The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-07-31
TIE MINNESOTA PIONEER
st. PAUL, nlinnesota,
Thursday Morning, July 81. 1851.
The Treaty with the Sioux.


and i, looks as fresh aud lively aud blooming -!
1t is the greatest event by far in the history Of
the Territory, since it was organized. 1t is the
pillar Of fire that lights into broad Canaan of
fertile lands. We behold now, clearly, in
mote perspective, like an exhibition Of dissol,ing
views, the red savages, with their tepees, their
horses. and their furnished dogs, fading, vanish
ing. dissoising away; and in their places, thou
sand farms, with their fences. and white cottages,
and waving wheat fields, and vas, jungles Of rust
ling Daizc, and villages and cities crowned with
spires. pnd railroads with trains Of cars rurnbing
afar otf:-and now nearer and nearer, the train
comes laundering across the bridge into 81. Paul,
fifteen hours from ST. Louis, on the way TO Lake
Superior. Is this dream What, but a dream,
then, is the history of the Northwes. for the last
20 years
The treaty is made. 1t is good treaty. II
has been skillu!ly negotiated. The amount to be
paid TO the Indians is not larger than they ought
TO receive, and certainly no, large as i, would
be beneficial to our Territory to have disburscd,
for the increase of our business ard the home
consumption Of such products as we shall have to
sell to the Indians There are men in the world
who have mere than a single idea, aud that an
added one, in their heads. Such man is Com
missioner Lea---a gentleman who has conducted
the treaty with full and perfect knowledge OF the
vnrons interests involved IN the treaty, the inter-
ests Of this Territory, the interests Of the Indians,
and bis duty to The Government There are
wre,ches base enough to malign any man, how
ever good, and any motive however pure. The
press, as well the pulpit, has its bgots, its
Maw-wtrms. AS the beetle with lis little black
eyes cannot see beyond the apple or the leaf it
crawls upon, little parlizan editor is ncap abe
of taking a liberal and extended view of any sab
iect; aud if Ire Is Democrat or thinks he j..
Democrat, although he may be as naughty as Lu-
offer, and have as much upstarr pride in his COM
position would starch all Secretary Smiths tall
cravats, be is much OF Il monoma MAC about De-
mocracy, as Aunt Betsey is, in David Copper
field" about ''donkeys.'' Is this treaty to be
opposed. is half the Territory TO be Missed onto i.
like pack of senseiess ours, because the treaty
has been effected without The agency advice Of
the two-penny editor Of the NVinnebago Fur Com
pauy orsan' Ali we ask, is his open, avowed
opposition to the treaty. Come out, like white
man, and make up issue before the people,
and tell them, if you dare, that you have come to
Minnesota for a purpose vile and selfish, to
oppose the acquisition, the possibility for many
q, ~ oF IL,
rtory of more than 10000 square miles, which
| il acquired, viii add immediate, immense wealth
to Minnesota, and make Saint Paul third only in
the rank Of cities On the Mississippi.
There was once a wretch vile enough, from
selfish and personal motives, to fire the Alexan-
drian Library: bat compared with the ptful
scoundrel who should attempt TO rob Minnesota
OF the lands, the population. the wealth, which
this treaty, if ratified, will give us. that incend-
AIRY d sai int, who deserved TO be canonized
Must every thing, however vital to the interests
of the whole Territory, be dragged down and
swashed and waliowed about, In the vile vortex
Of politics Why, there is not solitary human
being in Minnesota, who is nor deeply interested
1
terestcd than others; and if there are any OPP
posed TO it. they are actuated only by that vile
spirit of envy, "which drags angels down" To
the Indians themselves, the treaty is now indis-
pensable 10 their very existence.
Especially the ensuing winter, without the
treaty, these poor wreicbes must die off by hun
dreds. The high water has ruined their corn,
and they will entirely lose their summer buffalo
hunt. by having spent the season in coming 10,
remaining at, and returning from the treaty
Whenever they came from their remote homes to
the treaty, it became almost settled thing that
they must sell their lands, or perish by starvation
next winter. They have nothing 10 subsist on,
and perish they must and will, unless they can
subsist upon the faith and credit Of the treaty
and The supplies they may receive, in anticipation
Of the confirmation Of the treaty by the Senate.
This is fact, to the Sioux Indians. most seri.
Gus aud appalling fact, aud to the Government a
truth which ought to be stamped upon the men,
DRY Of the Senate in burning letters. that many
thousands Of thesa poor wretches, have assem-
bied at the treaty, by the invitation Of the gov.
eminent, and in full faith that treaty would be
made and ratified and that they should subsist
Notwithstanding they lose their whole summe,
bun. and corn crop. The Commissioners must
under these circumstances, have had every thing
10 time, in their own way ; and we should be
ashamed of human nature, and ashamed of oul
government, if the Commissioners were TO drive
the best bargain they could, and obtain their
lands for the least possible amount. What could
the Indians do! Without solitary days pro-
vision on hand, feeding from the hand of govern