The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-03-26
DAILY.

have done, or could have done, If he had been
transactng, on q scale SO large, his own private
business and that il has been the most embarrass-
ing, annoying, and trying duty ever imposed upon
n Quartermaster, at any time, or in any period,
since the extension Of the Roman government
through the regions OF Gaul and Bri,on, and over
the Bosphorus Of the East.
military POSTS AND IHDiASs.
Now, Mr.. Chairman, propose to show the ne
cessity for some OF these posts which have been
tablished first come TO the State Of Texas, where
no small portion Of our little army is stationed,
and propose to chow that there is a necessity for
the stationng Of these forces there The number of
Indians stated to be in Texas, BY our official and
unofficial reports, much vary. The Camanches in
some quarters are stated to be twenty thousand in
number. The Lipans estimated at five hun
dred. There are Wacoes, Kcechies, Caddoes, An
daicos, Ionies, Shawnnees, and other unnamed
tribes. There are fierce and wild tribes, | am
told, not even reported by our Indian Depart
ment, or not yet discovered by Indian ag ents.
The Indians in Texas, am authorized to say by
the honorable member from eastern Texas, Mr..
SCURRY,) who has been much in the Indian coun.
try, number, in the lowest estRlatc, twenty thou
sand. and they are Indians Of a warlike and fe-
rocious character Our IndiaH@ rmasivns ;vith
Texas are fearfnlly embarrassed by the fact that
we have no land there ito reserve" for them,
and that the Texan surveyors and cbain-bearcrs
march upon Indian territory, and take it without
purchase or treaty. This brings the settlements
of Texas into constant collision with the Indian
tribes. The treaty OF Guadalupe Hidalgo imposes
upon US the onerous, dangerous, and trying duty
of not only protecting our own settlements from
Indian invasion, but OF protecting the Mexican
frontier also, seventeen hundred miles long and
the expense of that is enormous Besides this,
upon the recommendation Of the Governor of
Texas, to be found in documents too long for me
to read now, posts have been stationed from the
Red river, about where it is crossed by tho thirty
fourth parallel Of latitude, along to FL Paso-a
distance OF six or seven hundred miles-posts in
the utter Wilderness, aud upon the prairie, and
he or nj ne I'M nd
miles more-making frontier, in Texas alone, to
be protected from the Indiana, of fourteen ff-
teen hundred miles. But, sir, besdes-under the
treaty of Guadalupe Hdalgo-bcing pledged to
protect the Mexicans from nomadic Indians, there
ID also imposed upon this Government the yet
higher duty Of guarding the frontier Of Mexico
from Texan invasions The scenes which have
been lately transacted upon the Rio Grande-the
6buster scenes-have been Disgrace to this
Govcrnment-not a disgrace to the Executive
branch Of this Government, but Disgrace to the
Government that has not provided the Executive
with sufficient means to guard that frontier
from American invasion. We have stipu.
lated, by the highest obligations, under the most
solemn sanction, the preservation OF the Mexican
frontier from American invasion, and yet constant.
ly there have been going there robbers and ban
dts-for that is the name Of those persons, who
have been faithess to their country, faithless to
the American flag, reckless of treaties, and reck
less of national and personal honor-persons bet
ter fitted by far TO be Mexicana, than TO be
flag. 1t is our duty-it is the duty especially Of
the northern peopis-to protect that frontier, and
to stand by the treaty at all hazards. II that is
not protected, and the American boundary is
tended there beyond our present limits, then comes
another question OF annexation, the annexation
of Sierra Madrc republic upon the southern
side-about two or three States; and offset
then. Canadian annexation upon the northern side.
with States ak or seven in number. General Persi
fer Smith, in a document which have before me,
urges the like establishment OF posts along the Gia
and eastward TO the Rio Grande. Six hundred
cavalry and four hundred infantry he demanded
there, and he said here was an mperious necessity
for them. The like necessity is urged for having
posts established in New Mexico. The last news
from Texas and New Mexico demonstrates that the
frontiers Of both Texas and about all Of New Mexico
are entirely unsafe ut this moment for the want OF
sufficient protection from this Government. The
news by the last mail is full Of wars. full OF tho
sacrifice OF human life. in Texas especially, but In
New Mexico well as in Texas. There
timated TO be thirty thousand Indians in New
Mexico and ten thousand nomndic, wandering
Indiana, upon the borders OF Texas and New
Mexico. IL Is stated by Governor Calhoun
vouch him for authority, though cannot vouch
Tor the fact--that amongst that wild, unsettled.
and nomadic population Of lndisns-pusblos and
half civilized Mexcans-there only three hun
dred real American citizens in New MEXICO, un'
connected with the army, (sce desp,tch No. 5S,
to the Hon. Luke Lea Hence you see the ncecs-
sty OF armed force :or protection. The service Of
officers and soldiers in New Mexico is worse than
any officers or soldiers ever before have been ex-
posed TO, Tor II is constant war; without even the
shade Of glory constant suffering, without any APP
probation OF IL by their country. IL can only be
compared with the inglorious Indian wars in Flor
ida; but worse than those even, for the soldier now
10 far from home, without comforts, without ne
cessnrics even, beyond The reach OF civilization
sympathy. Utah, too, is in a dangerous condition.
There are Indians there interrupting the lines
OF emigration to Oregon, endangering the life OF
every citizen who travels there; and hence the
necessity for protection. Mr. Hosman, an Indian
agent, writes from Fort Laramie, September 2l.
1851:
"on my route to Utah. passed many trains Of
cmgrsnts-som for Oregon, some for California,
but mostly for Utah. ! found many Of them in
great distress, from depredations and robberies
committed by the Indians; some robbed Of
all their provisions, and even oil the clothing on
their back many bad their stock stolen, &c"
81 find much excitement among the Indians, in
Consequence OF the whites settling and taking poe
scssion OF their country, driving off and killing
their game, and in come instances diving OIL the
Indians themselves.
"Thc great complaint this is against
the Mormons; they seem not TO be satisfied with
taking possession Of the valley of the Great Salt
Lake, but arc making arrangements to settle other,
and principally the rich, valleys and best lands in
the Territory. This creates much dissatisfaction
among the lpdians cxcites them TO acts ofrovepgc;
they atiack emigrants, plundcr, and commit mur-
der, whenever they lind party weak enough to
cent suffer for injuries done by others"
And here we have the peculiar people OF Utah.
Who knows what they are doing, or intend to dol
w no can tciR Who can cay whether they recog
misc allegiance TO this country some other coun-
tryl Who can say whether the laws can be en-
forced there witbo 4 regiment or two TO execute
themf Now, as to Oregon-snd trust the honor.
able delegate from Oregon is in his scat, for am
about to use bis name autbor,ty-1 have state
mcnt before me, vouchcd fr by him coming
from Mr.. Newell, an intelligent old mountainesr,
that there arc sixty FIVE tribes of indiana in Ore
gon, having the most outlandish namcs-names
never heard OF until looked into the report he
made. These tribes have tho eupbonous names IL
Spokans, OokcneRans, Clickitats. Sboqualsmicks.
&o.-nsmes, will venture TO say, that were never
heard Of by the great mass of the people Of our
country. The number Of tribes there are sixty
FIVE, thirty tribes north Of the Columbia river, and
thirty five tribes SOUTH and the number Of Indians
which the delegate from Oregon General LAss)
estimate, To be in Oregon thirty thousand.
This session OF Congress, the honorable delegate
has strcnuousy demanded OF Congress more pro-
lection, and he hns consured the Government for
even removing the rifle regiment to Texas.
There is California, too, upon our bands-Cali-
fornia abounding in wealth. and not iess abound
ing In expenditures; the one 40 well equally bal
ancing the other, that IL often requires nice arih
ncucaI calculation to tell whether the country is
.,..,.. l.~-t Il 49,