Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-09-25
For the Times.
FAIR PLAY TO THE INDIANS-No. ,.

Times
FAIR PLAY TO THE INDIANS-No. >.
A government of laws, affording protection
of person. and property, similar to that enjoyed
by the people of the United States, is another
of the valuable considerations promised the Da-
kotas, by the treaties Of 1851 and not yet CIV
en- them. Now it is impossible for citizens of
the L. S. who have always enjoyed the full
benefit OF this protection, duly to estimate the
amount of suferings caused by this omission.
First, because the superior education, religious,
moral and intellectual, makes them less disposed
to injure each other, than almost any other
people. Second, and chiefly because this edu-
cation is such, that they are able to institute an
efficient government, for their own protection,
whenever such is needed. Because we make
our laws, and choose the officers to enforce
them, and think it our privilege to do so; we
are apt to think it is well to leave the Indians
to do SO too. But TO any one we'll acquainted
with the Indians of this Territory, it is mani
fest, that they are less capable of instituting,
and carrying on a government which would
give them as much security of person and prop
erty, as the [. S. government might give to
most Of them, and has promised the Dakotas
than these Dakotas are of making good broad
cloths, callcoes, axes, guns, and gunpowder.
Now the protection promised these Dakotas, is
not less necessary to their living comfortable,
than the Blankets, axes, and guns are. If any
man doubts it, let him consider what would be
the condition of the good people of St. Paul. if
they were, for only few years, to be deprived
entirely of all courts, judges, magistrates and
officers of every kind, and the vicious and in
solent left to prey on the moral and Industrious,
without restraint except that which arises from
public sentiment or the fear private revenge
Let him also think, how much more power
full in restraing from vice public sentiment must
be in a community like the people of St. Paul,
than among ignorant and degraded savages
feel particularly DESTROYS of calling the at
tention of your readers to this subject, because
it is one in which all the inhabitants of the
Territory, whites we'll as Indians, are inter-
ested. The peace of the Territory is more en-
dangered from the fact that the Indians residing
in it, are left without any protection of law, than
from any other cause whatever. If the vicious
among them were punished, when they injure
the person or property of their own people,
they would seldom if ever modest white men.
But if they are permitted to trespass with i'm
punity on the former, we have little reason to
hope they will respect the latter.
Some twenty Years ago, Congress passed
law, which provided, in certain cases. for the
payment from the Indian annuties, for proper
ty stolen or destroyed by them. This law,
though somewhat defective, was useful in pre-
venting collisions between the whites and Indi-
ans, by lettering the latter from stealing, or de-
stroying property, and inducing the former to
abstain from private revenge, when injured
1t was nullified by one introduced and passed,
through the influence of the Hon. II. H. Sibley,
when Delegate in Congress, from this Terrific
ry, which ordains GfI remember correctly
that no Indian agent shall keep back any In
dian annuity, under any pretencc whatever.
This is said to put it out of the power of any |
Indian agent, however we'll disposed, to make
compensation for injuries done by Indians, out
OF their annuites farther than the culprits con-
sent to his doing So This is bad state of |
things, tending to hostilities, and as it was
brought about by the influence of the Del
egate of this Territory, it is fit that the people
of this Territory, by petition, and the Delegate
whom we may send this winter, should seek to
have the former law restored, or a better one
enacted in its place.
And would it not be as well for ako, by petition
or memorial, to urge on Congress, the neces-
sity Of speedily enacting such laws as are nee
essary to afford such protection TO all the Indi-
ans of the Territory, as has been promised the
Sioux. Without better government than the
Indians of this Territory have, it is impossible |
that they should make much advances in cvil-
cation. If the Congress of the U. s. fail to
give them the promised protection, it becomes
the people Of the Territory to consider, how far
the Indians residing lit, be made subject to and |
partalc of the benefits of our Territorial laws.
Is there any valid reason why the natives of
our Territory should have less benefit from our
laws than the natives of Europes
THOS. S. WILLIAMSON.
Pajutazee, Aug. Is.
For the Daily Times.