Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-12-03


purpose but less harmfuly His all that he has
here written is profound and is Injurious merely
General Jackson to whom his mistakes apply but to the
national character made il is Of the Of ndiv
duas and which character it is the duty Of every Ame
to cherish and exa in oil that is worthy and to pro-
tect and defend from all unjust imputation 1t was in
this that marked this passage in De Tocquevile
for refutation his book appeared, and took
steps make the contradiction $50 far the alleged rob-
berry cheating Of the Indians concerned authentic
and complete and public and durable the archives
of the Government itself In this had call made
for afu numerical, chronological and official statement
Of all Indian purchases from the beginning Of the
Federal Government in 1889 to that day. 1640-tribe by
tribe, cesson by cesson, year by year-for the fifty
years which the Government had existed with the
Der Of acquired ut each cesson and the amount
paid for each. The call made in the Senate Of the
United States and answered by document No. GIG, LIST
session. 10th Congress- in document Of thirteen printed
tabular pages and authenticated by the signatures of
Mr. Van Buren,, Presidents Mr. Poinsett, Secretary at
War; and Mr.. Hartley Crawford Commissioner Of Indian
Affairs From this documentit appeared hiatt the United
States had paid to the Indians eighyye millions of dol
lars for land purchases up to the year 1870 to which
five six millions may be added for purchases since
say ninety millions This is six times much
the United States gave the great Napoleon for Louisiana
the whole of it, soil and jurisdiction and nearly three
times much all three of the great foreign purchases
Louisiana, Florida and Caforniacost US and that for
soil alone and for much would only be fragment
of Louisiana or California.
Impressive this is in the gross it becomes
in the DETAIL and when applied to the particular
picture from Mons de Tocqueyle These the four
great southern tribes; Creeks Cherokces, Chckasaws
and Choctaws. Applied to them and the table of pur-
chases and payments stands thus To the Greek Indians
twenty-five millions of dollars for twenty-five millions Of
acres which is millions than paid France
for Louisiana and seventeen millions than paid
Spain for Florida. To the Choctaws twenty three mil
lions Of dollars (besides reserved tracts for twenty mill
lions of acres being three millions than paid
Louisiana and Florida To the Cherokees for eleven mil
lions of acres paid about fifteen millions OF dollars
the exact price of Louisiana California To the Chcka
the whole nett amount for which this country sold
under the land system of the United States and by the
United States land officers three millions Of dollars for
six and millions Of acres being the way the
nation chose to dispose of it. Here ftysix millions
to four tribes leaving thirty millions go to the small
tribes whose names unknown to history and which
it is probable the writer American democracy had
never heard OF when sketchng the picture Of their fam
cied expressions will attend to the of these small
remote tribes and soy tkat besides their proportion of
the remaining thrtysix millions of dollars they recev-
ed kind of compensation suited to their condition. and
intended to nduct them into the comforts of civilized
life. Of these will give example, drawn from
treaty with the Osages in 1885, and which was only in
addition to similar benefits to the tribe previous
treaties and which extended to all the tribes which
were In the hunting state These benefits WERE these
Osages, two blacksmith shops, with four blacksmiths
with five of iron and sixty pounds steel
annually grist and mill with milers for the same;
1000 cows and calves; 1000 breeding swine; 1000
poughs 900 sets of horse-gear; 1000 axes; 900
hoes house each for ten Chiefs costing two huadred
apiece; furnish these chiefs with
wagons sixteen carts, twentyeight yokes of oxen with
yokes and chain to pay all claims for injuries
mitted by the tribe on the white peopla
70 the amount .rry thousand dollars to pur
'1vr reserved lands at two dollars per acre. three
thousand dollars to reimburse that for much de-
Quoted from their annuity in 1926, for property taken
from the whites and since returned; and finally three
thousand dollars for imputed wrongful withhold
ing OF that amount, for the reason in the annuity
payment of the year 1929 In previous treaties had been
given seed grains and seed vegetables with fruit seed and
fruit trees, domestic fowls laborers plough up their
ground and to make their fences raise crops and
them and teach the Indians how to farm with spinning,
weaving and sewing implements, and persons to show
their use. Now, all this in single treaty with
incondcrable tribe which had been largely provided for
In the same in six different previous treates and
all the rude tribes, those in the hunting state Just
emerging from it, provided for in the same manner
the object of the United States being train them
agriculture and pasturage-to conduct them from the
hunting to the pastoral and the agricultural state and
for that purpose and in addition all other benefits are
to be added the support Of Schools of
missionaries, and small annual contribution religious
societies who take charge Of their civilization.
Besides all this the Government keeps up large es-
ENLISTMENT for the special of the Indians and the
management of their aairss special bureau, presided
over by Commissioner at Washington; superntendens
in different Districts agents. subagents and interpreters
resident with the tribe and all charged with seeing to
their rights and Understanding that the laws are OBJ
served them; that injuries done them by
the whites that but licensed traders 90 among
them that nothing shall be bought from them which is
necessary for their comfort any thing sold them
which may be to their deriment Among the prohibited
articles spirits Of all kinds and the pen
aes this head that forfeiture of the license forfeiture
of the whole cargo Of goods forfeiture the penalty Of
the bond and Immediate suit in the Federal court
for its recovery expulsion from the Indian country and
disability forever to acquire another license Immediately
follows every breach Of the law for the introduction of
the smallest quantity Of any kind Of spirits How un-
fortunate then in NJ de Tocqueve to write that kegs
OF brandy spread before the Indians induce them
to sell their landsl How unfortunate in representing
these purchases to be made in exchange for wooen gar
ments, glass necklaces, tinse bracelets earrings and
looking glasses What picture this assertion Of his
makes by the side of the eighty five millions Of dollars at
that time actually paid to those Indians for their lands
and the long and large list Of agricultural articles and
PIGMENTS long aud large list Of domestic animals and
fowls the ample supply Of mills and shops with me-
chancs to work them and teach their the provisions
for schools and missionaries, for building fences and
houses which found in the Usage treaty quoted and
which are to be found less in every treaty with
every tribe emerging from the hunter state The fact is
that the Government of the United States has made it
fixed policy to cherish and protect the Indians improve
their condition. and turn them to the habits of civilized
fe and great is the wrong and injury which the mistake
Of this writer has done national character abroad
in representing the United States cheating and robbng
these children OF the forest.
But Monsieur dc Tocquevie has quoted and do
cumens and particular instances Of imposition upon In
dams to justify his picture and in doing has commit
ted the mistakes into which stranger and soourner may
easily fall. lie cites the report Of Messrs Clark and
Cass and makes wrong appicationan inverted apph-
caton--of what they reported They speaking Of
the practices Of dsordery persons trading with the In
dams for their skins and furs They reporting
the Government abuse for correction and punishment
They not speaking of United States Commissioners
treating for the purchase OF lands but of individual