The weekly Minnesotian., 1852-12-25
THE MINNES0T TIAN
saia. paul, satarhag, lstsnhet 25, 1852.
Governor Ramsey and the Disbarseuaent under
the Sioux Treaties.

Governor Ramsey and the Disbarsemen,s under
the Sioux Treaties.
Let us brush away the cobwebs that venom
Gus spiders have interviewer around this sub
ject. Let US lay the cloud of dust that the
rampant heels of idiotism and malignity have
kicked up on the public highway, illuding the
public eye in o mist of lies aud falsehoods,
base insinuations, vile calumnies-the filth Of
disappointed money -grabbers, and Of infinitessi-
NAL intellects seeking office, notoriety, and the
public printing!
Wherein lies the pith of all this fuss and
fury! Wherein the gist of this teapot tenn
pest this mock -Boreas, that puffs out its
cheeks with unwholcsome wind. and cracks its
tubcrculous lungs with groanings, and that
rolls up the whites of its blessed eyes, briny with
horrifc tears, and which ever and anon wheaz-
es out the words fraud" "rascality," and
"a' that"
Fraud, indeed Rascality, indeed! This
from man-from men-who have for months
been demoralzing the Indian mind teaching
the poor, ignorant savages that it was wise and
honest and praiseworthy not to pay their Just
de6ts-telling them that the goods which in
times past had clothed them, and the prOvis-
ions which had kept them from starving
were now worn out-were now eaten up--and
it would profit them more to kick their old
debts into oblivion, and making new credits
with new traders, and pay for them by grabbing
the money set apart for and rightfully belong
ing to their older and long tried friends
1t is because Governor Ramsey would not
favor this dishonest, this raseaiy, this frandu-
lent scheme, that he is denounced and misrep
resented by the dirty conspirators, small unli-
censed traders, and mean, pctty-mindcd politi-
clans, who surround the Democrat establish
ment.
In this lies the kernel of the whole difficulty.
"IIis offence hath this extent no more"
Turn it over, examine it, look at it we'll
survey it, measure it, sound it with the deepest
plummet-line-and this must be the conclusion
ofall impartial minds. Money-large sums of
money-who should possess them:-whether the
old traders who had given value. or new ira
ders, politicians and needy financiers who had
given nothing this was the real issue.
And does not everybody see-docs not
everybody feel-that no noise, no clamor, no
hypocritical sympathy for the "poor Indian"
no frothing Of the mouth with rage, nor inde-
cent, unmanly, disreputable assaults upon a
high-minded, just-acting public officer, would
have been heard, seen, or whispcred-but en-
tirely the contrary-had his Excellency but
chimed in with the plotters, who were doubly
scheming to cheat the old traders out of their
just debts, and the Indians out of their money
IT'S plain-'tis self evidcnt-not to be doubt
ed or denied.
Had he even stood still and done nothing,
they would have been satisfied with him. They
could easily have managed the Indians, to suit
themselves! Honesty is a virtue of education
and civilization. Even among white men. "dead
horse" often goes to the wall before "cash in
hand.' But with Indians, destitute entirely of
moral training, to tempt them to dishonesty is
"easy as lying" and Sweetser, Robertson &
Co., know experimentally how easy that is.
Passiveness, therefore, to their schemes was
all that the fraud-mOngcrs needed or asked.
Governor Ramsey, however, took a nobler, a
higher view of the duties demanded of him by
his position, tri-equally to the government, the
Indians, and the whites.
This was, to shirk no responsibility-tosl shrink
from no position his instructions as an officer of
the Indian Department, and his sense of duty,
required him to assume; but to act-act bold
ly-act in such a manner that the pledges of
the government to Indians and whites should
both be redeemed ; and red man and white
man be alike secured from being defrauded by
the other.
Notwithstanding more pleasant course for
himself was timid, do-nothing policy, had it
been open to his choice He might then have
said,-"Gentlemen, plainly see, that if do
anything in this matter, will inevitably be
made the target of the losing party, whoever
that may bc-disappointment will most assur-
cdly point all its bullets against my breast-I
prefer whole skin to performing my duty, and
endeavoring to see justice done, and the right
prevail-therefore, fight it out among your
selves-there's no hurry about the payment
you can wait.-the country can wait,-I can
wait,-the money in the meantime will be safe
with mc-by and by will be out of Office and
then somebody else can burn his fingers with
this red hot poker
Such, in effect, might have been Gov. r.,
language, and SO saved himself from vitupera.
tion at the cost ofjustice and right.
But, as we said before, higher and nobler and
more courageous sentiments animated him, and
he took the honest straightforward, course
winch he has taken, and for taking which tons
Of filth arc continually showered upon his devo-
ted head
In taking this course.-in making all these
vast payments,-inuestigation the most search
ing IS challenged to sho,r, (not by idle charges
ana trumpery verbiage, but by substantial
PROOF 'nat one dollar has stuck to his palm ::
anu we unhesitatingly assert that not one I'M
pre)ndlced mind, or disinterested observer on
full and fair exhibition of all the facts but vii,
pronounce the opinion, that right and Justice
acouid hare been disregarded by him. had be