The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-08-21

II 7
able to make shorter work of it than at Traverse
| des Sioux. Nous rerTons.
The CoUNcIL-At the appointed time the chiefs
and principal men Of the Med-ay-wa kan toan and
| Wah- pay koo-tay bands of Sioux met the Com
missoners Of the United States in grand council.
The pipe having been passed around and duly
| smoked, the council was opened by the following
| remarks from Gov. Ramsey
Chiefs, Hsadinen and Braves Of The Med Gy- toa-
kan toan and Wah-pay- kOo tag Bands Of Ddkotahs:
| We are both OF us gratihed TO meet you here to-
day-pleased to have this opportunity to smoke the
| pipe with you, as an emblem of the good feeling
| and reciprocal kindness 80 long existing be
tween the white people and yourselves. We
here Tor the purpose OF making known to you
the wishes Of your Great Father. You, the Med
ay- wa kan -oans have heard them in part be-
/ forej and, therefore, 10 you what is TO be said
to-day will not be entirely new. | have often
/ told you that your Great Father has many chill.
dren, white, red, and black, all equally command
ing his attention and care. He watches over their
interests, and where he opportunity of aid
| ing them, he sends mon In whom he has confidence
to advise his children for their good. This is why
| we are here. He believes the time has come when
| you, portion of his red children may be bene-
| fitted by disposng to him of the lands you own,
that In turn he may transfer them TO his white
children. He makes this proposition because he
believes it to be for your best interests. mutually
For, at the same time, these lands have ceased to
| be OF much value to you, from the rapid disap-
pearing Of the game, they have become more valu-
| able to his white children And besides, the ques-
ton OF sale has assumed more interesting aspect
| to you siEce your brothers, the See-see toans and
Wah-pay -toans, have disposed of their lands in the
| rear OF you.
$50 that hereafter you would not only have the
whites along the river in front. but all around you.
Acquainted with the habits of you, the red chill
/ dren of the President, as Of the whites, we know
that this state OF things renders it much better that
you should pass away from the river, and go far
| ther west. This may not meet your views; but in
| this matter you should confde in your Great Fa-
4 ,tA
have confidence in his Judgment, for he considers
well the interests of all his Children, red and white
| Out of respect for you, who have always been
friendly with the whites, he has sent hither your
Father, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, who,
seeing the President daily, is acquainted intimate
| y with his views upon all these subjects. He will
explain more fully the views of your Great Father,
| and, as know him to be truly your friend, ask
you to give particular attention to all he says
| The council was then addressed follows by
| Colonel Lea, who said
"Chiefs, Braves, and Warriors /: I salute you as
| friends and brothers. You have been informed
| that am the friend of the red man. What you
have been told is true. All the red men who know
| me well consider me their friend. Your Great
Father at Washington is himself the friend of the
| red man and he would not permit me to hold the
/ high office do if were not, like him, your friend.
l What may shy to you, therefore, on this occa-
| sion, beg you will receive as coming from sim
cere friend The President of the United States has
a loving heart toward his red children, and he
poets to talk to you in asprit OF friendship and
truth.
"You see every year your white brethren thick
ening around you. They see that you have lands
| here which you do not cultivate, except q small
patch here and there. Your Great Father thinks
1t would be for the benefit of his white children,
| and you his red children, if you make bargain to
| give up portion of your land. But while he de-
sires you TO give his white children your lands for
| their homes, he does not intend to deprive you OF
a home. He wants to provide you all, not only
| home, but good home AS you have been in
formed by my brother, who has spoken to you, the
See-see-toans and Wah-pay. toans have sold your
Great Father their lands, except enough for their
future home. They think and we think they have
acted like wise in doing If you will do
| likewise, we have no doubt 1t will be greatly
to your benefit. They have selected home on
| the Minnesota river, where farms will be opened
| for them, blacksmith shops, school houses, and
| mills erected, and their condition in all time to
| come will be much improved Scattered about as
they Were, and as you your Great Father could
| not exercise that you he desires. We
| think, therefore, it would be greatly to your ben
eft, ii you will consent TO sell out your land here
and select home the Minnesota river, near
| your brethren. They have agreed to live on the
| river, between Lake Traverse and the Yellow Me-
dicine river We think comfortable home can
be found for you and your children in all time to
come, between the Yellow Medicine and Red Wood
rivers, and Tchay tain-bay and Tchapah rivers.
1t is desire 10 see the various bands of Sioux
more closely united than they A kindred
people, the blood running through their veins,
they should not be so far separated into small bands
1t weakens them II they will consent to live to-
gether, and be united, they will increase, and in
time get to be great people,
"Our wish was to have met the Wah- pay kootays
Traverse des Sioux and to treat with them along
with the other bands at that place. But we under
stood they preferred meeting us here and treating
with their brothers, the Med -ay- wa kan toans.
We were willing to crafty them in that desire /;
and we expect that now they will manifest their
Willingness to remain united with the Med-ay- wa
kan toans.
n L.. e
curing comfortable home for you, but he is
willing to do much more for your good dc is
willing to pay you large sum OF money Tor your
land-say $S00,000 Should you remove, 1t will
cost you something, as well as to subsist after
your arrival there; and to enable you, therefore,
to pay your expenses for these purposes, and to
arrange your affairs preparatory thereto, we will
pay you large sum in hand. You will need
schools and mills, blacksmith shops and farms in
your new homes and SUM sufficient for these
purposes will be set apart for you And to fur
ther aid and support you for great many year5,
say fifty years, the payments for your lands
will be SO arranged that you will receive about
S &c, 900 annually BY the end of this long time,
your condition and that of your children and grand
children will be greatly improved; and it will be
your fault if they not as well of as the children
of your white brethren. / have now explained to
you the terms generally upon which, the repre-
sentative of your Great Father, we propose to treat
for the sale of your land. / would not ask you to
make treaty if / did not believe it for your
good. ! hope, therefore, you will think kindly
and seriously of what we have proposed, and that
you will believe it is desire to make treaty
that is for your good. know it s unpleasant
thing to leave ones country, but sometimes 1t is
wise to do So / love the home where ] was born
and spent my boyish days as much as you do the
country where you live; nevertheless, have moved
two or three times, and each time further than
you are asked to go, and yet am not an old
man. Though you will leave your homes here,
you will recoec that you will be for years to come
on lands that have for centuries belonged to the
great Dakotah nation.
al suppose, before you are prepared to say any
thing in answer to what we have snid to you, con-
sultation among yourselves would be necessary.
We will, therefore, separate to-day, and hope
you will meet us to- morrow, and let US know what
you are disposed to do in regard to the subject we
have brought TO your notice. If any one wishes to
speak now, however, we will hear him. We have
put our proposition in writing, and the interpreter
will hand it to you when we adjourn.
Here the report breaks off, but we are promised
a continuation Of the proceedings in the next num-
Der of the Pioneer.
New YoRK SEwERs.-It is estimated that there
are at present one hundred and twenty five miles
| of sewer in New York, of which eleven con-