Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1854-03-03
The Heaven Dsfyins Robbery.

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FIN the lower House Of Congress, 10Th
Feb. last, Prof. MEAcHAM, Of Vt, opposed {
the proposed Nebraska Bill, for four rea-
sons 1st, No such government was needed
I'd, 1t would rob the Indians. Sd, Ii has
boundaries which overlap other Territorial
boundaries. 4th, 1t violates the Missouri :
compromise. We quote his eloquent aud
conclusive argument in proof Of lis second
objection, in full j
My second objection to these territorial
bills is, the great and gross injustice which
their passage will inactupon the Indians
am quite aware that these bills have pro-
vsoes not to include tue territory of any
Indian tribe within the limits or jurisdic-
ton Of Kansas or Nebraska That looks
fair on paper have no doubt the authors
mean to deal as fairly as they can by the
Indians. We can refrain from exercising
jurisdiction bat is it possible to erect these
governments, with their proposed bound ,
aries, aud not include the lands Of the
! trlDtS Nltulu tutlI ilmits hio WAii "
seen to be point Of importance. You
have land between them and your bound
aries on the north, on the south, Oh the
east, and on the west. Why, then, are
they not included, inclosed, eomPrehended
within the limits OF those Territories, as
truly so as Washington is INCLUDED III the
District Of Columbia, or Baltimore in the
State of Maryland! You may as well say
that your heart is not included in ycnr
body. One third Of the territory is held BY
between sixty and seventythousand In hans
Of more than forty tribes, under treaty
stipulations. Besides, full title to lands
is assigned those who have treaty rights TO
hunting grounds, or easements; and these
cover large part Of the entire territory.
In the last two years We have boug ght
territory enough to foim two States. and
brought tue Indians down south Of tie
Missouri and provided them a place Of rest.
Senator Bell is my authority for this state
ment. | have here, by the courtesy Of the
acting Commissioner of Indian Afairs,
table showing the number Of tribes, origin,
amount Of lands, nature Of title, and popu-
lation of those tribes within the territory,
as bounded By the first bill. have not
been able to secure az exact informatIcn
as to the whole, since the whole was IN
cIuded in the second bill The northern
boundary, as first proposed, was 43' north
latitude.
! There are twenty-three tribes Of Indians
, south Of latitude 43o; of these only four
are indigenous, born 10 that county; while
nineteen of them are exoticS, transported
thither from fourteen different States.
They have a population Of about forty
thousand, and possess about thirty-seven
, million acres Of land. How came SO many
tribes, natives of distant States, grouped
together on this portion of territory! Was
; it matter of accident? Were these In
dian strata the deposit made by the shift
ing and drifting Of some chaos in hunrin
, affairs? Was it spontaneous or voluntary
movement Of their own, that lifted ,bem
. from their native soil, and planted them,
by natural attraction, On that spot ?
Neither Of them. 1t was the result of a
) plan long discussed, and warmly disputed,
but finally settled as the measure Of the
: Government of the United States. In
, 1929, General Jackson, coIumiserating the
wasting condition of the Indians, proposed
q plan Of removal. He thought it too
late to inquire whether they were justly
or unjustly ineluded within the limits ot
States. He wished to save them from fur
ther depression.
LAS a means of eifecring this end. | suggest
the proprieiy of setting apart an ample district
west OF the Mississippi, and without the hints
of any Stale or Territory now formed, To- be
guaranteed TO the Indian tribes as long as they
shall occnpy Ii.'-369.
1t should be kept in mind, that the
avowed, and doubtless the real object Was
to secure them from destruction, which he
: believed was pending over them. In rur-
suance of his plan treaties were made with
a number of tribes. In his message Of
1880, be calls the attention of Congress to
these treaties
"In negotiating these treaties the Indians
were made 10 understand their true condition
{ and they have preferred maintaining their ind
ependence in the western forest 10 submitting
TO the laws of the States where they now reside.
3 These treaties being probably the last that Will
ever be made with them, are characterized BY
great liberality on the part of Government
Here are marks Of design, apparently a
benevolent design, to take them out from
. the State lines, and place them where
| State lines should not again surround them.
The intent of the President is plain was
, it so with Congressy In the third section
Of an act, passed the ensuing Nav, for tue