity of paying them over at the APP
aroaching payment of their annuitics.
will only add, that inasmuch as the
'iaik' of the 'sprophet" to the Governor,
has been made subject Of record, and
an item in the history Of the times, 1t is
proper that the public should have the
benefit Of all the facts connected with il.
And in order that posterity may be able,
iolly to appreciate this model Of etoqnencr.
the fact should be Transmitted, that il was
generally understood among the Indians
at the time, that the orator was paid ii.
Gdocrcc, by Licensed Trader.
VERiTAS.