The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1853-02-17

W uistuthu Tia, every TcCttftu money
under the provisions Of that treaty Indebted for
at lcart portion of the very goods and provisions
which he hal furnished to supply the wan,s aud in
rany litaa es to preserve tn, lives Of the Indians.
The Indians after signing the treaty, nnde an
signm,nt Of the money be paid 10 the traders and
InXed bloc ls-tliey knew that thu hsi paper they
signed authorized the paynsnt of $2f0,0Ol to the
traders, aad $4,000 To the mixed bloods They
knew that every mixed blood they hal named would
each receive $3.50; they did at know the amount
that each individual trader would receive, but thry
did know that they desired the ss2lo 900 be PAID
their traders on the debts due at that tinr, in such
proportions as the traders shouid agree upon-and
they knew that the traders had satisfactorily arranged
the TO be paid to each individual. The
ony subject Of regret 10 the Indians, when they left
the treaty ground, that they hal not been able
10 do more for those who hal con:inu d - do
much for them during loa, term Of years. They
remembered the many entire failures in their hunts
the two years they hal been scorsed By tn small
poN, aud many other circumstances which hid thrown
them npon their traders for supplies OF clothing.
munition provisions, g.. aad the, remembered that
thcy had been supplied to the of tn, means of
the traders although they possessed at the time
visible means Of payment. They remembered to
have the ira lers bring into t,i country in the
fall, many loads of goods, AMI to leave the
try in the spring with carts almost empty, and the
stock Of goods expcnJcl-and they remembered that
thr traders alone had administered to their wants in
ii, hour Of need. So much lp the facts connected
with the nrg 'tiaiioa Of the treaty.
Durin, the negotiation. Mr. Chute, partner in
thc house Of W. &. s q. W. Ewing., WAS present.
lie had no claims against those Indians but the
wording Of The treaty, the cngrh OF time which
clapse previous TO the payments contemplated, and
mans natural cnpidity, suggested u his minl the
means Of ivcrtns the moneys Intended for the ira
dcrs and half breeds into another channel which
woal eventually result in its bcn3 deposited in the
safe Of the house in which he is partner. So SAL
sui,e vas he that h: could det.auI the Traders and
haf breeds, that h. openly boosted at ST. Paul that
he would prevent the old traders from Obtaining the
n,n,y assign! thcn by the Indians"
In tn fall man BY the name Of Swectzer, a
brother in-law Of one Of the Ewng>, fond his way
10 Traycrsr DIES Sioux, aud by prcius2 distribution
OF goods, false representations, and strong appeals
the baser passions Of he Indians, he succeeded du-
ring the winter in inducing few Of the Indians t.
sign power Of attorney, authorizing him to draw
the Who'll, amount SCI apart for the mixed bioods and
the traders and authorizing HIM to select three per
Who shout! examine the books Of the traders
and ailot to each such sum they deemed proper
AZ the same time that the power of attorney Was
signed. the Indians also signed An agreement hy
which it was stipulated that the amour, Of the
$3.50 900 over AVID above the amount which should
b. assigned to the payment oil the traders, directed
by the commissioners he Shout, select, should b.
equally divided bo,wcen him, (Swectzer and the
Indians. Here certain secmity Of : 20 900,
the half Of tn amount set apart for tn mixed hoods,
they mentioned ia the powcro Of attorney.
or the agreement. But woui! thc commissioners So
lected by man whose o. Jet to def aud the
traders, have made a FAIR distribution and siven the
traders, pro rata the amount set apart b, The Indians
Tor the payment Of thei. debts! Would ,hav have
been governed by any principle Of justice in making
the distribution. Would they not, for a conslcra-
ton of course, have declared all debts fraudulent,
aGd thas enabled Swectzcr to pocket the snu. little
of l25,000 dollars Or is it not probable tina,
Swe.tzer, ii he had been enabled to receive the
money, would have dsrcsared the claims Of traders,
mixed hloods and Indians, and have KEEP; the 25o-
Oo) dollars! Men whose code Of morals viii admit
Of fraud for a small amount, will seldom be found
to refrain committing fraud for "A large amount. If
opportunity offers. Those papers bore the impress
OF fraud clearly that all the officers Of the Indian
department declined giving AM sanction whatever to
them Still they were taken to Washington, and
the power Of attorney filed in the Indian bu-
reau, was 'ad belpr, the Senate previous to the
ratification Of the treaties, and caused the discussion
of tn wh)lc subject Of the intentions Of tn Indians
in setting apart Of large a of hand money. The
Senate informed that tn greater portion Of that
money was intended to li1uidatc debts due TO the
traders, and the treaty ratified by the Senate,
with III, under standing that the traders would receive
$40. 900 out of the S275 900 stipulated to be paid
bv the provisions of the treaty. Blu. an anendmon,
made to the treaty, to which the assent Of the
Indians Vas made necessary, and as a majority Of
the Traverse DIES Sioux Inllns, (nar,icul,ly the
young mcn) had been Influenced by the profsc prom.
isos of Swectzcr, dnrng almost year, it became
necessary the part of the traders and mixed bloods
q Fl ght Swccthcr on his own ground. This involved
large expenditure Of money aud goods, but resulted
in securing the assent Of the Indians to the amend
inents OF the Senate, without any change being made
in the distribution of the money to the traders and
mixed bloods. Ga tn, contrary, they formally re-
vokei the power Of attorney, given to Swoctzcr, and
directed the Superintendent Of Indian affairs to re-
ceive from Government and ray the money he
thought proper, without further action on their pait
understanding at the time, that the payment would be
made as proposed by the paper signed at the time the
treaty made
No other probable means remaining for Swcctzcr
to defeat the payment e the money the persons to
whom it Of right and in justice belonged. he deter
mined to prevent by force, any payment being made
to the Indians interested in the treat, at Traverse