Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-05-01
The Chippewa Agent and HI. ma. nIo
Failure TO Appoint his Candidase'


en- our views as to the injustice OF the rreS
ideat amounting citizens from other ota'es
to offices in this. We will not be pre'eh'eu'
however. by this circumstance, from ex'enu-
ing tn Mr. Drew a hearty welcome we De-
lew him to e a good and an honest man |;
but with all due respect, we w0uid rather !"
Mnneso,ian filed the post.-Ptonesr % Ms
25M
The sentiments of the above are very
GOOD buncombe and if this was an old and
fully settled State would be good sense, al
81 but while We have still so many millions
Of acres of land to which we are inviting the
attention of the emigrating world, it will
not do to say to the general government,
I'VE have room yet for million of people !;
but YOU must not presume to appoint any Of
the coming million to national Office in our
midst :"
This kind of doctrine is Of more conse-
ouence to the few who clique together to
hold the Offices, than Of moment to the peo-
pie at large.
The great point with the community is,
the appointment Of good and competent men
to fill the offices--not whether they have
been half dozen years in country bu'
eight years old, or only came yesterday
Had Mr.. RICE, il recommending person to
fill the post of Chippewa Agent, thought fit
TO step outside of his own personal clique
and urge the appointment of man of ablli-
ty and fitness and honesty, who was not LA
BILE to the objections urged against his friend
Mr.. J. w. LYNDE, in all probability Min
nesotian of yesterday instead of Minnesota
an of to-day would have received the posi-
ton.
1t is valid objection, to appointing man
Indian Agent, that he has, up to the period OF
his appointment, been an Indian Trader in
the tribe over whom he is in future to act as
dictator governor, or moderator. His old
rivals in the trade, will hardly obtain from
an agent with such antecedents, the impair
tial treatment which the laws and policy both
demand they should receive at the hands
of the representative of the government |;
while there is great danger also that he will
have amongst the Indians themselves, his
favorites when Agent, just as he had his
favorites as trader. Towards his late
partners and associates in the trade he will
naturally lean, and be disposed to afford them
undue advantages, if no more than hint as
TO the exact time of payment to the In
dans! Or, as life is short as well the tenure
of Office uncertain, he may still preserve,
suJ rosa. his interest in the trading business,
and through favortism in the awarding OF con
tracts and in the allowance of "credits," turn
the golden stream exclusively into his own
pockets. in violation Of the laws and of pro-
priety These are some of the objections
20 the appointment Of Indian Traders as In
dian Agents and, though not paid nor like
" to be, for thus defending the course of the
administration in this one instance, we do
justify its refusing to appoint MIR. j. w.
the Chippewas, and in its appointment of Mr..
Drew, especially if he is what the Pioneer
describes him to be, "a good and honest
man." Beyond, however, the general one
above stated to Mr.. LYNDE we do not urge
any other objection to his having had the
office. He is clever man, of fine social
qualities and the worst we know of him is,
that he belongs to that exclusive Rice clique,
who scott at public virtue and never practice
public honesty; and who have made the pop
ular temple in these parts for the last eight
Or nine years, a place of money changers and
den of thieves.
We must, however, add in qualification
Of our praise of the course of the admins
tration in this instance, that it is hardly con-
sistent with its previous appointment of Jo-
sEPH r. BROWN to be Agent for the Sioux
Indians. lie was up to the period of his
designation to that office, an Indian Trader ;
and his white relatives are even now engaged
in the trade amongst that tribe. Though
intermarried amongst the tribe himself, and
acquainted with their language, he has many
old leuds ranking amongst the different
bands of the Dakotas and it is undoubted
that his long association with them rather
Injuries his influence with the savagcs than
adds to his authority over them. The old
saying, that familiarity breeds contempt, is
nowhere more strongly exemplifed than in
dealing with our Indians. The restraining
authority Of an Indian Agent depends in
part upon a certain dignity Of character and
tone which hedges him around, as the mouth
piece of the "Grcat Father at Washington
and the representative of the power of the
American people and it rather Injuries his
authority than adds to it, for him to have
been long associated with them in affairs of
traffic or engaged in petty contests between
the different branches of his Indian relatives
and connexions-and still perhaps resting
under their imputationsand heart-burnings for
alleged overreachings in that fur trade, in
which for more than twenty years JOSEPH
r. Brown largely participated.
The administration did wrong to appoint
Mr.. Brown to this office-and not even his
recent abuse of Mr.. DOUGLAS, should prevent
its speedily retracing its steps upon the prin-
cple just laid down by it in this Chippewa
Agency ppointment-even if it has to be-
stow upon him the Governorship or Secreta-
ryship of Dakota Territory, to compensate
for his removal from an Office he ought not
to gil
Dow Appointed at Last.