The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-05-19
CITY OF WASHINGTON WEDNESDAY MORNING. MAY 49, 1852

and they were permitted TO acknowledge for the
. Although many frauds were perpeuated hroughou,
he year 1874 OF the existence Of which the agents
apprzed still difficult detect and defeat them
hose VINO Were engaged IN pundering these unleiieed
plan was concocied % sweep off from them all the
ha' remained uneeihed amonnting 10 more than fifteen
hundred la the letter OF the late Eli S Shorter, copy
whereof hereto annexed marked @, this purpose dark
ly limited at"
Here is one OF the disclosures TO which the commits.
sioner refers. Mr.. Shorter, OF the men who had
heavy operations among the Indians, says in letter 10
some OF his associates
:" Your messenger must reach Sunday night,
give yourself no trouble aboa, the vaas Of The land viii
all that Stealing s the order Of the day and out
Of The hos, OF Indians a. the agency don't think there
These are but specimens of what took place during
that time ! suppose there is hardly gentleman from
The South who does not recoect the whole OF the
transaction
II the honorable gentleman from Tennessee puts this
appcaiion for an Appropriation the ground OF state
OF war; there was no necessity OF adverhg to the
oil that war. 1t was graluous attack upon another
administration, because did not alter the nature OF the
claim in any manner whatever. Whatever may have
been the cause OF the origin Of that war; il has nothing
to do with the merits of the claim, il il is sought to be
pressed on the gronnd that war did actually exist |
repeat that at different times during the progress of this
war, commissions was sent out to investigate and look
into the condition OF the Indians and make such reports
as would enable the government TO act promptly, ef-
ceniy wisely, and in the best manner for the interests
OF the country.
One OF the principal objections that the honorable gen.
eman makes upon this subject is, that The government
did not prevent people from going there. How could
the government prevent them should like the honor
able gentleman 10 tell me how. Why. Governor Gayle,
OF Alabama. demonstrated against the right OF the United
States to send troops there He said had right
bring forces into that country at all. His letter is
plict He says. under date OF February %, 1894
alabama, having rghtfuly cquired exclusive isdc.
ton previous TO the ratification of the treaty The sub
jecis embraced by the fifth article hereof be
however
be-whaever the power OF the general government the
right OF the State in this appears that the
novelty OF the spectacle keeping upon borders of
State standing army its citizens into submission
to the laws and the obvious departure which indicates
from the customary modes provided by consultation
conducting the operations of the government consd-
eratons OF themselves sufficient to Induce mder
means"
| From the termination OF the treaty through the whole
OF these transactions there always force the from
ler-sometlmes under the command of General Jesup,
sometimes under the command OF General Twiggs, some
ZINES under one man, and sometimes under another.
This letter came from Governor Gayle, demonstrating
with the government against the introduction of troops
into the Territory II was met by answer, written by
direction OF General Jackson, which suppose many gen
lemen here will recoect which this government look
the ground that long the land belonged the Uni.
led States, the government had right prevent intIu-
SION But allow me to say, in country like that, how
could you keep troops with the State authorities against
you-with the State authorities denying that you had any
power whatever! Why, nothing short of an armed force
surrounding the Territory could do il. There was every
disposition on the part of the government 10 do so but
ii did not armed contest with the Stale of Aa-
bama and therefore turned its attention to the removal OF
the Indians by all the inducements that could possibly be
held out TO them.
The honorable gentleman assumes, in the first place,
that an armed force not ihere and the place
una! .ne nuans were IN state oi sarvaon and also,
that was the duty OF the government apply remedy
ior each One OF these propositions brings the whole
question In regard TO intercourse with the Indians how
lar is the policy, how far 1t is the duty OF the govern
ment. when the Indians in state Of starvation TO
provide Tor their support do not mean matter of
passing charity bat as system upon which they could
and upon which they would rely. This whole business
oil the emigration Of the Indians 10 the country west OF
the Mississippi is very diihcat question: and has al
ways proved so under this government. The great
oil civilization has borne them onwards from the borders
OF the Atlantic almost 10 the Pacific. They have melted
away before the and the approach OF civilization
the snow melts before the warm OF spring Wherever
they have remained in contact with civilized frontier
they have entirely failed away. now here that |
know OF no instance in which permanent reformation
has been effected in the moral or political condition OF the
Indians so long they have remained In contact with
the white settlements. The relative condition OF the two
who occupy this continent is great al problem
There physical account for the diminuton
and deterioration Of the Indians. But why were those
causes not counleracedl Has civilization shed light
upon ihem' For two centuries they have been in
tact with civilized people, but they have resisted
fully every effort to ameorae their condition Their
moral well as their intellectual condition has remained
stationary. All the circumstances connected with them
present unparalleled in the history OF the world.
| Now, under what circumstances is the government
placed here AT Washington the central point OF author
iiy The government is pressed from every portion OF
the Union 10 lney IN
dans fading away-that reservation after
ton goes-ihst phanthropic men after philanhropic
devotng themselves 10 their Improvement, and
that failure is apparent everywhere II is owing, among
other causes, To the fixed condition oil Indian nners
and the introduction OF whskey among them. An In.
dian is Interchangeable in his manners is Arab.
The Arab maintains certain species of civilization, and
remains now Just he in the days OF Abraham.
The Indian has not advanced in intellect, in physical
condition, in anything that gives elevation TO character,
since the fret white put his foot upon the shores Of
this continent Now, why keep them stationary The
experiment may fall but sure that their condition
will be poor without IT, The only hope have is 10
put them in the western regions OF country, where they
will have chance 10 live in their own way They
hunters and warriors and you cannot make them work.
II is disgrace TO Indian TO work There but two
war, and the other to hunt You have in them only
an unconquerable aversion 10 labor, which Is common
with all savages but there feeling OF dshonor among
them attached 10 labor which is as strong with them
il is with any people in the world Your expectation TO
elevate them to any higher station in civilization by
teaching them to labor, by putting them in contact with
your people, by exposing them to the rrupon OF every
who chooses 10 go there and sell them whskey, and
depraye them, utterly impossible IL should have been
known before II is now known by experience
Ia this 10 other cases. the government made the al
tempt send these Indians west OF the Mississippi and
after tme in consequence OF the difficulties which
have before stated, hostiles ensued But let me tell
the honorable senator from Tennessee that until May
1885, the governor OF Georgia had not the slightest idea
OF the war He says himself, in letter accompanying
the reports upon this subject, that IT only IN May,
1885, that he became aware OF the dangerous state of
things existing He did not believe there was TO be a
war and allow still further TO tell the honorable
SENATOR he speaks OF issuing provisions 10 the Indians
that provisions issued to the full amount oil the