The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-06-26
II III E u MON
EASTERN JOURNAL.
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FRIDAY MORNING. JUNE %. 1857
The State and the Indians.

for revolutionary services rendered by their
ancestors from l776 to III. These Indians
have not only asked these claims to be recos-
nized, but have complained Of the treatment
their tribe has received from the State OF
Maine. The nature Of these complaints will
appear from the following extract Of an ar
ticle which has been published in the Wash
ington Union which has been mislead by
the Misrepresentation OF the delegation
The extract is this:
''The PasSlmaquoddy tribe OF Indians at
one time owned the greater part of what is
now the State Of Maine. They have always
been friendly to the whites, and assisted US
during the war " the revolution, taking an
active pa. - a.. va against the English.
While that country was under the control
of Massachusetts,, they were circumscribed
in their limits, time after time, until they
were finally reduced to n township OF land
eight miles square. They applied 70 the
governor Of Massachusetts, for title to that
land, and for protection in the possession Of
il, which was refused. Afterwards the
State Of Maine took the land from them,
and they were driven about from one Island
to another in the Bay Of PaSsamaquoddy,
displaced whenever the whites could make
il their interest to drive them oil, until final.
ly they were compelled TO take up their res
idenee on n point Of land in the bay, where
they gave them deed TO ten acres, and ut
last about ninety acres more but there 10
no timber on il at all, nor Is there sufficient
land to cultivate for the use of their whole
tribe, numbering now about fire hundred
souls. They have applied to the governor
of Maine time and again for relief, and have
always been refused. Last winter they sui
fered very much from want of fuel and food,
and the governor refused to DO anything FOR
them. and referred them TO the President Of
the United States. They have never been in
communication with the United States,
having no treaty. and the President can do
nothing without the action Of Congress.
W bile the legislature of Massachusetts, are
appropriating tens Of thousands for the re
lief of bleeding, shrieking Kansas nothing
can be done for the plundered and prosecuted
Indian. If the PaSamaquOddy Indians
were few shades darker, and their shins
and hair less straight, there would DO no
occasion for their present visit to Washing
ton. Lacking the true African flavor, they
fail to excite the tender senslbilities Of the
black.republican rulers Of Maine and Massa-
chusetts."
AS we remarked last week, abiding to this
article, i: is, perhaps, not strange that the
Washington Union should have listened to
these complaints, and supposing them to be
well founded, should have turned them to
account in manufacturing a little capital
against the "black republicans" Of our
State. Had the matter been confined to the
Washington Union, there would have been
little necessity for correcting the errors of
the article. But the Eastern Argus, acting
upon the suggestion Of tie Union, either
culpahy ignorant Of what has been done by
the State for these Indians, or willing to
mislead for poor party purposes, copies the
article Of the Union, infercntially endorses
the correctness Of its accusations against the
State, and in the pulling strain which in
difference to all inhumanity and wrong us
ually prompts, talks about the necessity OF
more expansive benCyolenec, such as shall
include the Indian as we'll as the negro-the
evil Of confirming the sympathies to one OBJ
Jet, and winding of with the following:
ave respectfully suggest to the noisy
freedom and humanity men. and particular
ly to the great Republican State Convention,
soon to assemble ut Bangor, that here is a
subject worthy of their best sympathies,
right within the borders OF our State and
over which they can deelaim with some sense,
II not with good effect. IL there is nothing
in the peculiar fragrance of the negro to
make his case more attractive, and if that
distance which lends enchantment 10 the
view" in other matters does not 80 take cap
tive their beneyolence rs TO blind il to things
at home, and clearly within successful ac-
ton, we hope they will at least utter one
shrek for the poor Indiana proud spirited
nobleman, though savage, and one whose
neck the white man never has been able to
load with the yoke Of slavery. Why spend
your breath over the poor negro, whose fate
YOU cannot control, and turn the cold Shout
der upon the poor, wronged Indian, who
asks aims at your door?
Poor, wrctchedly poor in knowledge, and
in a proper State pride, must DO the author Of
such poor partilan stuff. What are the facts
respecting the treatment of the State towards
the Indians within her borders, and under
her guardianship In no particular are the
allegations of the Washington Union true !;
but on thecontrary, the records Of the State,
its statutes and resolves show conclusiyely
that towards the red men libcrallty of pol
icy and u munifcence OF donation have been
pursued, which are in honorable contrast
with the treatment Of tho United Scates'
government towards the Indian tribes. They
have not been obliged to leave the hunting
grounds Of their fathers not an acre Of the
lands secured to them by treaty has been
taken or sold without their consent; and
although they may have been sometimes
cheated out Of the muni6ccnce of the state
by the rascality Of political agents of thc Ar
gus stripe, the State has been more indulgent
towards them, than il has been even with
its citizens. Looking at them a, the remnant
of an unfortunate race, it has sought to teach
them the arts Of civilization, and has pro-
yidcd even more literally than it vas obliged
by its trNtics, for their wants.
The PaSSamaquoddy Indians have received
in full measure tho benefits OF this liberal
policy. They were not, as the Washington
Union supposcs, n powerful tribe owning
the greater part Of Maine, on the contrary,
a small tribe located on the hanks OF Sehoodi-
&C Lake, the St. Croix river and Passama.
QdOddy Bay. Their hunting grounds did
hot comprise quarter Of the State. In
l-Q5 Mass,chnsatts noIa tn, tv with ,hc,,