Washington sentinel., 1854-05-03

pensed by his own voton. When he sows the
seed. he will feel assured that he will not be mo-
Tested IN reaping the harvest. Fierce cruelty and
cold neglect will no longer be practised against
his wife and his children. His kindness will cher
lsh and his affections command them.
II sobriety and industry mark his conduct for a
period OF two years after entering upon and cuti-
vatng the homestead reserved TO him by the bill
he is elevated in the scale Of social and political
being TO the high privileges of a citizen of this
great republic; and he will doubtless make good
l citizen, meeting every obligation il imposes, whe-
| ther II be IN the camp or the cabinet. They are
intellectually capable OF high culture and civiliza
, ton. The oratory of the unettered savage has
not unfrequently delighted educated ears, and the
Indian blood has already marked lis susceptible
lies for intellectual superiority on many pages OF
| our own history.
If he should, however, cling 10 his early habits.
| and refuse to obey the divine command to till The
earth and earn his bread by the sweat of his brow,
persist in wandering over the land and lead the
life OF vagabond, the President is empowered 10
| withhold his annuity arising from the sale OF his
| land until he shall return TO his home and resume
| the pursuits of industry. This power, your COM
| mittee believe, will exercise most sautary inhu
| ence over the Indian in keeping him at home and
engaged in industry.
| But that feature in the system best adapted TO
the civilization of the Indian is the permanent sell
| tlement in their midst of a virluous and moral
/ white population. Our pioneers will seek homes
on the virgin soil Of the Indian country, carrying
with them their families thereby giving earnest OF
l
compatible with the high duties and obligations OF
citizens and Christians
white population of worth and integrity will
occupy large norton Of the ceded soil IN the
midst of the Indians, TO which they have hitherto
been strangers. Heretofore the white race has
generally been represented by vicious outlaws and
desperate adveniurers; and this association has
4 degraded and debauched the poor Indian. The
habits and appetites impaired 10 them by these adj
venturers instead of elevating, has destroyed all
the native virtues Of the savage.
II The bill will certainly the settlement
E of an industrious moral white population in the
. midst of the Indians; and their example will
, incite the Indians 10 industry the accumulation
of property, and the acquisition of intelligence.
They will learn skill in agriculture by having con-
stantly in their vicinage practical iarmers-when
TO sow, and how TO reap and garner; the uses Of
the plough, hoe and spade, the scythe and sickle.
Seeds and roots adapted TO their soil and climate,
. and suitable TO supply the wants of civilized life,
: will be introduced by their white neighbors; and
the proper modes of rearing and caring for stocks
, Of horses. cattle, and hogs, will be learned The
white man will erect school-houses and churches
, and the Indian, when he learns the superiority OF
. his white neighbor, in all the duties OF life, from
his superior intelligence and educationi will be-
come the patron of the school-house and the regu
: lar attendant of worship at the church. His ira
! dtons of the power and attributes OF the Great
Spirit will melt before the teachings OF divine re-
: velation; the Sabbath will be consecrated TO the
: service of the Great Chief, and more desc
hunters rifle.
!. This picture of their advanced and ameiorated
condition, under the operation OF the system they
1 recommend, your committee believe is not over
z drawn; and if il is true, philanthropy and humans
ty would be supremely elaled at the happy change.
! To strew the pathway of life Of hall million OF
, ! human beings with prosperity and happiness,
|. where il is now Illuminated only by the baieial
lights OF poverty ignorance, destitntlon, and
threatened extinction, is a benevolence worthy OF
the exalted intellect and the benignant heart
Your committee are not discouraged at the sig
nal failure of all former efforts TO cvize and do
mesticatc these '!chIldren of the forest" They
were founded in error; first. in paying them
money annuities, which debanched them by furn-
ishng them the means of gratifying their appe-
ttes; and, secondly through the Indian intercourse
act. casting, by lis operation, on Them a lawiess
/ class of white men.
! An earnest desire TO protect the Indian induced
Congress al an early day lin 1902 10 pass an act
! regulating trade and intercourse with the Indians.
i II prohibited all white persons from entering the
! Indian country, except such traders as might be
r licensed by the Indian agents. The agencies
! were extended vast amount of territory,
and the agents could not, If they had been so in
: cllned, always execute the law and drive off in
Ftruders. Its practical operation has been 10 Keep
e out OF the Indian country good men, and TO intro
! duce into it men whose vices and crimes expelled
! them from decent society. The lcentiousness
\ vice, disease and DEATH that have staked with
:, merciless Strides through all their wigwams
+ found, their germ in This most unfortunate and
: misjudged act. Good have respected the
. law and kept out of the Indian country; while
! bad men disregarded il, and entered upon their
: | territory. There are honorable exceptions 10 this
! rule; but the mass of white men, who have re-
, nounced the society of their peers to make their
, haunts in the Indian country, in violation of all
: law, have been drawn from the very dregs of So
, ciety. These men responsible for most of the
murders and robberies and wars which the In
, dians have made. These men have learned the
poor savages all the riees OF our race and none OF
IT'S rirtueS.
Il If the system your committee recommend
should be adopted, class of white men will go
:, into the Indian country for whose virtue we need
7 not be ashamed, and for whose morality need
, not blush. They will elevate the aspirations of
the Indian and that this diffusion may be general,
and every vestige Of their tribal associations and
proclivities obliieraied it is provided that not
more than six families shall make contermnous To-
; | cations. This will insure white neghbor near
i every Indian settlement
l. There is one feature in the bill to which the at
4 tention Of the House is specially invited II pro-
of posed 10 the cmgrated tribes for The
cession Of their lands, by allowing them the en-
tire net proceeds of the sale. when disposed of by
the government. This compensation is more
e liberal than we have usually made, though il is
Of not without precedent, in the case Of the
S, Chickasaws and Black River Chippewas; but
lie there are considerations not 10 be overlooked de-
]! mandng generous and liberal policy towards
al the emigrated tribe, some of whom have al
ready, al our solicitation and for very inadequate
2 compensation. removed more than once. The
2, lands they now occupy are guaranteed 10 them
of in the most solemn and imposing form. If we
,r ask them to modify the contract they should be
approached with none other than Just and liber-
e al offer The great interests of this republic re-
g quire modification of the terms on which they
2 hold their lands The safe and comfortable eln-
: grafton of our citizens 10 and from the Pacific
n coast would be greatly promoted, if the Indian
y country was opened and settlements made along
0 the various routes AT least one hundred thou
sand persons, annually, will hereafter traverse the
a routes and much suffering of man and beast
e would be averted, if settlements made at
) convenient intervals, and such crops raised as
were needed 10 supply these caravans The
? 4 prospect of one railroads 10 the Pacific
) renders il necessary that the title shall be extn
guished, that the right ofway may be given 10 snch
companies upon the contracts for their con
struction; and while the work is progressing and
when completed, the laws ofthe United States must
be extended over the whole line. Crimes must be
: punished. which can now only be done when COM
4 mitted in the Indian country, by removing the