, 1858-10-08
IndIah AnaIrs-Treatics &c.

ant Il reiefredtO IN The nuhulhlmrnt Of the treaty
suatons entered into by IL agents during the years
ls5t-S. with the various Indian tribes Of this and
Oregon Territory, for The exngishment Of their title
% the lands therein. Until within few months past
that The military well as the civil power Of the gov
ernmeat has played most reprehensile part in the
management Of ts Indian policy this portion Of the
Pacific d fact, which, TO minds Of common intelf
gshee, famar With past transactions in the premi-
- no argument is necessary 10 render more appa-
rent From August, lsl6-the date Of our treaty
with Gfuat Dtilain. c0nccming our northwestern
bgauday-uutil August lsts, the date Of the Oregon
Organic Aci. this country, to speak, was without
laws; yst lBducenents were held out for American
seftlensnt here and small colony had already col.
locied togeiher ASSUMED The occupation Of the soil
begnn 70 flourish and collect the comforts OF Life
around them. And, although the Oregon Organic
Act provided that nothing therein contained should
''be construed 70 impair the rights Of person OF
property then pertaining TO the Indians In said terri
tory, long such rishfs skouid remain unertin-
gsAsa ty bealg beir.sa tGs United States and such
InaizasH &c.. yetin September, ls5O-two years af.
teruards -b8rs any treaties were made with The 10.
dams n this drectioa any initiaoy steps thereto
adopted Congress assumed exclusive Jurisdiction and
eontOl over The public lands in the enactment Of the
Donation laW-inviting TO home EpOa IadiaA lands,
that heavy immigration and settlement which follow.
ed Tor two or three subsequent years No one, we
presume viii undertake 10 say that it was the inten.
ton q government 70 invite its citizens to these far
oG poasesons to The end that they might on their ar
rival, be welcomed with bloody hands and in
troineod 10 "inhospiiable graves,r BY the at least
neeagi possessora Of The soi which has been too ire
qnently The case-hasing len melancholy record Of
past events; yet intelligent person, Of enlarged
and liberal views, will mantain that government has
done IL dny 10 the premisesin falling 10 exiineuish
The Indian Tile ia advance Of settlement or at least as
an aceompanyment Of the Donation Act The way
fora peaceful immigration and settlement should have
been prepared, and the military al N Of the govern.
ent should have been ready to enforce the rights Of
TIE Immigrant IA the quiet possession Of the soil
guaranteed BY the civil powerip treaty contract with
TIE Indians Yet such has n1t been the case. Al
though tbe country has been gradually filling up with
settlers snce 1896 treaties were ever formed with
the lpdians north Of the Columbia river ubtH the
winter Of ls5l5and Of those then catered into. bat
one-that Of Medicine Creek have as vet been
coagrped BY the United States Senate why this Is
g, We are At loss to conjecture It Is an enigma 10
o. more dlsult Of solution than any other sin Of
omission Or commission Of government, since the com,
muneement % lia administration Of ahirs upon this
portion of he coast. and fbe charge Of Dad 6aah
asainai ila authoiss IN The prlmsea cannot be sue
oeafaly rsbuited.
Tins. for period Of twelve years, the Pacific DOS
sessions IN this direction south Of the zoe Of latitude
have been pointed 10 ns Amercan---as . Desirable
home foE oug hardy, enterprising and adventurous
pepna- For ten years territorial government has
been extended over those possessions. and eight years
aso Congress had directed pnblic surveys to be- made
over them, and passed an act making liberal dona-
tons cf land % actual settlers. Thus the country,
under he sancton Of government was settled before
any steps were taken 70 exiinguish The Indian title
and il has nov been four years since the various
trihns on Puget Sound have been treated with-par.
tnlt four diereht trcaies-but one Of which before
ailaaed %, has been confirmed Practically there has
been 20 Indnn intercourse Law IN either terriiory
Tie Indian has not bis landi Is In the hands Of the
whlie man, under The authoritative sanction Of his
governments and the same government refuses to
nillg The treaties Of compensation made BY lis com
n.donta under It's positive instructions, 70 remedy
ths injustice Of apprOprithg originally. by the Dona
tin Act The lands q The Indians without their con
sshi.n ei .a 't
IN slss or te fact that war has almost Invariably
followed The Formation Of treaties with the Indians Il
maynnt have been considered Is OF primary import
ance whether treaies concluded prior TO- simn-
taneqns with, OF aiier a permanent settlement had
been made 70 q considerable extent The history Of
tie pasi vas conclusive that war sooner or later
would b neyable and perhaps II was wiss to defer
All cause Tor hostile outbreak as long as possible.
The cold shoulder given by government to these terri
tories IN the prosecution Of e Indian war Of ls556
bwei understood to have been caused BY the mlsrep
Ieseniaiions of the thsH commandant Of the Pacific
Military Department, and his misguided adheren,s.
and \ therefore pardonabe; bat why is that treaties
entssd into ihree aud four years ago in good faith r
the agents Of government have not been confirmed Is
matter that we cannot comprehend particularly as
he treaty Of Medicine Greek" which has been con
Armed, fAir transcript Of all that had been entered
into BY Gov. srEvKNs.
Ita true, that the Indian war 70 which We have re
felred, and The many misrepresentation made con,
eerning H. and the treaties that bad been formed i'm
mediately preceding the outbreak, (nade too. by
promineut and Influential officers Of the army1 NAV
have had the eect Of inducing government TO defer
action in their ratasaoa until fully satisfied Of their
merits and Informed Of The circumstances under which
thsy were concluded. De That as il may there can
certainly now be no further apology for delay, either
IN atlyng the treaties or repudating them. and can
sing others 10 be made n the recent brilliant achieve
ments Of the regular military forces east O the Cas-
eades, the hostile Indians there, be followed up
aPermanent peace win be established And those
saFages win be glad to quarter themselves Sa the res
erVafions long since CONCLUDED upon, and submit to
the terms Of agreement then entered into Thus far
during the present war; the Indlans on Puget Sound
have remained perfectly quiet and friendy-eyineing
no disposition whatever to join the hOses east Of the
Cascade mountains; and IL the treaties entered into
with them are not ratified by the Senate, at the ap
proaehing session Of Congress, they can have abund
ant cause for charging want Of faith upon our gov
ernnsui. and vel despair Of ever receiving from it
compensation for the lands which they have ceded
toh
II has been asserted that the Indians are disatjs
fed With The treaties which they entered into; that
they regEut having bargAined away their lands, and
were ignonnt Of the extent and nature Of the sur
render they had made that they would not submit To