The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-03-28
Wholesale Thieving.

shows very conclusively that the Bureau
in the Interior Department, to which thi.
subject is specially committed. is one fes
teripg mass of fraud and corruption. He
says:
The United States Government has ex.
pended on the Indians Of this country a.
bout 5000, ,o00, 900 during the last thirty
years. The business Of the Indian Bu-
reau is greater than many OF the govern
ments of Europe 1t requires high exec
utive talent to manage it with any degree
of success. Its affairs are intricate and
multifarious. There are perhaps hun.
dred treaties with the various Indian
tribes covering nearly one half the terri
tory Of this Government, extending from
Canada on the north to the Gulf of Mex
leo on the south, and from Missouri on
the east to the Pacific on the west.
This Bureau now disburses from five
and half millions of dollars up to six
and half millions annually for the
benefit of the various Indian tribes
Congress supposes, the President suppo-
ses, and the people suppose, that this
money goes to benefit. instruct, and civ
ilize the Indians; and what is their sur.
prise and disappointment to learn from
emigrants who now come in contact with
them that they are wild, sullen, indo-
lent, drunken, worthless set OF beings,
whom every emigrant considers it vir-
tue to kill, and every speoulator legiti-
mate object of plunder. Is this result q
necessity Of the Indian nature which no
treatment could have obviated, OF is it
brought about by causes acting legiti-
mately on them through our Government!
| hold to the latter. For sever al years
past have come 10 contact with many of
the Western trites, and incidentally been
knowing to the conduct of the Govern
ment agents The Indians bold these a.
gents aud the Government supposed to
be represented BY them. in the most su-
preme contempt; not for their want OF
power. but for their lying, cheating, de-
ceit, and general faithlessness.
A large proportion of this immense
fund is OF but little service to the Indians,
for the reason that under the present sys-
tenn of paying annuities and providing
for treaty .tipulations, the dishonest "a
gents, and Government officers, claim ants
aud claim agents generally, pocket the
money, instead Of paying it over to the
Indians, or using for their benefit. Thou
sands of men have become rich, and thou
sands more expect to, by these frauds.
will relate few which haze come within
my knowledge.
The writer then goes on to narra!e bow
'G. W. Ewing succeeded in obtaining S39,
000-Rchard Thompson $50, 600
ing & Thompson S35 00O--and H. NJ.
Rice, $4,000, for pretended services in
disbursing moneys to the Indians. Most
of these claims were allowed through the
corrupt completely of Charles E. Mix, the
chief clerk OF the Department. On the
10th inst, news reached Washington from
Nebraska Territory that the agent there,
one w. D. DeDnison, formerly clerk uu-
der Mix, had run away with all the lndi-
an fund. said to be from S25 600 to $780,.
900, leaving the Indians entirely desti-
tue He then adds
Another source of fraud, and one Of
the worst features of the case. is the COZ
tracts for Furnishing goods to the Indians.
The dry goods purch ased annually y amount
to from $3.50. 900 to $500, 900. One firm
10 New York has had this contract for
thirty years or more. and such are the e.
wills connected with the letting of these
contracts that no merchant pretends to
bid against them. Mr. Mix acts for them
aud always has managed with but two
exceptions, to give this 6rm the cnntract
The old firm, Cronin, Hurxtbal & Sears
formerly Grant & Co, have made i'm
mense fortunes out of those contracts
All Indian Traders, Agents, &c. lay up
large fortunes-soue of them said to a.
mount to millions.
Mr.. Mix owns an elegant city residence,
paid for; farm 10 Virginia well stocked
with horses, cattle, and slaves; has elegan,
carriages and carriage servants; has a
family of fourteen children, lives like q
nabob, and all on a salary of So 600 per
annum. Mix has been in the Department nj
about thirty years, aud entered poor from
Connecticut. A short time ago be declar-
ed in hearing of the clerks, who wrote
down the remark at the time and repeat
ed it, that he would rather see this Gov
ernment dissolved and the Union broken
up than to be prevented from travelling in
the Free States with his slaves. Swarms
of these old agents, and claimants, and
contractors, and traders are lowering a.
round the Department, striving to keep
up its old character, as one of the officials
expressed it. of "a miserable, tbieying
concern from end to end.''
A Congressional Investigating Com
mittee to overhaul this department would
disclose sufficient reasons for tho present
condition of the Indians. AS this COM
uunicaiiop is already too long. will not
write more. But enough has been dis.
closed to show that tits in perfect harmo.
ny with every department OF the late ad-
istration-faithle selfish. bankrupt;
and the only hope of the Indians is in
thorough reform alton of this Bureau by
II a Ia nh n ln