The Van Buren press., 1870-01-25


contemplated the Indian Country as be
ing in the same category with other terri
tory Of the United States The Indian
Country and people have been deemed by
the Supreme Court universally as q Ma.
ton" having the right to declare war and
make peace--dependant powers but no,
subjects Of our Government Is there
anything then in this act of July 20, '6S,
to change all this2 And if it were so,
could the acts Of Congress destroy solemn
treaties? 1t cannot be found anywhere
in the act. The only section that it is
pretended was intended to extend this
act over the Territory is the 10th, and
We have certainly shown that it refers to
the articles" and they must come with
in collection district before any legisla-
tive act of ours can reach them Our
distinguished "adviser,' does not seem
to have any very definite ideas about the
scope of legislative powers and betrays
wotul ignorance of the acknowledged
relation Of the Indians to the United
States. He says, 1t is against every
principle of reason and common sense to
think for moment, that persons in the
Indian Territory have privileges and ad
vantages under the lar, that are not ac-
corded to citizens outside Of the Nation" ="
Well, this is sanner--truly worthy of
the legal Adviser' 1t is equally "a
gainst every principle of reason and com
mon sense" that the citizens of Utah
should be permitted to have AS many
wives as they choose, and citizens outside
of Utah cannot. 1t is equally against
every principle of reason and common
sense, that the people of Cuba do dot en-
joy as many privileges "under the law'
as the citizens outside of Cuba And to
come nearer home, it is equally "against
every principle of reason and common
sense" to think for q moment that per-
sons residing in the United States have
privileges and advantages. under tie lar,
that are not accorded to other citizens
1.-THE right to exercise the privilege of
voting, for example.) We presume the
reason that Indians are not subjected TO
the penalties of any of our laws passed
for our own Government, is simply be-
cause they do not extend to the Indian
Countrywide same reason why they do
not affect the Russians, and the French,
and several other powers, who arc not
yet subject to the will of our Congress.
We have now, in our humble way, re-
viewed the legal arguments of the "ad-
wiser"
After he exhausts the subject, he then
exhausts himself by heaping abuse upon
the best abused man on the continent
"poor ANDY JOHNSON" lie thinks this
law and all other United States Statutes
would have been literally sat large" if
it had not been for" Andy's Administra-
ton" Poor Andy, his power against
Congress was truly slim; his Commis
sioner Of Revenue was with Congress and
against him; the civil tenure bill bound
him hard and fast, and yet, poor fellow,
even after he has retired to private life, an
" informer' finds some more filth to hurl
at his devoted head. Mcdonald alias
+" initiate" discovered that GRANT had
found out a new relation existing between
the Indians and the Governmcnt-tha
they were wards But this accusation
OF the "adviser" Is now--spiclS- span
clean from his futile brain. After smash.
ing old Andy, the +" adviser comes to the
name that rolls as a sweet morsel under
his tongue: Z" "Sapcrrisor McDonold has
been tho humble instrument in the hands
of DELASo, by which the hydra. headed
tobacco monster has been crushed" He
predicts that all who sympathizcd with
the late rebellion, and all tobacco thieves
will oppose the Government and her Of
fcers We hardly believe that the tobac
co ring at Saint Louis will grumble. They
inaugurated the move aud it has succeed.
ed beyond all hope. They had their
steamboat runner, with his paste dia
monds, appointed Supervisor and gave
him his orders, and surely they will not
complain. Can any one explain to us,
what the seizure of these factories has to
do with the rebellion. Col Ryan was q
colonel in the Federal Army, and WAS in
the field while Mcdonald was Brigadier
of Militia in Tennessee, making money
like fun and keeping away from rebel bull
lets. The adviser was, we believe,
then unknown to fame.
This able article is concluded with a
hoursh--and we are, for the first time in
our lives, made acquainted with the fact
that Indians are citizens Of the United
States! And we are further startled, and
sweet old memories are awakened by
hearing the name Republic applied to
our Congress, ridden Nation. The name,
like magic word, calls up fond recol
lccti0ns Of the time when to be an Ameri.