The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-09-06
LOCAL MATTE r S .

gates again assembled the office of the Commits
sioner Of Indian Affairs on Saturday, to hear bis
reply to what they had said to him on previous
casions
The COMMISSIONER Communicating through the
interpreter) requested the chiefs and braves to be
informed that he had taken time to consider well
what they had told to him, and that he would now
speak to them upon the subjects which they had
brought to his notice. 1t will not, he continued
be in my power to say and do all they request II
always gives me pleasure to satisfy the desires OF
Indians, whose interests it is for me to look AFTER
whenever this is consistent with duty. OF one
thing, in the outset wish them to be assured and
that is, shall speak.t them in truth and friend
ship. They are here at their own request Having
understood that il the desire of the Sacs and
Foxes to send a delegation of their principal men
TO see me, and talk about their business, consent
ed that they should come. They thought that if
they could see me at the city of the Great Father,
would tell them the truth, and that what told
them they might rely upon. In this they shall not
be disappointed. II what am about 10 say to them
s not what they expect and desire, they must be-
eve it is because is not in my power, not right
to grant their requests. They never will find me
speaking to them with forked tongue. tell them
the truth, and expect them to believe what tell
them. II they are not willing to confide in what
say, and disregard my advice, it were better they
had not left their homes to come here.
They have mentioned TO me great many sub
jects do not know that shall recolect ali they
have said, but will endeavor to speak "a to those
matters of particular importance. ] will use as
few words as can, because wish them to remem-
per all say 1t seems that they are laboring un-
der some Interpretation with regard to the mo:
ney which they are entitled to receive from the
Government. Before the treaty Of 1912 was made
the last treaty with the Sacs and Foxes-they
were entitled to receive $Sl, 900 for each year.
This was the entire amount they were entitled to
n Ia trPat bet u,ea m
them and the United States Government; or under
the treaty of 1886 they were entitled to this an
nuity. which expired ten years from that time !;
30 that from five years ago they were only entitled
to receive seventy instead of eighty one thou
| sand dollars, which latter amount they were en-.
titled to receive up to that time. They seem to
have misunderstood or made some mistake as to
the provisions of the last treaty made with them
| am sorry that this ia 30; but they are men of
sense, and know these sort Of misunderstanding
are unavoidable and cannot be helped. Since they
lett their countryto come to Washington they have
seen great many men-thousands Of men-but
they have not scen any two men whose faces are
exactly alike. Among the millions of people on
the face OF the earth no two exactly alike.
The Great Spirit which made US all has given us
minds as unlike are our bodies. II ia therefore
| natural we should differ in our views and under
standing with reference 10 great many mat
ters. md you do not agree among yourselves
in relation to several matters about which you
| have spoken to me. You do not understand
| things alike. One thinks one way, and another
different way, even among the small num-
| Der here together. Seeing, then, this difference
OF opinion, 80 natural and unavoidable, they
must not suppose there is any design on the par
OF the Government to take advantage of them,
| merely because they do not thin gs as the Gov
ernment sees them. Now, when this Government
makes treaty with Indian tribes, or with any ma
ton of the earth, it has its officers who reduce
| those treaties to writing. When the treaty is
written down and signed on paper. it stands, and
| 10 the same yesterday, to-day, and will be the
came forever. Men die, but treaties live. Now,
was not present when the treaty Of 1912 was
| made know nothing personally about it, be
cause was not there. have no other way OF
judging what the treaty is than by looking to the
treaty itself. The Government Of the United States
| acknowledges itself bound by the treaty as writ
ten, and the Indians on their part are equally
bound by it as it is written. have told you the
amount OF money the Government is bound to pay
you by those treaties as found them. As to whether
the money has been paid to you according to treaty
have this TO say: 1t is impossible for your great
iather' the President, or me, the Commissioner OF
Indian Affairs, to go all through the Indian coun-
| try and pay the money which is due. We must
the business to agents selected for that pur
pose. Therefore agents have been appointed from
time to time to attend to the business Of the Gov
eminent with the Sacs and Foxes. The money to
which they are entitled ia sent from here with in
structlons to pay it over to them according to the
treaty. These agents are required to report to me
! in writing what they have done with this money
and to account for it.. And it appears from the re-
ports made from your agents at different times
| that all the money to which you are entitled has
been paid to you except such portions have been
disposed OF according 10 your request. There are
thousand dollars, Of which you have spoken
which has not been paid to you, and which was APP
propnated and sent out some years ago; but it was
not paid because 1t was understood the Sacs
and Foxes had committed depredations upon the
Pawnees; and if it turned out the depredations had
been committed, the money was to have been given
TO them. l am now satisfied there ia no sufficient
he nd doll
longer, and will direct your father, the superin
tendent at st. Louis, TO order his agent to pay il
over to you
In regard to your blac ksmiths' shops, under
stood from you that you think the Government
should pay the expense of keeping up both of your
blacksmiths' shops. have looked into the treaty
and lind that you are mistaken. The Government
pays the expense of one shop and you the other
lind 1t 30 written in the treaty, and what the treaty
says must be the law both TO the Government ano
the Indians.
Something was said about the claims of the
Sioux against the Sacs and Foxes for killing
number Of the Sioux. l wish you to pay particular
attention to what am going to say to you upon
this subject. was myself in the Sioux country
last year, and heard them talk on this subject
They complained to me that this killing of their
| women anL children was an unprovoked outrage
| by the Sacs and Foxes. They say the Sioux they
| kill belong to a band of Sioux who never commit
| ted depredations upon the Sacs and Foxes, who
had taken revenge on them for injuries from Others
| with whom they have no connexion. know from
what you say that the Sacs and Foxes and the
Sioux have for long time been enemies; and il
| may be that the Sacs and Foxes have suffered q
| great deal at the hands of the Sioux have taken
great deal Of pains to find out the facts as to THE
particular case. You may be enemies, but am
the friend OF both. and my business lie to do impair
tial justice between you. hold this matter under
consideration, and have not yet determined whe
Their will require you to pay for killing, or not
That will depend upon the information which
may hereafter obtain. But wish to speak plainly
| to you as your friend Let me impress upon you
that if any thing OF this kind happens you will be
required to pay for it, may be willing to forget
and overlook what is past and gone. We canno,
bring the dead to life. This thing Of killing one
another, and particularly the killing of heI pless
women and children, is extremely offensive to your
Great Father and the Great Spirit. expec,
therefore, for the future, the Sacs and Foxes will
never be guilty of any such bad conduct again.
Your Great Father expects you to live at peace
with his white children and red children. He pro-
tects all, and will punish all who break the law.
The Sioux not the only Indians who com
plain of the Sacs and Foxes committing depreda
| tons upon them. Your nearest neighbors com
| plain. The Ottowas have made complaints to m,
| that the Sacs and Foxes have tespassed on them
and stolen their property, and otherwise injured
them. These things am considering about, anc