The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-01-03

l,a.a Death ofsnlOlAs CatiAen.as sssa,. 4 +
! he last Wabashaw Journal has tine fol-
|, 'ow'ng notice of the, death of ON, Of our
o" o'dcst citizens :; os 81 sa sle srsvsT ~,
= ca at Wabashaw, on Friday, the 12th
INST, Augustine Rocqueo - .f.1,f -,
Inc SUBJECT of this notice was horn in
d,1o, and constantly had attained the ace. Of
q years. His erect form and elastic Stent
till within few days Of 9his 'deeessc lwouH
seem to have indicated a. lease Of life to him
ior the next ten years but slight casualtv
"hc', IN its aggravating tendencies, baff1ed
medical skill, has cut him Off thus suddenlv
and unexpectedly. etps'iga .Tstis gGIlC'
The writer has bad an intimate aeo,a mt.
ance With and enjoyed his ffriendship,fer the
last SIX years, and can bear testimony to his
neiShboriy Kindness and benevolence. Pass
ing his whole life on the borders Of ciyiIiza-
ton, and without the advantages Of eduta.
ton, the contact with gifted and accomplish
cd men whose public duties have from time
to time called them to the Northwest added
70 tie inherent suavity and amcnity Of man
ners SO characteristic of his his paternal an
cestry, gave him that gentlemanly bearing SO
noticeable. 1t is creditable to an honorable
ambition, that he sought to furnish that cdu-
cation to his sons Of which he so much felt
the need. and thus to better and, elevate
their condition above his own.5F .efozaanfsg
lie was present at the treaty of Prairie'
du Chen, in 1880 and influential in bring
ing about the gift Of the Half-breed Tract on
Lake Pepin-and of which he has been
known to remark, that had he foreseen the
accumulated difficulties growing out of it;
never would his voice have been raised inits
advocacy. All Of us know of his unceasing
and determined opposition to the transfer Of
right to parcels Of land by the individual
claimants OF his people to settlers--or rs he
deemed them, trespassers, on their individual
rights. But it is due to his good sense and
just estimation of what he considered euui-
table, to say that no one would have been
more ready to have disposed of the large in
tercst he held in the reservation to the new
| race, OF whom no one more than himself
clearly foresaw who would possess it. His
answer was, when appliedto to sell his land,
Wait until know what is mine, my pow
erty will then compel me to part with it,"
The Indians have lost in him a faithful and
influential counsellor, and ore from whose
hospitable door none went away an hungered.
1t is some five years since demon stration of
the Chippewas was made, over by Nelson's
Landing MIR. Rocque Immediately posted q
messenger to the Indian village below, and
never was Highland Cheftain's call answer
ed more promptly than his. The writer hap
pened to be on the opposite side Of the river
in full view, and as the Sioux warriors de-
filed from the thicket back and hastily form
ed line on the high bank just below the
residence of their friends, their we'll defined
array by its higher position than the ground
in the rear, the irregular rattle of musketrY.
| an the loud battle shout that went up in de-
| tiance, showed that love of country and hs.
tired OF its enemies is not entirely of civilized
growth. AS an instance of the broad benev-
'ence of the deceased, the past season about
green corn time, band of Sioux Indians from
the heads of Minnesota or the Plains encamp-
ed by his house. They We're poor and made
the long journey. to procure the skins of
deer, tomake moccasins for the coming winter.
The small sum of money they possessed was
given him. and which at once furnished them
food but for weeks after they lived mainly
at his expense. Such Of the scattered REM
| nants of Indians as are now in our vicinity
came in to take last parting, and returned
| with saddened hearts to their winter hunt
ing grounds.
We may look for biography of the early
life of Mr.. Rocque, by one of the early set
tiers of MINES )ta soon, and if we shall be
! thought to have written with partial view,
in the traits we have endcavorcd to portray,
we will say That as the evil men Go lives
after them," ".rheir virtues are (too) oft in
tered with their bones" At the request OF
the deceased he was buried on the point of O
bluff, in full view anil overlooking the town