The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1853-04-07

the only business he had with the Department, FAR
as the Secretary knows was in reference to demand
made by him for half tn, amount of fines aud
notes received his infornation in addition to the
conpensation fixed and allowed in his letter Of APP
poia,ment, which claim the Department, would not
recognize
We have given the above synopsis Of the cores
pondence, that the instructions of the Department
may be understood, anl also to show thu, the agent
actnated by msrcenarv desires in his proceed
:n,s against the !unber!ncn We have always held
that the policy of tn. Government towards the linn
beren in northwestern pineiies, daring the last
few years, was not only wrong in principle, but
outrage upon the nights of all the Inhabitants of
the Mississippi valley, and more directly Of these
gagged in the numbering business. But whcn the gov
eminent commissions such men as this Stimson, and
enables him through his official position to har,ass
large class of community ulthon the aak,uay Of gor
onner, it is abomnabc, and it is due from the gov
ernment that such wretches should b. Invested i'm
inediately Of all ctfoai power to do evil.
The Numbering business on the Mississippi and its
tributaries is Of the utmost Importance to the entire
population of the Mississippi valley, and should
ccive the fostering Of the government, instead Of
being annoyed by government raupcrs, commissioned
to f!eh their subsistence from the operators in the
laundering business. If the money thus extorted
from the unbermen went into the treasury it would
be some palia,ion of the extortion, but we venture
to say that every cent heretofore paid by umbermen,
has been devoted to the support OF few lazy oaiers,
who, if they must 5c supported at the expense of
government, should be placed such institutions as
the Territorial Boarding House above Saltwater,
where they would be less likely to annoy the commu-
nifty around them.
In the letter Of Mr.. Eastman to Mr. Gate enclosing
copy OF the correspondence between hinsefaud the
Secretary Of the Interior, he saws:
'The un!, consolation that have in this who'll,
transaction is, that have again and again. in pub
lie letters and in public speeches ana in private let.
tiers, caui ioned the lunhcrncn against the unlawful
and outrageous stem Of ~ ndlins which has been
pursued against them To- the marshal and the timber
agent. am Informed that one dollar Of an, of
the money derived fom the sale Of The luu.er pre-
tended to have been seized, but which in reality was
robbed from the Iumbernen, which was wrung
fom the unheimen by threats, has found its way IN
TO the treasury. SO long this class Of our citizens
will submit to this swindling operation, Just so long
VIII they have cause 10 complaint: bul when they viii
stand up 10 their hts and protect their proper
~ by all legal and proper means, they will no longer
have 10 complain OF injustice"
His head is about right and hope our l,mbcrmen
will no longer submit to be swindIcd out of their
small earnings. If the tax is legal, We say pay it;
but Try the LEGALITY first. II the power is in the gov
ernmcnt to billet certain number Ct officials upon
certain class OF our people, those people should sub
mt; but IN the first place they should ascertain
whether the power is possessed by the government
Uncle Sam would do much better for himself and
the umbermen, il he would cause the pine lands to
be surveyed and sold early rs possible after the
Indian title is extnyui>hcd. That policy would be
much more beneficial to all concerned and one very
strong argument in its favor is that it would save
much waste Of timber, which is by no means unim-
porant, the pine lands diminishing With rapid
ity All the pincries in Minnesota to which the Tn
dian title is extinct, purchased from the Indians
IN 1897, sixteen years ago, and bat small portion
has been surveyed and of 1t is vet in MARKET
There is doubt if that land had been brought into
ma, ket some years ago, it would ha been Purchased
and as consequence the waste Of tiaher would have
been less, and at this time there would have been
more timber on the same la1l than th-rc now is al
though the same quantity should have been taken
of.