The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-09-19

defence.
He replies in several lengthy editorials
published by bis newspaper in this city.
We presume he has made the best defence
in his power. But his defence is comics.
sion of guilt, in which he attempts to ex.
cuse his own derilicton of duty on the plea
that others also were remiss:-t that mas
much as it was the duty of Indian agents
and the United States government to MAIN
tain subordination among the Indians, it
was not his duty to protect the white set
tiers, the citizens of Minnesota.
The following are the exact words of the
Governors defence:
The Sioux Indians are not within the juris.
diction of the State of Minnesota, nor subject
to its laws. The State authorities are eXclu.
ded from any control over them or any respon-
sibility for their conduct.
Whether the Governor believed the above
or not, he unquestionably acted upon the
assumption that he would be excluded
from any responsibility for his own COM
duct"
There are those who claim to-. know the
peculiarities of the Governors character,
bis unfe cling selfshness, and indirect, clan
destine method of working out the success
of bis only friend, ALEXANDER RAMSEY,
who believed that he would have no objec.
tion 10 the occurrence of any event, even
an Indian war, that would increase bis
patronage, and thereby improve his chan>
ces for securing an election at this extra
session of the Legislature, ex-senator of the
United States.
His responsibility for neglecting to pro-
tect the settlers, and his refusal to do so,
will be shown hereafter, by facts and docu,
ments from which there will be no appeal,
and thus finally and forever dispose of the
question of bis responsibility for not pre-
venting this terrible Indian war.
In our former article we also incidentally
alluded to the Governors responsibility for
the original cause, which, running through
a chain of resulting effects, has at last ter
minated in the "Sioux outbreak" Against
this prevailing idea among the people of
the Minnesota Valley, the Governor does
not venture direct denial, but, like guilty
man, like criminal in the box, he, to save
himself, turns States evidence, charging his
own offences upon others.
He says: " 1t was the duty of the Super
inteudent of Indian Affairs, and of the In
dian Agents, to protect the Indians from
the rapacity of an INSCRIPTIONS gang OF
traders-to exclude from their reservations
all demoralizing agencies-to inquire into
and redress all their past grievances. :"
"Have they done so?" inquiries his Ex.
cellency.
IF they had," says the Governor in reply
to his own question, " this outbreak never
could have occurred" " 1t was" he SAYS,
"by loose, corrupt and wicked adminis-
tration of their official duties that they have
sown and fostered the cause of this out.
break"
In justice to the Governor, we thus give
his testimony in relation to the cause of this
war. A decent regard for the truth of hiss
tory compels us to remind his Excellency
that be himself-that he, ALEXANDER RAM
sEY-when Superintendent of Indian Affairs
for the Territory of Minnesota, from le49
to 1853, inaugurated the Indian policy of
this State; and that his successors have not
been able, however willing they might have
been, to redress the past grievances " OF
the Sioux Indians, of which be was the au.
thor, and which have eliminated in this
I" outbreak"
In 1857, the Indian department of the
general government sent special agent,
Major tKINTzING PR1TcHETTE, among the
Sioux Indians, to inquire into the causes of
the then prevailing dissatisfaction existing
among them. In Major PR1rcHETrE's re>
port, be says:
The complaints which run through all their
CO uncils point to the imperfect performance,
or nOn.fulfllment, of treaty stipulations.
Whether these are we'll or ill.founded, it is not
my province to discuss. That such q belief
prevails among them, impairing their conf
dence and good faith in the government, can
not be questioned.
We quote the above from the Indian
Office Report for 1857.
In the same volume, are reports of talks
with the chiefs of the Sisiton and Wappe.
ton Bands, at Yellow Medicine, furnished
by Major PR1cHErTE, which reveal the
great cause of complaint among the Sioux,
to which we call the particular attention of
Governor RAMSEY. Jagmani said in Coun>
Gil:
The Indians sold their lands at Traverse des
Sioux. say what we were told. For ffiv
years they were to be paid fifty thousand dol.
lars per annum. We were also promised three
hundred thousand dollars that we have not
seen.
Mahipya- WScasta (Cloudman), second
chief of Jagmani's band, said