The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-01-19
For the Minnesota Democrat.
SIOUX MONEY.

il was magnificent game the stakes being
well nigh on to half a million of bright golden
d liars Sibley shuffled, the ever present Hugh
TYLER cut. and Ramsey dealt. The Indian took
up his hand-t was Sibley's lead in word,
the Indian lost-his entire pa'rimony-his birth
ri ht-his forty millions Of fair, beautiful acres.
Sihley playing off with the others, was again
fortunate and Minnesota, at the price valued
by the government, passed into the hands OF the
staked more magnificent crown. Such was
the game let us examine the cards.
The "papers'' were manufactured especially
for The purpose, and so marked as to be known
by Sibley and his friends, with app ance
of fairness to the Indians The fraud however
was discovered before the game cane off, and
the Indians raised protest loud and long; but
the first round was already played; and those
who refused to continue, were rudely thrust
aside and the game went on, giddy boys o"cu-
pynp the Abandoned seats of ancient chiefs,
q ,mblng away theis fortunes, and with 1t their
subsistence and lives. slf we perish, said Red
Iron, sour Great Father shall see where and
how we PERISH as he stood by, watching the
schemes to plumber bis bands of their wealth.
But to drop the metaphor, yet it was really
aud truly game of papers AMI signatures, and
upon the strength and character of these sigma
lures and papers, the grand prize, to obtain
which, even practised rogues had gone beyond
themselves in artifice, trickery and dark mach
nations, was captured yes, the prize was Ia
ken /; and by means that does credit to the
talents, ingenuity and cunning of all engaged.
As the Indian had entrapped The fur animal, and
appropriated his covering to himself, so did these
biped wolves entrap him and strip him OF his
food and raiment.
1t is a constantly recurring query on the
street "Out Of the $751; 900 dollars at Traverse
des Sioux and 22o, 900 dollars at Mendoza, how
much did Sibley gnt,-did Ramsey get-did
Hugh Tylr, Fillmore, Dr. F"ster, the champi-
on who enters the lists for life or death, Ike a
true knight in defence ofthe monled party get.
Here is mystery, that will not probably ever
be revealed Even the law does not compel SIN
ners to crminate themselves. They now all
appear we'll sa isfcd with themselves and each
other, and mingle together like band of victo-
rious corsairs over their gorgeous feasts, and
cornwall Publications.
There is also another recurring query of inf
nitely more importance Were the documents
which Ramsey used as basis for transferring
the Indian fund over to Sibley Il Co legally
obtained and fairly executed 2 This is the
grand query, for upon it all others must turn, SO
far as it affects the Indian. Here are two doc
uments pretended to have been executed by the
Indians with their knowledge and free consent
By one they deed away their entire income to
Sibley 4 CO; the other constitutes Gov. Ram
sey their agent by power of attorney to execute
the transfer
Now if it can be proven that the "Deed" was
a forgery, downright piece of villainous ras.
cality, it must follow that he who in using his
power of attorney, knowing that deed to have
been sure titiously obtained, yet acknowledge
Its validity and binding force, was himself MOI
far behind the original perpetrators Of the fraud
The history ofths deed of assignment is ca,
silly told When the Indians were called toge
ther to sell their lands, the leaders headed by
H. H. Sibley, snd his agents were upon the
ground.-They strove to get the United States
to acknowledge their claims and assume pay
ment--this could not be done. They then
sirove to have the treaty reframed so as to ans
wer their purpose but such a treaty the Com
mssioners well knew would be rejected by the
Senate, the rule being as Mr. II. l.. Dousemar
says, "government recognizes no individual
claims upon the Indians" What next2 Their
it was, as desperate alternative, that Messrs
Sibley Douseman g. Co drew up that famous
PAPER and had the u hushing audaci y to lay
it upon the table at the very instant when the,
where in the act of signing the treaty. This
Instrument makes the Indians acknowledge ant
promise all that II Ii Sibley and Co. wished
them to acknowledge and promise-to acknow
ledge an indebtedness of the entire sum they
were 10 receive, on promise il should paid ov
er to the parties named in the paper, Wa
not that feat such as would have done credit t.
Satan himself? Where in the history of Indi
an negotiations can you find its equal, except IL
the schemes of Warren Hastings? Half mil.
lion of money pocketed by an ingenious piece o
chicanery!
Did the Indians understand that deed Of as.
slgnments Was it read and explained to them
Did they voluntarily and of their own free con
sent thus impoverish themselves Hear wha
they say Almost the entire body of Chiefs ant
head men unite (see Agent McLean's report
in protest to the President to the U. S., de
claring the paper fraud, and many of then
walked hundreds of miles to sign that protest
That the paper was never read n, rexplained L
them-that they did not know its contents
that when they gave their signatures to thu
treaty and were invited to sign the traders Of
per, they supposed it part of the official bust
ness-perhaps duplicate treaty. TO this fac
we also have the evidence of Maj. Mclean.
Here then is the history of this famous claI
trap in which the Indians were ensnared The
business Of obtaining the document is of the ut
most importance, for upon it the whole matte
Except the brokerage) turns. The Indians say
and said long before the payment came off, tina
the paper was fraud, and the Indian Agent sup
ports the charge. We could not desire stronger
clearer, better proof than is now before us I,
convict the parties implica'ed,of damnable, higl
handed, villainous, unblushing fraud Can we TO
an instant suppose the Indian would wlllingl.
and knowingly transfer all he held in the worl,
to the pockets of those who had received his all
from his infancy up. There is an insulting au
do he 70 nf rfi
The Indian did not do it either knowingly o
willingly-yet he did do it, but under such guise
and such conditions that no court in christen
dom would hold the instrument valid for al
instant.
Now what are the disinterested citizens OF III,
United States to think Of the parties involved il
this matter? But yesterday, the Indian held al
acknowledged right to forty millions Of acres
portions Of the fairest land that the sun shine
upon-he sold 1t, and as red Iron said before tn
Council, sold the sgraves of their fathers, thei
own graves" all the hunting grounds, thei
beautiful forests and green rolling praries 70
100000 dollars and annuities, where is the $50,
900 dollars now? Gone What, gone? Ye
gone and the bewildered Indian looks arount
in despair and astonishment at the vast change
a few weeks have effected. But yesterday, h,
was the lord and proprietor of vast and beau
tful domain, now he is landIess, homeless, pen
niless and friendless. Oh we gods, and has i
come to this, that such sfupendous vlllainy car
stalk abroad in zen day and nestle in high
places undisturbed
And we are audaciously told that the affair il
none of our busness!. What have we not
property in the public conduct of our officers
Are not his acts our acts in a measure, and repu
table or disreputable to us9 Can our public off
GERS become exchange brokers with public funds
and favor a stupendous fraud, and no part Of the
dishonor rest upon US? No, we are bound to pre-
serve the dignity Of the Office, and far bette,
thta dozen Governors be exposed and punish
ed for their crimes, than that the Office be made
a cess pool for filth, or a hiding place fol
rogues.
But to return for an instant to that famous
Deed of assignment: Did the Governor know
before he paid the money that the lnstrumen,
was declared fraud. He DID. The protest was
before him. The Indians refused to trust him in
Council Their chief was seized by force and
dragged before him. And why? Because his
Excellency was in painful dilemma. Should
the Indians hold out in refusal to sign the
receipts, but demand the gold, the New York
bank business might be exposed therefore an
artifce was used as pretence to drag the chief
by military force to the council chamber, where
still resisting, he was unchefed and STRIPPING