Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-04-22
INDIaN AFFAIRS.

| General Sanborn, one of the Peace Com
missioners of 1868, has written letter to
the Secretary of the Board of Indian Com
missioners, which explains why we are III
danger of having an expensive Indian
war. Unlike some he does not think the
Indians all wrong and deserving butchery
even to the women and children, but
places the fault where we have no doubt
it ought to be in most cases, upon faithiess
white men. In 1869 treaty of peace was
made with these Indians upon the best
terms possible to be obtained for the
United States. How that treaty has been
observed, let Mr.. Sanborn, who helped
make it, tell, also his opinion as to the best
method of proceeding with the Indians.
The provisions of the fifth clause of the
tenth article of said treaty, upon which these
wild Indians laid great stress, have, as I'M
derstand it, been utterly disregarded by the
United States: and not only have the United
States failed to send them any clothing or
supplies, but have refused to allow any one TO
go into the vicinity of their hunting grounds
to exchange any supplies with them for the
products of the chase. They made II con-
dition of peace that some of their old friends
should he permitted to trade with them at
some point near the western line of their agri-
cultural reservation. This was promised Their
if they would keep away from Laramie. The
promise remains unfultilled. Thus we see a
people. numbering about $4,000 souls, who
have been denied all that the Government
promised them for large cessions of land, and
! \ 1 nf nl,nn n,p hn nrn
ducts of the chase for their ordinary necessi-
ties. and forced to the alternative of living
without them or going to war to capture them.
1t may be said that they can trade on the Mis-
souri, They never have traded there, and
told us they never would Our hope was to
overcome this prejudice by gradually draw
ing them ir that direction. 1t was not expect
ed to force them to this in single year. The
question for the Government officials now to
determine is whether it is better to fulfill our
treaty stipulations with these people; give
them ten dollars worth of supplies each, and
an opportunity to dispose at fair rates of the
products of the chase. or enter upon war
that renders insecure our whole frontier, Jeop
ardizes all our vast railroad interests on the
Plains, destroys much life and property, and
which will demand the expenditure of SoO,-
O0O. 600 at least from the Treasury. Whether
| tne COMMISSION III uoliiS Wiidt tucS uiu WIN
these people acted wisely and right canno
say, but do know that each of them firmly
| believed that he was acting for the best inter
ests of the United States. If this action wa
wise and right. the failure of the Government
| to comply with those terms of the treaty ap
plicable to these wild, warlike Indians is radi
cally wrong, and must result disastrously
The Indians upon the reservations, half civil
lied, and stupefied by sloth and surfeiting
may be sighted and neglected with impunity
but the wild, hunting, warlike Indians resen
insult, and rush to war whenever satisfied tina
they have been dealt with trcacherously OF
oppressed without cause. From the best in
formation have, there are at least 10000 o
the Wild rowing Indians of the Dakota tribe
| a larger number have ceased to roam, and arr
upon reservations. If peace can be maintain
ed, all can be brought upon reservations in
few years without expense and without loss o
life The country where they now hunt j
not needed by our people, and will not be 70
some time to come; and by the time it i
needed the Indians will have abandoned it, 70
the game will have disappeared. All inter
ests seem to me to demand peace between on
people and the Indians and hope every eff
| fort will be made to maintain it,