The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-24

rall. 10 the Guerrero. MAJOR II. Is. Reese Paymhs-
ter has been detached from the pay district Of Call
fornia and ordered to washington.
LOCALIZED SWINDLES IN WASHINGTON.
~~o~o>>~~~~~~,~~~~c~~
A Counterpart Of the New York Quarantine
Swindlc in NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Floyd
and Thompson Observation-Disclosures Of Inc
dian Trust Funds LegaIixed.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 1858.
The recent quarantine lobby job or legalized swim
die In New York has o counterpart In an Indian
trust fund job just completed In this city. There 49,
or was fund OF S2,453,sl0 held In trust by the
United States for the Choctaw and Chickasaw In
dams, and about $4,000, 900 for the Cherokees.
Ever since the celebrated Indian trust fund defal-
cation by members OF President Buchanan's Cabinet
there has not been wanting enterprisng individuals
constantly engaged in casting about for schemes to
accomplish legally what was done by the de-
faulting Secretaries without authority of law
that il, to get hold Of those tempting trust
funds. Accordingly clause was inserted
in a treaty" between the United States and those
Two powerful "nationsn the Choctaws and Chicka-
saws, providing that "the President OF the United
States shall appoint commission who shall take
into consideration and determine the claims Of such
Choctaws and Chickasaws as allege that they have
been driven from their homes In the Choctaw and
Chickasaw nations, account OF their adhesion to
the United States for damages, whose report, when
ratified by the Secretary OF the INTERIOR shall be
fnal and authorize the payment Of the amount from
any moneys OF said nations in the hands Of the
United States as the commission may award"
Now 1t happens to be historical fact that the
Chocaws and Chlckasaws went into the re-
bellion with O unanimity unparalleled in
any OF the Southern States. It is an adj
mltted fact that there were absolutely no
fharr IN N frO
their homes account OF their adhesion to the
United States" The larger part OF the able bodied
in ours. 1t might be thought, therefore, that the
commissioners sent out to find loyal claims and the
spectators following after teri TO purchase them went
The commission was appointed and went out TO
the Indian territory in July, 1868, and returned with
their report on the Slst day of December following
The amount OF 'sloyal" claims discovered and dam
ages awarded amounted to something over $3.50 900.
The attorney Of the Choctaw nation Immediately
ground OF the disloyalty OF the claimants, citing
their record in evidence, For eXample:-"Caai1n
Claim i No. was that Of one ). r. walls,
was allowed w. I. stephens, No. Q, another O.. A.
soldier, gets an award OF s1,9l7. Claims Nos and
om s Of
the United States were actually ordered out OF
town for disloyalty by the United States Officers
then in command; yet 1896 was awarded them.
No. 20, Sampson Mccain; allowed S2762. This
person was O lieutenant in the Confederate army, as
Smith. 1t cannot well be said that he was driven
from his home' within the meaning OF the treaty.
Case No. 2s Stephens executor of ]. r. Halls estate
rate service and was killed i'll the streets Of Fort
Smith, and stephens, his administrator, was phi
Il can be judged whether these claimants were
likely to be driven from their homes on account Of
their adhesion to the United States"
In the face OF this evidence Secretary Browning
promptly and properly decided tnat though fully
empowered to pay the awards Of the commission n
Resolutions ordering the payment were accord
fngy introduced In both houses OF the Thirty ninth
Congress- only to be defeated by the following protest
by delegation Of the Choctaws authorized to defend
their nations funds
To THE SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES, OF THE UNITED
We the Undersigned delegates OF the Chocaw nation do
respaon W. Of HOUSE joint Fe.otion No. both
S
l. That OF the socacd loyal claims are those
who can be 70 have been rebels the ma
That although The loyal Of nation ourselves included
know single Just claim for damages preferred BY thor
oughy cyaI man. concluded las, vs,r ns,,vss N. r.a
The and Nations ds
Claims on esmoay se sose q loyal
That DC sscra,y % e Interior has refused 20 dusori=s the
g. That the claims, just, many of them actous
Of damages s sustained "'' . '''' ''.''' 'A''''
.. That Ge cso',1i0n hs paid 0in1Tf
claims ,rU mostly % Spectators po al snail radiation
may II Is not that joint resolutions
the In effect and purpose should be presented AT the
time In the Senate and House. For ourselves aud the
people represent denouuce them links In vast
chain OF schemes concoced by desperate for the rob-
berry of nation. Not only believing hut knowing the
Chocaw and uhckasw nations earnestly ask the defeat
p. p. PITCHLYNN.
ISRAEL FOLSOM.
Similar resolutions tried in the first session
OF the Forticth Congress- only to meet with oppo-
sition from the Choctaw delegation and defeat. But
during the recess between the first and second
sions OF the Torticth Congress, the holders sat
torneys- for the claimants. had the Indian officials
properly SEEM and the records OF the last session
show that Messrs Pichlynn AID Folsom
consented to the payment or the claims
against which they 50 vehemently protested during
the previous sessions. The resolution according
ly passed both houses q few days previous to adj
journment, and am informed the claims, to the
amount OF s2bs,04l have just been paid.
During the two and one-haf years consumed In
putting ths job through the letter OF the law has
In no instance been openly violated II has been, 80
far az Is now KNOWN strictly speaking, legalizei
swinde.
Regarding the nature Of the means used to induce
the Indian officials 10 betray their trust and join
their peoples plunderers have no definite infOrna-
ton. IL may turn out that means not strictly legal
have been used In that direction. Here IL chance
for another Committee of~Invesrgation.