Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-12-27

amohg tis Miamies atterng evidences a = r;milsn M
form have heen reported 70 this Office.
The cond Of the Ioways, Sacs and Foxes of Mis-
souri,, and Kick poos Is steadily imp These tribe.
have made abundht crops the past season particular
y the Kckspoos, hose farms, tie agent reports viii
not suffer by With those Of their white neigh
In the early part Of the last spring the Sacs snd Foxes
suffered severely from the smallpox. They Lost about
gefft Of their tribe before check was given o. ths
spread Of the dreadful disease, by vsceinafon ~
the remainder Prompt measures were adopted u pre-
vent the pestence from being communicated "a other
tribes without which there would dcuhtless have bssn
widespread mortality among than. &, sk *
With the CONSENT of, and sneouraged BY the Ioways
two bands Of Winnebagoes II number about hrps kan~
dred have settled the lands - the oymer psineipellv
near the Great Eemaha river, reSe they bass Iii se
betering their condition BY reason of internsrriaxe
and association with the Ioways to whom thsse Winne-
eyt between them, and MI arseus hat their con-
nexion shall not be disturbed On the part ~ the
much devotedness and generoas feeling have bsen display
certy Of their friendship for these soieurners " another
tribe among them. On several occasioas hvy have ona
50 far as TO request the agent to allow the Wnnebagoes
to participate in their annuties equally with themselves
This rare evidence of dsneresteaness and geRsrosty is
OF itself sufficient to commend the wishes Of these In
dians to indulgen consideration the part Of the Gov
ernment and when it is considered that these Wnneba
goes have manifested unconquerabe aversion to the
country assigned to their tribe in Minnesota may we'll
be doubted whether the interests of the Government and
the Indians Will not be promoted by permitting them to
remain where they But it unprecedented by some
that serious difficulties may result from the adoption Of
this policy; while the other hand it is certain that
their removal to Minnesota cannot be effected without
considerable expense and trouble No little diversity Of
opinion exists in relation to this subject ID presents
one Of the egonary arising out of Indian rela
tons in which it is impossible for the Department to as
certain with certainty what should be done
The three commissioners appointed by authority Of
Congress to negotiate treaties with the Indian tribes in the
Territory OF Oregon entered upon the duties Of their
commission in February last They report that the In
dams on the Willamette and lower Columbia rivers are
peaceaby disposed but that other tribes south
of those rivers, wild and fierce Six treaties have
been negotiated by them with the various bands of Cata-
poogas and Morballes allowing all the bands
on the west side of the Cascade mountains
The Indians refused to have any of their money set
apart for agricultural and school purposes except the
Twallalty band who consented to have small portion Of
theirs appropriated for the purchase Of agricultural i'm
plements.
Many of them good farm hands and labor in that
capacity for the citizens They profess be anxious
adopt the habits and of civilized life The coun-
try ceded in their treaty comprises that part of Villa
mete valley extending southwark from Oregon city to
ary river and is represented to be the most valuable
and thickly settled part of the district
The commissioners by whom the treaties referred to
were negotiated being informed by this Office that their
functions had been abrogated recent law Of Congress-
the commission dissolved and the duty of pr0secut-
ing negotiations with the Indians in Oregon imposed
on the regular officers of the Indian department in that
Territory.
Daru reports tnat ne met delegacOn
from almost every tribe east of the Cascade Mountains
and all except the Snake and Rogue river Indians were
submissive his authority and he considers the Indians
generally m Oregon as the most temperate peaceful and
He has bean successful in negotiating several important
treaties with them which represented highly ad-
vanageous to the Government they have not
received at this office.
From our agents in California much interesting infor-
nation has been received concerning the Indians that
State; but it is unfortunately of too desuory charac-
A ,hopn ffraot
been made with these Indians embracing from eighty to
ninety tribes or bands and although considerable oppo
sitlon by citizens of CALIFORNIA; to the of the
agents has been exhibited yet there is to believe
that much good has resulted from their efforts put
stop to hostes and peace for the future between
the whites and the Indians OF the necessity expe-
dency Of the particular adopted by them for this
and other purposes it is difficult this distance from the
scene of operations to judge with confidence, especially
there is in some points, difference of opinion among the
agents themselves.
In the treaties negotiated with the Indians in Cafor
MIA and Oregon there novel provisions the practical
operation of which cannot be foresee. Whether they
shall be satisfied as they stand is question which will
OF course, be duly considered by those whose constt
tona province it is to determine in what form they shall
become part of the supreme law of the land
The means heretofore placed at the disposal Of the De-
partment applicable Indian purposes in California have
been manestly inadequate.
is quite evident that without the expenditure large
sums of money Indian affairs in California and Oregon
cannot be properly conducted; and in this conncxon
ing the Office of Assistant Commissioner of Indian Affairs
for that State and Territory,
general and controlling power direct chan it is
possible for this Office to bring to bear is of the highest
importance in the adjustment of relations with the
tribes of Indians in those remote portions Of
widespread domain.
1t will be from the reports of the Governor and ex
ofico Superintendent of Indian Affairs in New Mexico
that no material change has taken place in the condition
of Indian relations in that Territory since my last an
nual report.
The apparently slow progress which has been made in
the work of establishing friendly relations with such In
dans of the Territory have for years been pundering
and numbering the inhabitants without fear or restraint
may Justly attributed to combination Of circumstances
over which the officers of this Department haze Aad
control The country itself Wild desert and mountainous
the savage nature and utamed habits of of the
dans who it, the careessness Of many Of its
other inhabitants often reckless than the Indians
themselves the scattered mixed and heterogeneous char
acter of its population in general all tend to produce
state OF things discretabe and deporable
der its acquisition misfortune, and its possession
proach to the Government To remedy these evils liberal
appropriations of money and more vigorous and
trammeed exercise of authority by the civil officers of the
Territory, indispensable.
The usefulness of the agents in New Mexico has been
seriously impaired by their failure to obtain from the mi
tay the usual facilities Without the of
poraton, and the escorts necessary enable them to
penetrate the Indian country with safety it has been inn
possible for them to go where their presence most
needed and the good of the service required 1t is al
to be desired that the utmost harmony and concert
of action should prevail among the various officers and
agents of the Government in any entrusted with the
management of Indian affairs and TO this end il has
been enoned the officers of the army, and the agents
of this Department. in New Mexico, to consult together
md Ill, Ifah