The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-03-26

aul, tnlS I0tn Jay OF DccemDeI, 80.
ORLANDO SlMONS,
Justice Of the Peace.
How far the next form of affidavit, signed by
the LeBlancs and Mcleod, differs from the
above. may be learned by comparing it with
the deposition of Alex. r. Mcleod:
TERRITORY OF MINNESOTA, }ss
County of Ramsey.}
Being duly sworn according to law, doth de-
pose and say, that his wife is IA halfbreed OF the
Sioux nation of Indians: that he is informed
and believes, Alexander Ramsey, Governor OF
the Territory of Minnesota, and eX- oficiO SUI
pcrntendent of Indian affairs. received from the
government of the United States the sum Of six
hundred thousand dollars, or thcrcalouts-that
being the amount due to the Sioux Indians, UNI
der the treaties made at Traverse DIES Sioux in
July. and at Mendoza. in August. ISL
That the Indians, to whom said money was
thus due. requested the said Alexander Ram
sey to distribute equally among oil the half
breeds of the tribe the sum of sixty thousand
dollars of the said money: that by an arrange
ment of the traders, or those claiming from
said Indians for debts claimed to be due (of
long standing) of said Indians, forty thousand
dollars was allotted out of said money, to DE
paid to the half breeds of the said tribe; that
large portion of said half-Ereeds have not re-
ceivcd any of the said fund, but to the extent
of one-h halt of them. or thereabOuts, have been
refused payment That those of the said half
breeds who have been paid, have been compel
led to suffer reduction to the extent of fifteen
per cent, and in some instances more; they
have been compelled, as they verify believe, to
receipt for larger sum than they received in
money. That if they had not submitted
to such currupt and fraudulent eXactions.
the payment of any sum would have been
refused. as they were informed: that the said
money was not paid by the said Alexander
Ramsey. who received it from the government
of the United States for the purpose of paying
it to the Indians, but the persons to whom the
Indians had allotted it were compelled to resort
for payment to one Hugh Tyler, an unauthor
lied person. to whom the money had been i'm
properly and corruptly entrusted. in order that
he might bargain with those entitled to receive
it. That few, if any, Of the halfbrccds were
permitted to share in said funds, except those
indebted to H. ii. Sibley, the principal of the
American Fur Company in Minnesota; it there
by became more payment to said company.
than to the halfbrccds aforesaid. That the
distribution took place at Mendoza. the trading
post Of said Sibley; that this trading post has
been the principal place of the negotiations
with the Town-band Indians, on the part of
Governor Ramsey; that the government place
allotted to transact business with said bands,
on the opposite side of the river, was abandon
| ed, and the trading post aforesaid substituted
for the councils with said Indians: that the
Governor aforesaid held secret and night cOun-
ellis at said Siblcy's house, with the chiefs sep
arately, and in an unusual manner. to procure
| their names to his receipts: that the money de-
signed by the lower bands of Sioux for their
half-brecds, amounting to twenty thousand dol
lars, was used in connection with other appl-
ancrs to tribe the chiefs to assent to his wishes,
in the distribution of their money among the
claimants. as this depOncnt verify believes
That some eight or ten Sioux, who were i'm
prisoncd for the murder of ChippewaS, were re-
leasad. as a means to procure the names of
chiefs to receipts and other papers. as he under
stood and verify believes; among said prisoners
was the son of one of the chiefs. and relations
of the principal men were among the prisoners
That the Indians were told by Governor Ram
Scy on several occasions, in open council, that
unless they permitted him to retain some sew
cnty thousand dollars or more of their money!
to be paid over to creditors. or those claiming
to be such, he would withhold their annutics
thereby making the payment to them of their
annuities dependent upon the fraud aforesaid;
that the money set apart, in the fourth articles
of the treaties, was handed to the claimants for
them to divide, without regard being had as to
the amount of the Indebtedness of the Indians;
that the whole payments to halfbreeds and In
dlans has been one scene of corruption and
plumber: that instead of said halfbrecds' money
being paid, as it was received by the said Alex
andcr Ramsey, in the national currency, it was
paid in deprecated drafts and notes. drawn
upon or issued by eastern banks.
This deponent actually received two hundred
and twelve dollars and fifty cents in bank bills,
except the fifty cents.
ALEXANDER r. Mcleod.
Sworn and subscribed before me.
l. VAN ETTEN, [sEAL]
Notary Public, IN and for Ramsey County.
The Measurements i'm these afiidavits were so
palpable and farrcaching, that the conclusion
was irresistible that gross imposition of some
kind must have been practised upon the parties
| to obtain them for it was not probable that six
men could he found who would knorin gIy
make oath to such Il batch of falschoods and
manifest pcryerson of fact, as were strung to-
gether in these atlidavits. In truth it was only
necessary for one who has resided among this
people as long as we have, to see what had been
srorn to, in order to kno,c that these men had
been imposed upon--most grossly, vllainously
imposed upon. Not one of them but is as high
above the commission of the crime of perjury
as the heavens are above the earth. Who, for
instance, among us docs not know Alexander
X. Mcleod and knowing him, does not believe
that, in his right mind, he is as far removed
from even the suspicion of such an act as any
man in the community: But it is useless to
allude even to such possibility. 1t never did
exist and never could exist
The LIE Blancs being above Traverse DIES
Sioux, could not he easily reached: but the
other four were Immediately called upon, and
upon hearing the atldavits which purported to
be theirs, read and explained to them. they each
severally denied that they had euer s,corn to
any such papers, being as they allcdgcd, unmit-
lgatcd falschoOds-save one or two immaterial
polnts-from beginning to end. When they
were assured, however, that these were official
copies OF the affdavits they had signed, the ORR
gihals or which were on file at Washington,
/ %, al. =