The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-05-22

course pursued by the last and present Admin
isLratlon in relation TO California, stress has
been laid upon the terms of the treaties enter
ed into with the Indians, and also upon thu
conduct OF the commissioners who negotiated
them. Mr.. PEARcE, in his mastery reply to
the censures of Mr.. GwIN, has shown the IN
RESPONSIVENESS of the basis on which they rest
Owing to the dilalory proceedings of one Of
the commissioners, the treaties did not reach
Washington until recently, and they are now
withheld from the Senate simply because the
Executive has deemed Improper to defer final ac-
ton until authoritative information can be OBJ
tanned from the Pacific coas; in regard to the
treaties themselves and to the abuses alleged to
have been perpetrated by two members of the
commission The request that judgment shall
be suspended until this information be obtained
can scarcely be pronounced extravagant.
In the interim. we select few passages
from an address delivered before committee
of the California Legislature, by Col. REDIcK
MCKEE, one of the Indian commissioners, and
subsequently an Indian agent. His statements,
as reported IN a late number of the Sacramento
other considerations than those presented by
MIR. GwIN. Colonel MCKEE, if we are not in
error, is the commissioner whom the assaiants
of the treaties exculpate from the charge of be-
ing concerned in improper contracts, and he
therefore comes before the country with cleaner
hands than his associates
MIR. MCKEE attributes the current rumors
about the unpopularlty of the treaties TO "a few
designing or interested men, ambitious of pro-
motion to office, aud entitled to no confidence
whatever He maintains that as a general
rule the views of the white setters-where
there are any-were consulted in the running
of lines or boundaries, and in the selection Of
reservations; and that in some instances they
have been altered to effect purposes afterwards
explained. lie speaks especially Of the cordial
acquiescence Of the settlers along the Mari
posa, the Frezno, and the San joaquin riv-
ers ;" and refers to wel-known and substan-
tial parties as able 10 vouch for the accuracy OF
the observation. The number of reservations
to be established in Northern California will
not exceed four, and in the whole State about
eighteen or twenty, varying in extent from one
10 ten leagues. or these reservations, by far
the larger proportion are of poor land, Of no
present and of little prospective value. He
says:
"As 10 the value of the reservations which 4
have made, and 50 far ! have any knowledge
Of those made by the other agents, give il ms my
judgment that, while there is on each some good
farming land, there should be- in the general
IL.
out Of every ten are thin, mountain, gravel
ly lands, which no white man will ever covet
Nor would any mani in this hall take the whole Of
any one reservation as gift and be bound 10 pay
the usual State and county taxes. SO much for the
one hundred million estimate.
Then as TO the 10000 American citizens where
are thcyl confess do not know On the reserva.
tons made on The San Joaquin, Kings river, &c,
Col. Barbor saJ q there were in all not to exceed
twenty. la the ~ ddc district DR. wozcncraft found
few, how many do not know; butin general they
persons bo approved Of his scec tons and ar
ranged 20 continue, uuless the Government bought
out their improvements. In my own district on the
two first reservations none; on the third one; on
the fourth, in Scoti's Valley and Sco.ps Bar, sew
eral-perbaps 100, mostly miners and pac kers, and
they preparing to leave. The migratory and un.
settled character Of the population along that from
tier il illustrated by the history Of the town Of
SCOTS Bar, which. lying the river between two
mountains, On the only road, had to he included in
the reserve, 80 TO connect the town or northern
end Of SCOTS Valley with the 6.hing grounds Of
the Indians on the klamath. was informed that
about year ago II contained over two thousand
people, mostly miners. Even as late as last Sep.
tembcr some FIVE or sx hundred votes were given
there. in October, when passed through on my
way 10 SCOTS Valley, there were still two or three
hundred. On my return, in the carly part Of No
ycmbcr, alter the treaty, the town was deserted
sot fifty left all had gpno 10 better diggiugs, either
ON the klamath (tho Indians being now friendly
or to Humbug Creek, IN the direction Of Shasta
Butte city. Unless something new has occurred
since left, doubt whether Srotts Bar has to. day
one dozen inhabitants Those who were there ut
the time of the treaty cordially approved Of my
selection; some Of them asked Tor time TO work out
their elaine the longest, one year In the treaty
gave them Two years. So much for the twenty
thousand American citizens for HON Mr. Coates
sympsthizcs 50 deeply"
Admitting that inJudlcious selections may
have been made. Mr.. MCKEE contends that
these do not justify the sweeping denunciations
that have been sent forth against the whole;
and he points TO the fact that their assslants
have shown no disposition to discriminate as
evidence Of their design To misIead the public
mind for the accomplishment Of strictly fac
lious objects. We select sample Of the rea
sons CLEANED by Nc. MckEE from the com
plants Of his opponents:
cone member has told me that his opposition 10
the whole sysicm arises from the favoritsn shown
by Agent Wozencraf in granting license TO
Messrs. Dent and Vantync TO trade with the tribes
ON the Stanslaus, and not giving equal privileges
TO others particularly his friend in the white house