, 1857-04-03

the st. Louis RerHbliodR
Il learn that the President las determined on a
new Indian policy for the government. Heretofore
the policy has been removal. 50 soon any qacs-
ton should arise between the white man and his red
brotber. Involving any serious difficulty instead OF
meeting indiy The questions and settling them, the
previous policy Of the government has been to
the indians further into the wilderness and save o
eio responsibility Of the issues. The very necessity
Of the case now forces the government 10 change its
policy-for there Is no longer any West 70 which 70
remove the poor Indian. The white population Of
California, Oregon and Washington will soon demand
that this cncumhranoe be started on the opposite
track. and that the nd mans path shall be eastward.
In this crisis President Pierce has determined to
adopt the opposite Of the Old policy aad continue the
Indians their their boun
daFies instead Of enlarRing them. This will force
them TO turn their attention % agricultural and me
chanioal pursuits and tend 10 their rapid civilization
They will be surrounded on all sides by the music
of the plowmans merry whistle and the busy cnk Of
the mechanics hammer and these influences must
Affect In greater less degree their wild and savage
nature. On lake Superior several tribes who have
been thus surrounded have become excellent citizens
Que q the Saginaw tribe Is now largely engaged in
ship budding and has large capital invested IN the
basiness. Otlers Of the tIibe are engaged in the
various mechanical trades and doing well under
the foroe Of preefely the same policy which the gov
ernment has determined 10 adopt toward ALL
The above observations in regard to the
Indian policy Of the government, apply
with great force to its Indian relations in
this Territory. The government has no
other policy to pursue, whether regard be
had to its own acts, before any treaties
were made, or to the actual condition Of
the Indians and the settlements.
Before any attempts were made to ex-
tinguish the Indian title to lands in this
Territory, by treaty with them, the lands
west Of the Cascades, in large bodies, had
been settIed-a Territorial government had
been established-all the domain had been
treated as public lands, which had in part
been surveyed, and by an act Of Congress,
had been actually given to settlers, on
theirful6lment Of certain conditions. Thus
the government, by its own acts, had taken
possession, for the benefit Of its citizens, Of
the lands claimed by the Indians and the
citizens, in good faith, come from all Sec
tons Of tho Union, at the invitation Of the
government 10 reclaim its most distant
possession from barbarism, and Ct it for
tho abode Of civilized man.
Under these circumstances, the relations
between the two races were established
which were, for most part. those of neigh
bOFs and friends. They lived in close prox-
imlty--each rendering Offices Of friendship
to the other. The white man furnished
employment to the Indian-hired his canoes
bought bis horses, bis isb, his game, his
furs-and the Indian, in return, bought Of
the white man clothing, ate of bis food,
slept in his house, and learned something
Of his arts and mode Of life.
The effect Of all this was great i'm
provemOut in the condition Of the Indians /;
their comfort aud wealth increased they
were better clothed, better fed, wars be-
tween themselves became less frequent, and
50 contented were they. to all appearances,
with their relations with the white race,
that no one dreamed Of war or difficulty,
that our citizens amongst the Indians did
not even go armed.
In December, Is54-fve years after the
organization of Oregon Territory, and
nearly two years after the separate organi-
zatiOn Of the Territory Of fWashington--the
first treaty was made with the Indians Of
this Territory, viz: those at the head Of
Puget Sound, comprising the Nisqually,
SquG<en, the Puyallup, aud some minor
tribes and bands.
These tribes and bands lived in the coun-
ties Of Thursion, Pierce and Sawamish,
near Olympia and SteilacOOm, aud one of
the tribes had portion Of its encampmenis
on land claimed by the Puget Sound Agri-
cultural Company.
The treaty made by these Indians had
for its object, to disturb as little as posi-.
bic, the relations which had been estab-
lished BY the previous acts Of the govern
meut, in the mode it had provided for the
settlement Of the country, and by the
course taken by the settlers themselves,
who had conc here on the invitation and
under the protection of the government.
A gradual progress in their condition was
sought for, so that without sudden changes,
either in their location, habits of life, &c,
they might, in time, become civilized beings,
surrounded with all the necessaries and
comforts Of life-each family rejoicing Nm
its own separate home, and each one having
bis own prOprietOry estate like the white
man.
- II must be borne in mind that the land
claimed by these Indians was already occu-
pied By the white man, under the express
and authoritative sanction Of the govern
ment, and that under this occupancy. GER
tain usages had been established which
we're not only sufficient for tlo -.