The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1860-01-19

SllI th0ugn
ali times shown the most commendabe vigilance and
pomptness the facilities for escape great that
dgn punishment seldom overtakes the guilty perpetrators
We have, as the Secretary suggests, large
detachment of our army, and have had for some
time past, within the Territory of Utah. The
opinion of the Secretary seems to be- that not
withstanding the presence ofthe military force,
crimes of the heinous character pointed out in
his report still go unwhipped of justice in that
Territory, and that not merely the laws of our
country, but the laws of common humanity, are
set at defiance.
Nor, sir, is it to the Territory of Utah alone
that / would call attention, to show what de-
gree of lawlessness prevails under our own
Government. To show how we keep the faith
of treaties, how we protect those whom this
Government is bound to protect, and whom it
recognises its obligations to protect, / must be
. INDUCED in reading another passage from the
annual report Of the Secretary of the Interior,
communicated TO US by the President with his
message. On the 9th and 10th pages of the
pamphlet edition of that report, | find this:
1T gives great pain refer treatment which
the Texas Reserve Indians and their superintendent and
agents have received Several years SINCE Texas rendered
70 the Government certain tracts Of land for the occupancy
the Indians the Government accepted the lands and
ceeded gather upon many Indians could be in
duced to abandon their rowing life and settle down TO agr
cultural pursuits The reports of their progress most
favorable and the productions OF the reservations promised
at early day, to be than sucentfor their comfort
able subsistence In the midst of this prosperity graft
flying the Department and at the very hour when
believed that the reservation system would prove enent
successful most determined and unreasonable hostility Il
these Indians and their agents exhibited itself among por
the settlers who had and located in that
ton of the State The removal of the Indians was demanded
under threat of extermnaton They foed for time
the tact and good management of the late superintendent
aided by the presence OF detachment Of United States
troops With desire to prevent bloodshed, and at the
presng instance Of the authorities of the State of Texas the
Department consented TO issue order for the breaking up
uff
en growing could be harvested This concession, in
stead Of satisfying these Texans, only stimulated them to
Inedate removal the Indians When apparent
the Reserve Indians lived in daily fear of being murder
cd and that under such circumstances crop could be
raised permission given at the urgent request OF the
superintendent for the immediate removal Of the Indians
Threats then made that the Indians should not be per
tted to remove and became necessary to invoke the aid
Of the army to protect them III their exodus Their removal
one thousand four hundred and fifteen, colonized the
country leased the purpose from the ChocawS and Chick
On the return of the superintendent TO the State OF
| 4exas, he wantonly attacked and murdered.
"These Indians comparatively destitute con
ditOn, and 10 maintain them during the current year will
/ require an enlarged appropriation"
! Such is the manner in which our Govern
ment, according to the report OF our own Off
GERS, is carrying out and discharging its duties
20 the poor, dependent people within our own
! lmits-the native Indians of this country.
!, This, have no doubt, is a correct and faithful
picture of the transactions respecting those In
dams within the State of Texas during the past
year. l honor the Secretary for the manly
manner in which he has brought it to the at
tention of Congress and the country; but it
speaks lamentably as to the fidelity with which
cur Government performs its own domestic
duties.
Under these circumstances, when our own
,citizens, within our own territory, are subjected
10 the outrages which it is thus apparent they
70. 1uyha Gov
is thus derelict in the performance of its own
high duties, it seems to me that it is of all
times the worst, the most inopportune, for us
to assent to the request of the President, that
we should place under his authority and con-
tfol an army to correct and to reform the evils
which are going on within the Republic of
Mexico. l think it would be much more be-
coming if the United States, in the first place,
sAould set the example of good government at
bone; should first put ourselves right before
he Republic Of Mexico and the world, before
we set up to reform Governments that, to say
The worst of them, perform their duties at least
IS well as we perform ours. Till then, it seems
10 me that 1t is quite premature, exceedingly
, ulistimed, to attempt to correct evils abroad.
Let us first correct the evils at home.
: tThese are by no means all the evils which |
might enumerate that are patent to the eye of
every one here. | might, as | think, without
! impropriety, alude to the fact that in the pub
lle papers Of the country, prices are set upon
tire heads of men in most respectable positions ;
elarge rewards, to the amount of thousands of
dollars, are offered for the heads Of men, mem
beers of this body and members of the other
House, and for the heads of others, citizens of
he United States, who are not members of
: Congress. Amounts, which would tempt the
Itnpldity of any persons who enter into the
IS14slness of assassination, are offered for the
i.leadS of these citizens. / know it may be
: aid that all this is Joke; that all these are
mere matters of pleasantly; but, sir, posterity
md the civilized world abroad, who are not so
Eel acquainted with us, will be very apt to
SIX, What can be the GRANTEES of this people, if
+ nch are their gayeties?
|. Besides sir, according to the notions of many
+; entlemen, some even perhaps within this
f bamber, it is by no means certain that our
government will last long enough to allow the
resident to get his army within the territory
sMexico, even if Congress should place an
my at his disposal. 1t is said and not in a
aiitary instance, but it is iterated and reitera-
. ID, that an election of President of the United
I sates, by the Republican party, of a man re-
- ting their views and opinions, will be good
{ause to dissolve the Union. Very many say
saat, upon the happening of that event, they
! sill Immediately set about dissolving it, and
/ yfl dissolve it. Well, Mr.. President, that is a
Yratty serious affair; and if such an election
aould be made, and if this threat or menace
saould be carried out, there will be an end of
Y Government before the year is ended.
sUnder such circumstances, is it wise, is it
II dicious, to place an army under the control
- the President, to be used at his discretion,
Z reform the evils which are now suffered by
| t4r citizens in foreign country? Ought
! / fcre not to be a reasonable probability that
| & own Government would last long enough
sase the army, and have these evils reform
{ 1t seems to me that this is the worst OF
times for the President to make such a
e@mmendation, or for us to act favorably
| pom it, if we are on the verge of dissolution.
! do not, by any means, mean to say that |
| iieve our Government is going to be dis
| lived and the Union disrupted within year.
! : do not believe 1t; but it is stated by men of
hch high position and character and inhu-
/ nee, that l think it might be wise to wait at
cSast year, and see if that event really does
bappen. 1t is only year. Next November
| will be the time of the election do not saw
that Republican President will be elected ;
] know nothing of the future; ] am quite I'M
able to see into the future; but look on it as
among the possibilities and if it should hap
pen, and if our Government should be broken
OPP into fragments, we should exhibit very
sorry spectacle before the world in having an
army in Mexico reforming the evils of that Re-
public, and our own broken up at home. l
repeat, sir, L think we had better wait and see
whether our Government--the Union of these
States-has year of life in it, before we un-
dertake to reform the evils which no doubt now
exist in the Republic of Mexico.
These are a portion of the reasons why I
think we OUGHT not TO act on the recommenda.