The weekly Minnesotian., 1852-12-25

destined purpose. 1t did not belong to the In.
dians any more-it could not rightfully be re.
ceived by them-they could only designate in
open council thereafter the manner, or, in
other words, the persons to whom and in what
proportion scverally, this mortgaged money
should be paid.
J The same day upon which the treaty was
signed, Immediately afterwards, on the same
ground, but on different side of it, the "herc-
after open council" spoken of in the clause o
the 4th article, was held. At this council, in
the presence of Agent Lean of the Govern.
ment interpreters and of numerous witnesses
the last link required to make the lien of the
traders specific as we'll as general, was added
by the Chiefs signing the following paper, hav.
ing appended thereto the names of their traders
and halfbreeds, and the amounts which they
requested" they should severally receive -
"We, the undersigned Chiefs, Soldiers and
Braves of the See-sce-tOan and Wah-pay- -tOan
Bands OF Dakota or Sioux Indians, being desir
Gus to pay to our Traders and Half Breeds, the
sums of money tchich Toe acknowledge to 6t
justly due to them, do hereby Obligatc and
bind ourselves rs the authorized representa-
tivcs of the aforesaid bands, to pay to the ind
viduais hereinafter designated, the sums O
money set opposite to their respective names
SO soon as the same shall be paid us in accord
ance with the 4th article the Treaty aforesaid
and it being therein specified thai
the said sum (of S275, ,0OO) shall be paid in sucf
manner as requested by the Chiefs in oper
Council thereafter We do hereby in open Coun
Gil request and desire that the said sums be
low specified, shall be paid to the persons desig
mated, as soon as practicable, &C.,
and for the payment we'll and truly to be made
we 90 hereby soiemniy pledge ourseires ana
the faith Of our nation, and we do hereby re-
lease and acquit the United States. upon the
payment of the sums aforesaid as herein speci
fed, OF any further liability to us or our ma
tlOn, for SO much of the amount so to be paid as
IS provided for in the 4th article of the treaty
aforesaid
{ Signed by 20 Chiefs and Bravcs,-datcd
July 23, 1851
The persons designated to be paid, in the
schedule attached, were 25 traders, and fifty
haif-brceds and their families. The document
is witnessed by the Rev. Stephen r. Riggs
who an that occasion, acted as Government
Interpreter, by W. G. LeDuc, H. jackson, Jas,
Met. Boal. Thomas Foster, Col W. C. Hender.
son, and others
Thus concluded the negotiations at Traverse
des Sioux
Ihey embraced in their progress to compile
ton, these several points: LIST. The difficulty
OF treating with the Indians at all. I'd. The
absolute impossibility of doing so, without the
consent and assistance of the traders and half
breeds. Sd. Their refusal to assist unless their
debts were guaranteed. 4th. The agreement
bargain. covenant, or understanding, on the
part OF the Government Commissioners. that
with the consent of the Indians, they should be
30 guaranteed. 5th. The obtaining of a treaty
in great part through the excrtions of the fra.
dcrs and halfbreeds 9Th The setting apart
In the 4th article, of a sum to pay the creditors
OF the Indians, in pursuance of the tripartitc
understanding between the Government. the Tn.
dams and the traders. 7th. The designation,
by the Indians, in pursuance of the treaty. in
open council, of the manner in which the mon.
ey so set apart should be paid to the traders
and halfbreeds.
Could chain of evidence lie stronger to show
alike the obligation of the Indians to pay the
money in question in liquidation of their debts
and OF the equal obligation of Government to
see that they were paid!
- And this brings us back to tho position We
0ot out "ltn--that Governor Ramsey having
been one of the Commissioners to negotiate the
treaty-having been cognizant of all that tool,
place at the Traverse, and being well aware OF
the tacit and implied as we'll as expressed obi.
gatlons OF Government to both traders and In.
dlans-would have been false to his trust
false to justice and fair-dealing, and unworthy
OF his position, had he faltered one instant in
securing to these people the sum set apart sole
ly for their bchoof and rightfully their due.
NJ sWEETsER coNcETETT AN AFFECTION FOR
THE S275,OOO!
Let us pass on to another scene in this
drama" as the Democrat calls it. The scene
under consideration, however, will be rather n
melo-dramatic nature, embracing as mucb q,
the comic as the tragic-the feats in fact of a
buifoon or harlequin, who now makes merry
the crowd by his oeracio,ls stories, and "fan-
tstic tricks before high Heaven" and anon
| brings down the house in the lachrymose
character of the "poor Indian; trader. whose
sympathies for the red man are so acute and
eAcrutlatlng, as bencvolently to desire to pro-
tect him from '' fraud" by pocketing all his
monlsh' hmself-the effect of this last rem
resentation being enhanced by the performer
shedding "real tears at the ill success of his
humane speculation.
But raise the curtain and let the show begin.
Enter NJ Swcetser (does NJ stand for Moses y
fresh from Indiana, a brother-in-law of the ira
ae.s:Exias aad intent upon grabbing that big
ply pf set apart by treaty to pay the
creditors of the Sioux. Procuring license to
trade. wth. tho Upper bands, and having first
had an: understanding with Robertson & Com
pany here in St. Paul, about dividing the spoils
when they got them!-he proceeded some
time in October of 1851, to Traverse des Sioux,
and began operations.
He DEMORALzES THE " POOR INDIAN. "