St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1865-01-12

therefore persistently used With ali tho
northern tribes in fomenting disntfection
and encouraging lostili.ies against the
szllstAntaisa,is: M:isatate pf thin IS should
I|sno lsn.er be Spc, nlitted. and | invite
||Syoursseafly and energetic co opes alton
l[in aan,a Ing 'l,rnugh o,lr delegation ia
s[a,"naress 10 tlie na.innals authorities hrr
the prompt action requisite to guard
Minnesota from the calamitics of a pro-
longcd Indian war. The British Gov
eminent should be required to station a
sufficient body of troops along the
boundary to enforce the neutrality VI
their territory, or permit.tho refugee
sayagcs to he pursued BY, our troops
wherever the! may. go and the militia
~ commander Of this district should be
instructcdto iexpel' all British traders
and hunters from thc~Indian country
within the United States, which he is
now not authorized to do. &25j:&1H
Minnesota is deeply interested in the
policy OF the Government so far as it
concerns the mana g ,ncnt and future
disposition Of the Indian tribes of the
North West. Experience has fully
demonstrated the impossibility of main
taining peace with them, SO long as
they arc allowed to remain in close
proximity to the white settlements.
Too often III treated and dcfrnudcd by
unprincipled white mon, they rctaliate
by the commission Of dcpredations up
on innocent settlers, which culnlinate
at length in murders and open warfare
The whole ludiau system should be re-
modelled, not only for the security OF
the advancing settlements, but for the
! good of the indians themselves The
plan proposed by Brig. Gen. SiSley in
his published dispatch to Major Gener-
al Pope, dated August -, 1864; com.
mends itself, to my judgment as the
best and most feasible one that can be
adopted. He recommends the concen-
tration of all the Sioux Indians as rap
idly as they submit to the Federal au-
thority at Devils Lake, remote re-
sion lying midway between the Mis-
souri, River and tho British boundary,
under the immediate charge Of a mill.
tary commander, with a strong force OF
troops at his disposal and a like as
semblagc of the Chippcwas on some
distant reservation where the land is
good, and where: they car subsist them
selves mainly by their own labor under
military surveillance. His policy would
free our whole border line from further
fear Of molesta,ion by the savages, and
give powerful impetus to immigration.
1t is true that it would nccessitat, re-
attachment of the Indian Bureau to the
War Department, to which in my opin-
ion it properly aprertains: Should
these views meet with your concur
renee, l suggest the propricty OF your
memorial.ziny Congress to provide by
law for the modification specified. The
present system Of treaty making has
been the prolific cause Of the alienation
Of the North Western tribes from the
government, haxins. been attended by
the preparation Of gross frauds upon
them by many Of the agents, traccrs
aud contractors who have appropriated
a great share of the mo,cy due the In
dians, in defiance ofjusticc and right
The dcpl"rable scenes of outrage
through which our Western settle
ments have passed since August 1862,
arc more Or less directly traccable to
the dissatisfaction accustomed among
the Sioux by the non-iul6llmcnt Of
treaty stipulations on the part of the
government, aud the non-payment of
the money claimed as their due. AS it
is desirable that the truth Of history
should be vindicated in everything con-
ncc:ed with that mournful episode, I
suggest the propriety Of our making an
official request to Congress, for the up.
/ poin'ment Of a committee to investigate
the affairs of the Indian Department. in
this State, and the Territory of Dakota
with view to place on record all the
facts which have tended to produce tina.
outburst of brutal violence, which in
volvcd so many of our citizens in de-
struction. The investigation should
: also include a thorough examination in
} to the expenditure Of the vast sums Of
! money disbursed in the removal of the
} Sioux and Winncbago Indians, to Fort
Thompson in 1868, and of their main
. tenance and government since their ar
} rival at that rendezvous, as many of
!: these marauders have been suffered to
return to their old haunts to the great
; annoyance and detriment of the SET
tiers. +. .....s .,.t~ . -
There are doubtless among the Uni
} ted States agents and the traders, hon
orablc and upright men, who will re-
joice at an Investigation which wouls
clear them from suspicion, and fix the
guilt upon the parties justly RESPONSE
bic. .....t....e ..........,.....
i ~. MILITARY AFFAIRS. ...
One year ago serious apprehensions
were entertained that a continuance of
the war, and future call for troops,
would find the State unable to furnish
more than one, or ut most two thou
sand men in addition to her previous
heavy contributions. To that gloomy
prediction, she presents the following