Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-02-28
Speculation by Government officers in
Kansas Lands.


rior to the House resolution of inquiry in
to certain squatter settlements made on
the lands Of the Delaware Indians and
others in Kansas territory, exhibits cases
of great Injustice to those Indians, and q
completely of government officers in the
nefarious transactions. Gen. Whitfield,
Indian Agent, in letter to the Com
missioner of Indian Affairs, dated Nov.
5th, refers 10 visit of Gov. Reeder to the
| Pottowatomie nation, where he remained
week, and then adds:
"During that time he was engaged in
purchasing Kaw half-bred claims at less
than half their value, say 50 50Psr acre.
taking their deeds, and giving notes pay
able when the President confers the title;
in addition to that he has thirteen claims
made on this land, (paying SIS for each
fouudation.) His having claims located
has induced others to follow the example
OF his excellency, and at this time sup
pose every foot of this land is TAKEN
Now, sir, the first wrong is he is cheating
the Indians out of more than 81 500 on
each claim secondly, it is certainly bad
examplc for the Governor to be setting.
Instead of maintaining the President in
treaties that have long since been made,
he is the first man to give him trouble"
Gen. W. says that the private individuals
would have given ST, 500 more for each
claim than Gov. Reeder gave. He con-
cIudes by expressing the belief that the
PrcsiIcIt will refuse to confirm the cons
tracts.
In abiding to this letter Of Mr.. Whit
| field the Commissioner of Indian Affairs,
in his letter to the Secretary of the Lutte
rior, remaOks:
IL find upon inspection of the memo
rials which accompany these agreements,
| CONTRACTS, J that they are AL in what APP
pears to be the hand writing of Gov. a.
II. Reeder. of Kansas Territory; that
! Sanders w. Johnson, an associate Judge
Of Kansas is the purchaser of the three
inst named reserves and One-half Of the
other, and that Gov. Recder, Hon. Rush
E!more, another associate judge, and A..
appear among the Witnesses.
The fact that the agreements with
Judge johnson were all acknowledged on
the same day, DISH December last, }
strengthens, arising from the internal evil
dencc which they present, and from infor-
nation received, that the purchases are
the results Of a systematic plan to fore
stall competition by the purchase and
monopoly, by gentlemen whose official po-
sl;ion gives them rare opportunities, Which
few private individuals possess, TO Gull
| the best tracts.
"rhe improperly and indelicacy OF
these transactions will be sill more stri-
kinyly manifest, when it is considered
that if questions growing out of the sale
Of one or more Of These reserves should
become the subjec; Of litigation, the poor
Indian might be compelled to submit, not
to the arblirament of an impartial trIbu-
nal, but Of one whose members may TO a
certain extent be considered parties in in
tercst."
Indian 1IOstilitics in the Northwest.
The last mail brings to the delegation
in Congress from Iowa tilingS that indi-
cate IL war with the Sioux Indians. The
immediate scene OF hostilities is near the
mouth Of the Big Sioux river, in the north
west portion of the State but from a let
ter received from the Governor Of los IL,
it appears that about five hanlreu war;
riorS of the Huncton and Sioux have also
encamped near Fort Dodge. on the Dcs
Moines river in the central part of State.
The Washington Union says:
{" 1t is represented that the Sioux In~
dams are claiming that they still claim the
land lying between the Little and Big
Sioux rivers, and that they intend to oc-
cupy The same, Notwithstanding that por-
Of lNo t1tn
by the United States, and is now occupi-
ed by white settlers. 1t will be rccoIlec-
ted that the Black Hawk war originated
under IL precisely similar state of affairs,
and experience in our intercourse with the
Indian tribes Of the Northwest teaches the
Importance Of providing means for the i'm
mediate suppression of these difficulties. -
n letter dated Council Bluffs, Iowa,
January 20, says:
II fear | shall not be ablo to 20 to ST.
oux city, on account Of tho hostility Of the
Indians. Things in that direction look
| like an Indian war. The Sioux have
treatened to take possession of the coun-
Try between the Big and Little Sioux riv-
erS, and there are now over 500 Indians
g lmped on the ground. The whites are
being driven off. Two young men whom
am acquainted, Nelson and Watts, were
shot at by the Indians. They each killed
! their Indian, and made their escape from
the country. These Indians hare to be
achippcd-thcre is no other wav--aud the
9ujcher tie better. l hope military post
will be established there"
GE- imprisonment for debt still disgra-
ces the statute book of Massachusetts
~ poor, unfortunate creditor meets with
no mercy there, while the Imprisonment
Of fugitive slave instantly cxcilcs the
passions and nreiudices Of nearly all the