The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-06-19

ness, Mr.. CoRwIN has displayed great practical
wisdom and very high order of administrative
| talent. He has drawn about him those who are
not only able to work, but also ,cilling, and
hence has given to the important commercial
| circles of the country the best guarantee that
their interests will be promptly and efficiently
promoted.
During the absence of the Secretary the able
Assistant Secretary, WM. l.. HODGE,, esq,
acts as SECRETARY al interim.
Indian Tribes I'm California OF
Treaty.
1t has been stated that the Indian population
of California is from two to three hundred
thousand souls. Col. FREMoNr's estimate is
forty thousand; but Col r. MCKEE, one of the
Indian commissioners, expresses the opinion
that there are, in tho entire State, from fifty to
seventy five thousand. The number cannot,
| however, now be ascertained with any degree
of certainty. They are scattered pretty equally
| over the whole extent Of the country.
In many cases depredations are superinduced
| by the whites. Such things will, no doubt,
| frequently occur until treaties shall have been
made, and the relations of the white and the
red men properly defined by rules and regula
tons, which will secure the rights and protect
the persons and property Of each.
| We learned at the Indian Bureau yesterday
that treaty was entered into between the
United States and the Si-yan tie, Co-co-noon,
Po-to-yan-te, Apang as-se, Apache, and
A-waache tribes of California Indians, on the
10Th Of March last, at Camp Fremont, on the
Little Maripoosa river. In this these six tribes
| not only promise and bind themselves to refrain
from the commission Of hostility or aggression
upon the United States. or upon any of our
citizens, but to live on terms of peace and
| friendship with all the Indian tribes. ReIin-
| gushing the title to the lands they held, they
consented to be located on four full townships
| lying between the Mercedo and Tonolimnee
| rivers. Ample provision is to be made by the
United States for their comfort, the avocations
of peace are to be encouraged, and schoomas-
tiers furnished for their instruction.
The treaty, we repeat, was made on the 10Th
Of March; and it is remarkable evidence Of
good faith on the part of the Indians, that they
removed to their new homes on the next day,
under the superintendent of Colonel MCKEE,
one Of the commissioners, and A. Johnson,
| agent, with a small escort. The Indians, it
was few days afterwards ascertained, were
well pleased; and the whites living in the vi
entity expressed a willingness, as far as in their
power, to aid and further the benevolent dc.
signs contemplated in the treaty.
The success of the commissioners (Messrs
r. MCKEE, G.. w. BARBOUR, and DR.. T. M.
WozENcRAFT) has, it is represented, been
heretofore much retarded, and their movements
slow, from the fact that the deadliest hostility
exists between the whites and the Indians; and
the latter were concealed in their mountain
Businesses, too hostile to be reached with any
safety by small parties, and too tmid and wild
to be approached by large body Of men. Con
sequently the commissioners have been COM
PEELED to make use of such agencies as they
could procure, and not such as they would have
preferred but, having opened the way, they
hope to be able TO proceed more rapidly, par
ticularly if they shall be successful in nego-
tiating treaty with those whom they expect
and hope to meet on the Fresno river, or stream.
Those Indians are quite numerous and fine
looking, especially the Chowchille and Chook-
CLANCY tribes. The most of them are wild,
| though they have among them many who have
been educated at the missions, and who have
] aed from their real or supposed oppressors to
the mountains. They speak the Spanish Ian
guage as well as they do their native tongue,
and have intermarried with the wild tribes.
Many of the tribes, therefore, are in doubtful
state, rather inclined towards barbarism than to
cherish such ideas Of civilization as they may
have acquired. This may be said of all the
tribes inhabiting the western side Of the Sierra
Nevada along the whole valley of the San
joaquin.
The Indians on the ChowchiIle, the opinion
is expressed, have been greatly moderated, both
as to physical and mental power. Many of
them have courage, shrewdness, and enterprise,
and are quite as susceptible of improvement as
their brethren east Of the Sierra.
In view Of the fact that California is rapidly
filling up with mining and agricultural popu-
lation, the importance Of negotiating treaties
with the various Indian tribes is properly APP
Preciated by the General Government.