Kansas weekly herald., 1855-04-27

horn, or leaden balls-in a pouch?
Goo. Reede1. TO .H9.. Commits
s5Osse1. ,sNe1,ssl11essssy.
To G. W. Manypenny, commissioner of Indian
Affairs:
S1R:-On the 10th Of January last, four
contracts made with S. w. JOHNSTON, for
the sale of four tracts of land in this Terri
tory, which had been granted to half-breed
Kansas Indians, were submitted to you as
the head of the Indian Bureau, for report
thereon, with memorials of the reserves,
praying that the contracts might be con-
.irmed and they allowed to make the
deeds. These contracts were, for conven-
ience sake, made in name of Judge JOHN
sroN, but it was well understood that Judge
GILMORE, Col. IsAcKs and myself were
equally interested. The grantors were
JOSEPH JAMES, LOUIS PAP1E' and wife,
,FRAHcoIs AUDREY and wife, and Moses
| BELMARp and wife.
| In your report to the President of jan
fuary 15,you recommend that these contracts
be not confrmed-you allude to them as
.'disreputable attempts of certain official
4 lAdLASeAOIoAACS W OPCt0iClC Al t1CoC AoAIOS
you characterize them as ''having a de-
moralizing tendency upon the inhabitants
Of the Territory, both Indians and whites
you state that ''these purchases are the
result of systematic plan to forestall COM
petion in the purchase and monopoly, at
low prices, of these reserves you stigma
ttise them as marked by ssindehcacy and i'm
propriety" undertake to quote from
and endorse as s'entitled to the fullest cred
it, a letter, in which it is said that the
grantors have been s'cheated," and, at the
close of your report you say that ''they
disclose a condition of things among the
Federal officers which, if not rebuked
must soon produce state of decentralization
in the Territory, the effects of which will
be as lamentable as the acts themselves are
disgraceful.'
This report of yours you have given tc
the public IN the shape of a Congressional
document, under resolution of the House
of Representatives, calling on your depart.
ment for information, which resolution
have reason to believe was offered by youl
procurement. Under other circumstance:
the law and the logic of your report would
make beautiful and amusing theme, bu
matters of graver import exclude the discus
sion. You have thus raised an issue be,
tween yourself on the one hand, and myself
and three of the Territorial officers on the
tother, which must be settled, not in a cor
ner, but in the full blaze of day and be.
fore the whole public; and it is no les:
grave a question than, whether on the one
hand we are dishonest. Lishonorable men
guilty of revolving fraud, or whether, on the
tothec, you are vile and unscrupulous sian.
fderer, who does not recognize the binding
lobligations Oftruth and justice. or the sacred.
ness of private character. Your publicly
and deliberately asserted the one side o
that issue, and now as deliberately and
publicly assert the other, and before I am
done with you, sir, / intend to do with my
assertion what you have not attempted to
tdo, and cannot do with yours establish ii
by competent proof.
"A controversy of this kind is to every
man of well regulated mind and delicacy OF
feeling, most distasteful oecupation-to
the innocent man who does not repel it with
defiant indignation, it is an imputation of
base cowardice Ito the man who gratuitous-
ly and baselessly provoke it, it is the inef-
faceable brand of injustice, brutality and
falsehood. That you have been in this bu-
siness only the credulous tool of other men
who have used. you to traduce me, cannot
alter the course which nay reputation and
lself-respect require me to pursue. IF Tor
their own purposes they have duped you in
to difficulty from which you cannot te
extricated, it is no concern of mine. / am
equally bound todefend my reputation a.