Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-18

ature Of Texas passed or resolution auho-
rizing the Governor Of the State open negotiations with
the Executive of the United States concerning the aot
ment of portion of her territory common home for
the Indians resident within her limits. The expediency
Of such arrangement has been repeatedly
y urged in reports from this Office 1t is indeed ndis-
pcnsabe to proper adjustment OF Indian affairs in that
State.
The most recent adyices from New Mexico represent
the Indians in that Territory generally friendly and
that our relations with them in more satisfactory
condition In the vicinity of III Paso however the epre-
datons OF the Apaches of frequent occurrence.
wellorganzed and energetic body of men,
ing securing parties through the region infested by
these maraudng savages is perhaps the only eeetual
means of holding them in check.
The Navajo and other tribes in this territory hereto
fore hostile and mischevous, have recently manifested
disposition to abandon their predatory habits and to seek
support in the cultivation OF the SOIL To this they
anxious to be furnished with agricultural and other
implements of husbandry, and udcious expenditure
moderate appropriation in this way would doubtless be
justified by considerations of economy alone.
Notwithstanding the Mountain and Prairie Indians
tnue to suffer from the vast number of emgrants who
pass through their country destroying their means of
support, and scattering disease and death among them
yet those who parties the treaty concluded Fort
Laramie in the fall of 1851 have been true to their ob-
cations and have remained peace among themselves
and with the whites
The negotiations provided for by late Of Congress
with the Camanches, koways and other Indians the
Arkansas river have been necessarily postponed until the
ensuing spring. 1t will then be expedien to make them
parties to the treaty of Fort Laramie or containing
similar provisions. UN4s
Indians in Utah undertook, with the appreciation of the
Governor of the Territory, expedition to the various
tribes therein occupying the region west OF the Great
Salt Lake The thoroughare of travel to California and
Oregon passes through their country and the object Of
the expedition prevent if possible Of
numerous, and often fatal, collisions between the emf.
grants and Indians. 1t seems to have been eminenty
successful, murders robberies reported to
have been committed by these Indians during the present
year To give idea of the immense travel along
this route and the consequent Importance OF concatng
the Indians, the agent states that in returning to Salt
Lake he passed each of several days many three
hundred wagons
Some timely and efficient measures for the proper dis
position and management of the Indians in California
of pressing importance to all concerned The difficulties
in which the subject is involved the embarrass
ing in consequence of the aborve efforts that have been
made to establish fixed and relations with them
Since the rejection of the treaties concluded with large
number of the tribes sufficient information has not been
received to justify confident opinion to the plan of
operations it may be most eSpedient to adopt To any
that has been be proposed plausible objections
may doubtless be urged but regarding the policy of the
rejected treaties finally abandoned and considering the
removal of the Indians from the State impossible,
suggest worthy of consideration the plan of forming
them into two grand colonies TO be suitably located
in the northern and the other in the southern portion of
the State. Like circumstances recommend like policy
in relation to the Indians west of the Cascade mountains
in Oregon That the plan suggested cannot be carried
into successful operation without the expenditure OF large
sums OF money is readily conceded but what other mea
adequate the exgences Of the is free from
the objection? Something better it is hoped may
yet be devised In the time, dogmatism sub
ect OF such difficulty andmportance may well be orborne
Due attention has been paid TO the preparation of the
third part Of the work respecting the Indian tribes of the
United States published under the direction of this bu
and will be forthcoming during the approaching
session of Congress- The edition of the first part intend
ed for distribution to the members will be ready for
delivery at early day in the session.
The present seems to be an appropriate occasion for
calling the attention of Congress certain treaty stpu
aOns with various Indian tribes which the Government
for number Of years, has failed execute. In
sderation of the cession of their lands to the United
States by the Sioux of the Mississippi the Sacs and
Foxes Of Mississippi and Missouri the Wnnebagoes De-
lawares 0sages Iowas Creeks, and Stockbrdges
stipulated the part of the Government that certain
should be paid said tribes amounting in the ag
gregate 50 396 600 and that the should be in
vested in and profitable stocks yielding interest Of
less than FIVE per cent per Owing however,
the embarrassed condition of the Treasury it deem
Cd advisable byCongress in lieu ofmaking the investments
TO appropriate from year TO year equal 10 the
nual interest FIVE per the several amounts
quired be invested On this account the Government
has already paid from its Treasury 81, 742 240 which
is equal two-thirds of the principal and viii in
few years be equal TO the whole if the practice Of APP
propriatng the interest shall be continued As there is
limitation to the period of these payments, such
policy indefinitely pursued would prove most costly
the Government At the end of every period Of
twenty years it will have paid from the public Treasury
by way of interest the full amount Of the stipulated in
vestments But such, il must be presumed,
the intention Of Congress. Nothing but necessity could
Justify that body in refusing TO make appropriations
quired by the treaties Of the Government The Of
the failure do in the Of these Indian treaties
longer exists The public finances in a prosperous
condition. Instead Of fiscal embarrassment there is
redundancy Of money and of the vexed questions of
the day Is what shall be done with the surplus in the
Treasury Considering the premises it seems to be quite
clear that much thereof may be necessary for the
purpose should be promptly applied to the fulfment Of
our treaty obligations
But investments on Indian account may il is believed
be wisely extended to other than those in which
they expressly required by treaty Ii the policy in
itself be good and it has often been sanctioned by the
Government there appears TO be good reason why it
should not be extensively adopted. There is
Their class Of treaty spuatons by which the Govern
holds in trustfor certain Indian tribes "a 000 On
this trust fund il is bound pay interest at the rate Of
five per cent and by third class Of like stpuatons is
bound to pay annually to sundry other tribes account
Of Permanent Annutes" and Permanent Provisions"
$4 $50 For the sake of convenient reference and cal
cuaton, tabular statements a. b, CD herewith sub
mtted exhibiting in connected view all the treaties
braced in the foregoing classification the names Of the
several tribes and the stipulated to be invested
4 funded &c. The amount annually appropriated
count of these treaty obligations is 47S $50. BY invest
ing these amounts safe stocks yielding Ave cent the
Government may be relieved for all time to from
the necessity Of making these annual appropriations and
the question certainly deserves considered whether
disposition in part Of the large surplus in the public
treasury can be made in any way free from consttu
tonal or other objections.
The want Of uniformity in Indian treaties is
OF much confusion and embarrassment They have been
made from time 10 time 10 meet the emergency Of part1
cuar occasions and without reference system or
raj principles They however constitute an important
part Of the supreme law Of the land and there pecu
liar reasons why they should be carried faithfully into
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