The New York herald., 1872-07-05
CONGRESSMAN AMONG INDIANS.
A subcommittee of the House
~ 44e in Kansas.
an Attempt 20 Settle tho Disputes Between ths Red
Mon and tho Govsrnmsnt-Ths Financial
Difficulties in the Treaty stipulaHsns-
The Committee to Taks the Testimony
Direct from tho Aborigines.


FORT SCOTT, Kansas, June 90 1872
subcommittee OF the House Committee oa
indian Affairs is now on board train on the Mis-.
souri,, Kansas and Texas line OF railroad and your
correspondent is in company, prepared to give the
readers OF the HERALD such information OF matters
and things in that hitherto unknown region the
Indian Territory. as may be deemed of interest. Il
The committee consists OF Messrs Shanks Of
indiana (chairman) Smith, of Ohio, and Burdett
OF Missouri, who is probably to be the next nominee
OF the republican party for Governor OF his State
The wives of these gentlemen are OF the party ana
the committee is also accompanied by Mr.. GuIlett-
It's clerk, and by one Of the Official stenographcrs
Of the House OF Representatives.
THE PROPOSED INVESTIGATION,
as understand, is to be directed specially IA soma
financial matters connected with the recovery from
the United States Treasury OF certain annuities
which were due, under treaty stipulation, to the
Choctaw and Chickasaw nations OF Indians but which,
were forfeited by them or at least payment sus-
pended as penalty Tor those Indians havinQ3
joined the rebels in their attempt to subvert the
government. 1t seems that since the close of the
war delegates or commissioners from the Choctawa
and Chtckasaws have been to.Washngton made their
peace with the powers there, and negotiated for
the payment to them OF those back annuties. Butt
to facilitate them in making their arrangement the
commissioners deemed it necessary to engage thed
services OF some Baltimore and Washington lawyers
and agents-chefy Mr.. Latrobe, OF Baltimore
and to pay an advance fee Of $1,000 and stipuatG
for commission amounting, believe, to fifty per
cent The advance fee was paid and was divided
In four equal parts between the lawyers, the CONF
missioners their clerks and secretaries and others
not yet known, but whom it is the object Of the
present inquiry to ascertain.
THE INDIANS OF COURSE OBJECT
to the Withholding Of commission after having
paid such large fee, and the settlement Is still
in abeyance There is also some question involving
the payment of S1,sO0,0oo to the same Indians I'M
connection with the transfer Of their lands to tho
government. These questions we've partially in
vestigated during the last session. but the matters
were SO complicated and required the exami-
nation of so many witnesses and docu-1
ments that the committee decided that the
inquiry could he much more efficiently
and economically conducted by sending q sub-cOn-
mittee to the Indian terrltory and Mr.. Shanks the
chairman, having SO represented the matter to the
House, the necessary authority was granted and
all the expenses. have mentioned these as thel
special objects OF the investigations but 1t is not at
al unlikely that the committee will extend thea
scope OF its inquiry so as to embrace the generaE
question Of establishing permanent policy for the
government OF the Indians The idea OF
IsOLATINa THEM IN RESERVATIONS
or OF assigning to them vast region OF country I'M
poaanr s % the TSs SStps i ONLY
q great extent and fertility, lying between
the States OF Kansas and Texas north and south
and the States Of Missouri and Arkansas, east and
west 1t Is the present home OF about sixty thou,
sand Indians, civilized semi-civtlized and savage,t
among whom has been engrafted, within the last
two or three years. an ofshoot Of our political sys
se S II would be-
doubtful experiment at the BEST but 1t stands ltte
chance Of being even fairly tested for the territory
IL no fn6 n nd w fhQ tnn nf
railroad on which am now writing these notes.
and Is soon to be crossed by another line running
full operation, they will be in the course of d
couple Of years, what chance will the poor indians
ment OF maintaining their isolation against the
ENCRoAcHMENrs OF WESTERN PIONEERS.
necon that although nth the railroad Companies OBJ
tanned the right OF way through this Territory by
the consent OF the Indians stipulated in the treaty
cusion Of the Indians from this territory and to-
the opening OF it to settlement. clip from the
first annual report Of the Board Of Directors Of the
Missouri Kansas and Texas Railway Company,
made in May last, the following significant para
graph on that subject j,
the Indian, by gathering between forty and Atty thou
mo anG Of % Of an e and ss q % q
states, without natural boundaries, and fenced only
s ss' :s'ssE.
ON Ssr Tas
b
hundred miles railway extending from Kansas south
Missouri ana ARKANSAS westWsdy towards the c va
eys the two Canadian rivers and the agents
wants OF the railway companies necessary TO maintain
and operate the railways become residents Of the Terri
tory, It must inevitably make policy that was before Of
doubtful praeticaby absolutely impossible carried
directors the opinion that some decided ac-
ton will soon be taken by the general government with
reference to this Indian question: and change will be-
for the better both for the white and for the INDIAN
and must have the effect OF increasing the value
well as the revenue FROM your property in the Territory
The company which thus clearly and early lays
down its programme has already furnished strong
evidence OF the energy and ability with which It
grapples with practical questions. Comparatively
few people in the East have any knowledge Of the
existence of such company, and yet 1t has to-day
tion City. on the southern border Of Kansas where
it taps the Pacific railroad system, and
from Sedaia, In Missouri where IL con-
meets with St. Louis and the East, down
to the South Canadian River in the Indian Terri
tory, and expects to have 1t extended by Septem-
ber next as far as Red River In Texas, where 1t is
to connect with the Houston and Texas Central
Railroad, the intention being to extend It through
the State OF Texas to Galveston Bay and through
the republic of Mexico to the capital and to the
Rio Grande I cannot doubt, grand as this
ception Is, that 1t will eventually be carried Out
when reflect that the first contract for the con-
struction of portion OF the line dates back
is In full and successful operation for over five
hundred miles, with complete outfit OF sleeping
cars Pullman and all the comforts OF travelling
that can be enjoyed on any railroad In the country
hope in my next letter to give your readers O.
description OF the Indians In their transition state
from barbarism to civilization.
p.rrpoAD AccTDpuro I'M rrpcrv