, 1873-05-29
A Pioneer Settler Robbed +
Government Mercenaries.

Government Mercenaries.
The most outrageous act of arbitra,
spoliation ever committed upon the Gil
izen or subject of any civilized govern
nent, without even the poor palliatior
of "the tyrant's plea of military neces
sity," has been. nearly consummated
in the robbery of Henry A. Webster.
of his beautiful home and valuable pos
sessions upon Neeah Bay, by mere
"ukase" of the President, without the
shadow of law, decent pretext of ne
cessity, or vestige of ground upon
which to base an assimilated right of the
government to private property for pub
lie uses; such an order as no so, o,ereigr
in Europe would dare enforce against a
subject; gross act of treachery towards
the settlers upon the public lands well
calculated to destroy all faith in our
Government.
Sixteen years ago Mr.. Webster, undel
the pre- e-emption law entered upon the
land, outside of any Indian reserva.
tion," to which 1.-THE Indian title had
been extingnisht d, complied fully with
the terms of the law, and by law tn.
title to the same became vested in him
subject only to the Government lien foi
the price of the land when it sbou d be
brought into market; ha has contlnu
ously occupied the land, expendi rg
twenty thousand dollars or more in i'm.
provements and stock. 1t was fonr
years after MIR. Webster had entered
upon and commenced improving this
claim, before dollar had been expend
ed BY the Government upon the Indian
Reservation adjacent thereto. He was
then appointed Indian Agent by Presi
dent Lincoln, and all II e improvements
upon the Reservation were made under
his direction, and it is universally con
ceded by all honest men acquainted with
the facts that there was not an Agency
in Washington Territory managed in
more orderly manner than that under
the administration of Mr.. Webster. and
not one where the Indians were kept in
better subjection or made greater pro-
gress in the arts of civilization. During
the Administration of President John
son, General Mckinney was appointed
Superintendent of Indian Afairs for this
Territory, came here in impecGnious
circumstances, accumulated large Tor
tune in an Incredibly snort time and
was removed on charges seriously affect
ing his character fer honesty. Mr..
Webster was one Of the first victims to
the "Indian ring" oe which Mckinney
was the head, and he WAS removed
mainly on the ground hat he was not
''sound on the policy of the President. !"
Since that time Mr.. Webster's beautiful
home and valuable possessions, so con-
venient to one of the Government steal
ing posts-which Indian Agency's ueu
ally are--have been the special object
of the cupidity of tine spoil's fatherers
inflicted upon this people by the Gener-
al Government, and conspiracy was
formed to get tbs Government to seize
the property, knowing by experience
that if it belonged TO the Government it
would be legitimate object of private
plunder to the Federal officials. Gar
tielde was the chief operator in this ne
furious scheme Of plunder; he had but
to represent to the President that it was
necessary to extend the lines of The Re-
ssrvation in order to carry out his In
dian policy; General MiIroy, from shere
stupidity, was found to he convenient
tool to endorse any statement which
they might find it necessary to invent to
accomplish their designs. Under the
the false representations male by these
conspira'ors, the President, with no
xuOAC LIZ lufib Ac ufsu " seize Tie luTuQ
Of any other pre-emptor upon the pub
lie domain, issued peremptory order
extending the Indian reservation over
Mr.. Webster's possessions, and Secre-
tary Delano, the sympathizer with the
murderous Modocs. issued the order to
rob white settler of his possessions for
the ostensibe use of the Inuians, very
nearly of the date Of his order which
delivered Candy and Thomas to the
hands of Indian murderers.
We have only space to-day to add the
following letters which are self explain
atory. Tomorrow will resume the SUBJ
ject which is vital to the rights of every
settler upon the public lands.
WASHINGTON. April 9TH, 1873.