The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-07-30


believe il is proper principle upon which 10 treat with
them, TO consider them the owners OF these lands ana
10 compensate them such, We never have done so ,
we never have paid Them sum which Is anything Ike a
lar compensation Tor the lands No, sir, our obgalon
u THIS: that when II is necessary 10 these In
dams, we should do IL in such may be com
pal'be with their future happiness and future improve
ment; that we should make them such allowances as
VIII put them IN worse situation Than that when
arises IRON the necessity of the case, from their be-
ing thrown IN competition with the white mana com
petition under which they suffer, and before which
they must ultimately perish. And believe the course
OF the government, far from having been nhuman and
unkind to these peope-as has been said by some-has.
for the last thirty years at least been eminenty humane
and has palllaed far they concerned, many
evils II has postponed their fate il has delayed their
destiny and the United States have done all they could
do in order to afford them every facility for improve
ment and civilization believe therefore, that
not bound in equity in law to treat with these In
dans upon the principle that they OF these
eight millions OF acres OF land and pay them for it. We
left hen General Jackson saId with enough for both
We gave them years subsistence under this treaty
We gave, then, as we promised, all the chiefs OF the
friendly Indians their possessions during their lives and
long their poserity would occupy them, and finally
removed them west of the Mississippi, where this
tribe, numbering about 10000 have about 900 600
acres OF and--very fine andmore, am told by the Com
missioner OF Indian Affairs, than they use, or Than
they can ever possibly want.
Now, / ask, upon a review OF the whole of our trans
actions with these Indians snd under all the crcum-
stances connected with them, if we have not done as
much for them they could reasonably expect 2-f in
truth would have benefited them If we had given
them larger allowance OF money believe II we Will
look into this matter will find that we have injured
them by misak en- efforts of philanhropyhat when we
made this pecuniary allowance, did 1t out OF mistaken
feelings of generosity and that in doing il, we were al
fordng them the OF self destruction, and OF the
degradation of their tribe. And in saying so | do not
speak without the book In the very last report of the
superintendent OF Indian AFFAIRS we have report by The
KaDZas agent, Thomas Mosely in which he says
81 believe, and feel well assured that large annuties Of
money afford certain data by which the final extinction
OF the red can, with arthme,cal precision be made
In this lite tribe numbering less than GOO, in the
space of weeks there has murder and several
badly stabbed and injured and some ten or twelve have
died from the effects nl Drunkenness aud in the mean time
about thirteen have died of cholera. The most oi these
were intemperate.
In another portion of his report he says:
"Iam clearly of the opinion that pay the aonuiries
year the better policy and if could be legally
made only years, il would then throw the dis
soute and drinkers upon their resources and per
chance they the necessity of beakng themselves
useful employment | view unnuities in money
paid TO Indians, great misfortune, not curse, to
majority, they seldom benefited by i 70 the extent
okits plan could be adopted 10y which the
annnos could be expended upon Improvements. farms
houses for the Indians would result TO them and their
families more beneficial and valuable.
find the Shawnee people industrious in the gen
era and better farmers, than the neighbonng tribes Why
is this difference! 1t must be because they draw but
very small annuity, not sufficient even 10 attract traders
and they thrown upon their resources and II Is
with them work or do worse.
| OF opinion, therefore, Mr. President, that this
claim has been adjusted long agoln the year lsl7and
that II would be impoc TO attempt now to disturb that
settlement. And may say that were called upon 10
readIust IT, in looking TO the transactions which have
down from that distance Of time, believe the
has done much for these Indians they
bound TO do under any view Of the Nor do
believe that it would have been better for the Indians at
that time if the government bad given, instead 0 S5,
900. Sl95 900 in money Ii is for these SIR that
for one, shall vote strike out this amendment OF the
Committee on Finance,
Mr. CHARLTON. Mr.. President, | do not propose to
make speech in reference 10 this claim but only 10 offer
fpur Iva IN IN has fall n
10 be conversant with its nature dIter now, as !
would always differ, from the honorable senator from
Virginia with great dithdence because know the ability,
the learning and the research which he brings 10 the IN
vesigalion of every question 10 which be turns his at
tenon. But, sir, the human mind Is liable TO fall into
error, and think my friend from Virginia has made that
lapse IN the present instance
The question before the Senate is: have made any
promises to these Indians and if we have made prom
ises, have performed them The abstract question
whether ought TO pay them annuues al greater or
less distance OF time is very different question The
questions under consideration are as i state them
Have made any promises 10 these Indians, and
have fulfilled those promises Senators must renen
Der the condition OF affairs the time when these prom
ises made, We were then engaged in war with
Great Brtan-l speak now OF sl3 and ls4and great
part OF the Greek Indians induced by the evil pur
poses perhaps OF the British government, certainly by
9th er noian tribes, particularly The Pfophe-he brother
OF Tecumseh, believe being the main agen-o rebel
against the treaties which they had made with the United
States, and put themselves in state OF armed hostility II
very important 10 the government that portion oil
these ndians-as many could be-shoud be kept from
active hostility against the United States. for we bad
enough upon our hands 10 the with Great Britain
and with the rest OF the tribe Those Indians who
maneJ true To the government and true 10 the treaties
which they had made with the government rendered es-
senta services They auayed themselves against their
own can-aganst some OF their own tribe they gave
their blood and they their property as the results oil
their aid in our behalf. | do not know whether my
friend ffom Virginia IS military man or not, but he
must remember that the very highest military authority oil
this land al presentan authority which, although he will
not recognise it, gteatmany others w-has said That II
is very dangerous position Tor TO place himself un-
der fire both IN his front and in his al The Same time
That is the position which the friendly Creeks occupied
They had divers fires 10 contend with 10 front and rear
but ibey remained true and faithful
The fret remark OF the senator from Virginia 10 which
wish 10 reply is that not bound TO indemnify
the friendly Creeks for their land, which they lost
with the government. say that bound to indem
Nifty them for hsland because the government promised
indemnify them and the report which have before me-
from the Department OF the Interior. shows that that was
the policy OF the government and that tbawas what we
promised II will be remembered that General Pnckney
clothed with almost absolute authority by the Secre
tary of War, in relation this matter. In The report
from the Department OF the Inferior had toe following
"Genersi Ptnckney employed ColpneI Hawkins, the
the terms upon which peace would be grao'ed, among
which that she United States will retain much OF
the conquered territory as may appear TO the government
thereof 10 be Just Indemnity for the expenses OF the war
zens AND The fr,ndy Greek Ind,or, lie instructed
to hese the friendly Indians and
enoin them Ia the prosecution Of the against such as
may continue hostile, % abstain carefully from nJurng
their submission You may likewise inform that the
United States vM not forget ,hstr difv, bot ia the man