Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-12-17

IL
.Ine when their only protection was the goo,
faith OF the Indian. eS''
our nfst dealing with them as q goyernmen
mas Dssed upon falHehood. We purchase,
tneir land as OF an independent nation for0et
ti1g tney were heather wards. In ali of IN
relations we have persistently carried ont tn,
iuea tnat they were q sovereign people. If i
10 true, that nation cannot exist within A ma
tioD, that these heathens were to send mo a m
nassador5 to US and we none to them, that the,
mad no power to compel us to observe A treaty
ana that we did not look to them for Inherei,
power to observe 1t for themselves, then on
nrst step was fatal mistake. They did no
possess one single element of soyerienty, ant
nau lhey possessed it, We could not, 10 justic,
70 ourselves, have permitted them to exercis,
m nm the dnties which are necessary to nations
The second and more fatal error was a nstura
inference from the first. Because wo had trest
60 WIN them as an Independent nation, we left
.nem without government. Their rude patri
Hrcni government was always weakened, anG
%t 1,teh destroyed, by the new treaty relations
sooner or later became the plant tools of trai
tors and agents--powerful for mischief bnl
poWeriess iorgood. Nothing was given 10 snn
ply the place Of this defective tribal govern.
ment' The only being in America who has no
law to punish the guilty or to protect the inno
cent 10 the treaty Indian. Thofts, murders
violence 70 women, where death has followed
nave Deen committed by white and red men
ahu tie law did not hold in check the evil paa.
slohs Oh pad men Tho only law administered
0y ty ourselves Wae to pay premium for crime
Inc penalty OF theft Was deducted from the an.
nnisy OF the tribe, leaving the thief TO profl,
by his ill-gotten gains. F-''
inese evils have been increased by everv
eval Mnnenoe' and even fostersd by the care.
ieGs unconcern OF tho Government. We have
taRen no ateps to restrain savage warfare
among the tribes at variance. They have
murdered each other In our streets: fouebt he.
SIDE our villages; even shaken their pory soalns
In our faces, and we did not know that We were
nursing passions sure to break out In yiolancp
ana piood. There was no mark of condernna.
tloh upon their pagan customs, for even hipb
| omclals have paid them to hold heather dance
70 amuse crowd The Government, ipstead
OF compelling these men to live by honest
iaDor' mas fostered idleness and enoonraoed
savage NE by payments of money, by purchases
OF oeads' trinkets, ,soalping-knives,s and really
gwen the weight of official Influence on tbe
sloe OF savage life. The sale OF the fire
MaIer mas been the most unblushlng, when we
knew tnat II 1t made drunkards Of white men,
1t made red men devils
Inc system Of trade was ruinous to honest
raaers and pernicous to the Indian. It pre.
Ve9sed ali efforts for personal independence
anu acquisition OF property. The debts of the
sniuess and indolent were paid out of the sale
he paHimony OF the tribe. If All Indian
torsook his wild life, built himself a house and
| IculLlVat1O kha anil IN ha1
the iaWlessneas Of wild men. The Govern
mens has promised him that his home sboult
DO secured ny patent, that he might fee
something OF manhood 10 owning IL, but M
patent has ever been Issued Every Influence
which could add TO tho degradation of thiq
napless race seemed to be the Inheritance Of
themselves and children. aSuoh a mIstakep
policy would be bad enough In the hands of the
Wieest and best of men.
was made an hundred-f0ld worse by max.
log the ottice Of an Indian Agent, one simply
oi reward tor political service. Ii has beer
sougntI not because it was one of the nobles
trusts ever committed to man, to try and re-
deem heathen people and lead them out O,
their darkness, to the light of Christian civiJi.
zauon, but because upon pittance of salary A
fortune could be realized in four years. The
voice OF the whole nation has declared that the
Indian Department was the most oorrupt In the
Government. Citizens, editors, leeislators.
heads OF Departments, and the President him.
sell, alike agVee that ii has been ehsraoterig ed
by inefhciency and fraud The nation knowing
thls has winked at tive have lacked moral
courage to stand up in the fearo God and de-
mand reiorm-Rorse than all, II was not our
money. IL was sacred trust eonfided to us by
men, where common manliness should have
piusned Tor shame at theft. There have been
noble instances OF men who have tried to do
tneir dusy, but no ono man could withhold The
TIDE OF corruption which pervaded every depsrt-
ment Of Indian affairs. :.
100 often Government employees have been
notorious Tor profanity, debauehery and dishon.
esty. sehno! and civilization funds have beer
wasted. contracts for supplies conceived In fraud
ana even gead men's names placed on the pay
rolls II hardly needed any great act of wrone
TO excite savage natures TO murderous cruelty
BUS such instances were not wanting. Fou
years ago the Sioux sold the Government abou
eight Agndred thousand acres, of land, beinl
part oil their reservation. The plea for thiI
sale vas the need OF more funds to aid them II
civilization. This treaty provided that th,
chiefs should return home, and bold An one,
council to decide what should be done with th,
money, Three Of the principal ehiefs. the one
4 most deserving of credit, alleged that the,
we're not present at such council and did no
know that IL had been held. OF ninetv-s
theusand dollars due to the Lower Sioux the
have never received a cent.
All has been absorbed In claims except eiRh
hundred and eighty dollars and fifty.eiRht cents
which, ia to their credit on the books In Wash
lngton. OF the portion belonging to the Uppe
Sioux, eighty-ei light Thousand three hundred ant
tity-one 62 ico dollars vas also taken for claims
Of the large balance due the Upper Sioux, nei
ther the agent nor the Indians knew where o,
how 1t was to be paid. For two years the In
dians have demanded to know what has become
of their money, and again and again they have
threatened revenge unless they we're satisfied
Early this last spring the traders informed lac
indiars that the next payment would only DO q
kalf OF the usual amount, because the Indian
debts had been paid at Washington. They were
In some instances refused credits on this 40
count. II caused deep and widespread discon
tent 1, The agent wsa alarmed, and az early d
May he wrote to me that this New fraud mus
bring a harvest Of sorrow, saying, "God only
knoss what will be the resnlt."
In June, at the time fixed by the psst custom
they came together for the epayment The agen
could give no satisfactory reason for the DELAY
There was none. The Indians waited at thu
agencies two months, dissatisfied, turbulent
mad, hungry; and then came the outbreak, {
tale of horrors enough TO curdle ones blood
The money reached Fort Ridgley the day afte
the outbreak. A part of the annuity had beer
taken for claims, and at the eleventh hour, al
the warrant on the Treasury shows, il wal
made up from other funds, to save an Indial
war. II was too late. Who is guilty of to,
causes which have desolated our borders9 A
whose door is the blood Of these innocent vic
tims2 i believe God will hold the nation guilty
Euan nfir NUN ,rhika rnna ,unr,ld ma he, -.