The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-01-13
New MISREPRESENTATION Citizens-and an In
dian Slave State.

dian Slave State.
There is q notable scheme afOot for the man.
ufacture OF three new slaveholding Territories
and future States, in the region set apart for
and occupied by the Creeks, Cherokees, Choc-
taws, and other semi-civilized Indians, west of
Arkansas and south of Kansas It is we'll
known that bill was introduced in Congress.
at the last session, by Senator Johnson of Ar
kansas, for the establishment of such Territory
and that it will come up for early action at the
present session, having been assigned in fact,
for the 18th of December.
The region above described is, according to
Mr.. Johnson's bill, to be organized at once into
three Territories, to be governed by the Indi-
| ans as at present.
One Of it's sections provides that no white
men or Indians, other than present residents
shall be allowed to settle or trespass ON any Of
said lands, aOtfh0ut the consent Of the Legisla:
| tatre OF the proper Territory, and in pursuance
of laws enacted by it. Another provision is.
that all the free citizens of the tribes named.
being of Indian Indian and ,chite blood.
shall become and be citizens of the United
States. Another section interleres with the
doctrine of squatter sovereignty--it prohibits
polygamy. The 48th section enacts that wht n
ever the people of the said three Territories
shall consent, they shall be entitled to lie erect
ed into Territory, to be called the Territory
of WeOsh0; and whenever Congress shall be
satisfied as to their capacity for self-govern-
medt, and whenever they open their country to
emigration and settlement, they may he erect
ed into the State of Neosha.
The whole bill is cunningly devised plan to
open these territories to Immigration from
slaveholding regions, and close them, so long
as 1t Is thought necessary. against immigrants
from the North or kom Europe. The Indians,
now occupying this "Indan Territory. so
called, are we'll known to have introduced the
system of Negro slavery among them, and to
be under the influence of Southern men-an
influence which was sufficiently manifested in
the action of the ChOctaw Legislature in ex-
Guiding so-called " abolitionists'' from their
schools, as noticed in the proceedings of the
recent meeting of the American Board of Fo-
reign Missions at Hartford and upon which it
was determined to withdraw all missionaries
from the schools there established, unless they
could be permitted to preach the whole Gospel
The bill for the establishment of three new
Territories among these Indians, is speciously
brought forward as measure of Justice" to
the tribes thus located-that they may be en-
dowed more fully with the privileges of self-go-
vernment, and prospectively admitted as an
Independent portion of the American Union
10 accomplish the purpose of the southern mo-
vers in the scheme, it gives the Indians power
to exclude, for certain period, all immigrants
except such as they may see fit to receiue which
OF course, as they are under southern influence
will operate to cOlonize the Territory with
Shareholders, and to exclude freeman from the
North. 1t further provides, in substance, that
when the Indians are ready for the organiza-
ton of a Territorial government, the President
shall issue his proclamation establishing such
government, without further action by Con-
gress. Thus, if the bill passed at the present
session. as calculated upon--a new slavehold-
ing Territory, may be organized by stroke OF
the Presidents pen, without any power to pre-
vent it on the part of the next or any future
Congress. We're the question on the passage oil
this bill, to be decided by the 34th Congress,
just elected, it would be undoubtedly thrown
Out-hence the asserted determination of the
shareholders to secure its passage by the 33d
Congress now on its last session. Having i'm
mOrtalized itself by the repeal of the Missouri
Compromise, the present Congress will scarce
ly hesitate to accede to this new demand of the
slave power. If the Territory of Neosho is
thus established under the patronage and con-
troll of slaveholders there is no remedy, except
to deny it admission as State, so long as sla-
very exists and is legalizsd therein. A major
ity offreemen in the House of Representatives
will always possess that Bangor (.Ne)
Wing.
Gum MEsoUITE.-A valuable discovery, says a
Southern paper, has recently been made in
Texas of the medicinal and adhesive qualities
of the Gum Mesquite. A surgeon of the army
has written letter descriptive of the article
which has been very generally published in the
papers. 1t is said to possess most of the pro-
perties of Gum Arabic. Major Heintzelman
who has lately returned from the Colorado re-
gion of California, furnishes the following in.
| tnrnctin m ipfOrmo in 10
and it's product -" The Mesquite Tree grows
on the Colorado river in California, in New
Mexico and in Sonora, as we'll as in many 9TH
er parts of Mexico. There are two varieties,
the screw bean and the pod bean, found on the
Colorado. The similarity of its gum to Gum
Arabic, was noted there, and it was used medi-
cally in the Hospital at Fort Yuma. The tree,
however possesses other more valuable quail
ties. 1t is species of acacia. The two kinds
differ somewhat in appearance the trunk and
branches of the screw bean being straighter
and not spreading so wide as the pod. The
bean or pod of this resembles the thread of a
screw, hardly so large as the barrel of an Or
binary goose-quill, and three or four of them
rising from one STEM The other is an ordinary
pod. Both are excellent food for cattle, and
the principal food of the Indians The pod
bean begins to ripen the early part of June :;
the screw little later. The Indians eat it be-
lore it ripens, when it is still astringent, and
move their lodges into its groves for the wo-
men to collect the beans and prepare them for
winter 1t is feast time for them. A kind of
! conical basket is made of arrow wood and
plcced in the ground in this the women pound
the pods with wooden pestle. The flour is
afterwards dried and placed in earthen vessels
for future use, and eaten as bread. When the
pods are first prepared, the Indians mix the
-four with water to the desired consistence AS
many as can get around the vessel seat them
selves on the ground, and scoop it's contents up
with the fingers placed together in the form of
a spoon. The juice has saccharine TASTE not
unpleasant, and is highly relished by the saw
ages. The screw bean has been boiled down
into syrup by the whites, and makes a
tolerable substitute for molasses. A failure of
the Mesquite crop would occasion famine
among the Indians of the Colorado. The Mes
quite has yellow blossom, with fragrance SIM
liar to that ofthe jessamine. A grove of young
Mosquitoes, at a distance resembles peach or
chard. The trees on the Colorado are small,
with short trunk and crooked branches. The
wood is hard, susceptible of high polish, and
Il l. r. II. 4 r. ~