The Russellville Democrat., 1879-06-05


 United States were not intended fdr the exclusive use of "other Indians as has been so often asserted. They were bought as much for the Negroes of the country as for Indians.
 The Commissioner of the General Land Office, General Williamson, in his annual report for 1878, computes the area of the Indian Territory at A, ,154, 240 acres of which he says 1T, ,150, ,250 acres are unsurveyed; the balance of the lands, amounting to 27,003, ,990 acres, he announces, have been surveyed, and these lands he designates as 'Public Lands"
 The Honorable Commissioner has fallen into natural error; he has included in his computation the lands of the Cherokees west of 96 degrees west longitude, and the Chickasaw Nation which, though surveyed, can in no sense be deemed public lands" The ONLY public lands in the territory are those marked on this map, and amount as above stated, to about fourteen mil | lion acres.
 Whatever may have been the de- sire or intention of the United States government in 1866, to locate Indi- ans and Negroes upon these lands, it is certain that no such desire or ln tention exists in 1879. The Negro, since that date, has become citizen of the United States, and Congress has recently enacted laws, which practically forbid the removal of any more Indians into the territory. Two years ago Mir. Mills, of Texas, caus- ed to be inserted in the Indian ap- propriation bill, provision prohib- iting the removal of the Sioux Indi- ans into the Indian territory; proj- ect at that time contemplated by the interior department; and bya similar provision in the Indian appropria- tion bill of last winter, the removal of any Indians from Arizona, or New Mexico. into the Indian territory is forbidden. These laws practically leave several millions ofacres of the richest lands on the continent free from Indian title, or occupancy, and an integral part of the pubic do main.
 9th. The town of Wichita, in the State of Kansas, at the junction of the Big and Little Arkansas rivers, the present terminus ofa branch of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad and the town of Eldorado, the terminus of another branch, are the nearest railroad points to these lands. From Wichita to these lands is about 90 miles due south. There are several other railroad points on the northern line of the Territory, more remote than Wichita or Eldora- do. These points are Coffeeville,the terminus of the Leavenworth, Law renee and Galveston k. R.; Chetopah on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas R. R, which IS built through the territory to Texas; and Baxter Springs, the Southern terminus of l tHc M iSoOuil hiNCIs IpiS cSooS ohu Gulf R. R. A glance at the map will show the location of these plac- es. The Atlantic and Pacific, now called the St. Lotus and San Francis co k. R. is finished to Vinita, in the Cherokee Nation, where it crosses the Missouri, Kansas and Texas R. R. The surveyed line of this road runs through these ceded lands.
 9th. To save the time which would be required to answer the many let lers I am constantly receiving upon this subject, I have made plain but accurate map, which enclose with this letter. 1 shall be glad to furn- ish maps and such further informa- tion as may be requested.
 Very respectfully, yours,
 E. c. BOUDINOT.