The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-25


pretended outbreak of Indians. returned TO
Victoria on Thursday OF last week. The
commander reports that "ho found no out
break, and no indications of any. On the
contrary. everything was peaceful, and no
did not see anything that would warrant
any apprehension" We quote the despatch
as it was given out by the Fraudulent Adj
nlinstration at Washington which. of
course, will always give to Alaska matters
the colorng desired by JouN SHERMAN and
his friends of the Seal Ring.
The government OF Alaska. from the ac-
ccssion TO power of GRANr and the Rings to
the present day, has been simply infamous.
The Russian subjects. guaranteed protcc-
tion by the treaty of ccsson, have been left
to the forbcarancc Of the natives, and might
all have been massacrcd. almost any night
for years past for aught the United States
was willing to do. or for any force il had
on the spot. The only part Of the pur-
chase which was Of great apparent and
present value, the seal fisheries was granted
illegally and fraudulcntly to the Alaska
Commercial Company the lowest bidder
and in every other respect the worst. This
lease of the islands of st. Paul's and st.
Georges for twenty years was itself worth
more than the whole cost OF Alaska. and il
was handed over by boutwell, and RICH
ARpsON to this Ring OF court favoritcs who
had no lawful right TO it. They have pro-
cccdcd under it in open contempt Of
/ the statute, and Of the terms of their
! contract according to their own sweet
| pleasure, from that day 10 this. boutwell,,
| RICHARDSON, and JoHN SHERMAN in turn
have been their humble and obcdicnt SER
wants. II they do not feel like paying the
annual rent according to law, it is RENTED,
| Notwithstanding the plain mandatory words
| Of the act of Congress. II it seems To- them
a hardship to pare down their millions uf
! profits to pay the Government its paltry tax
on seal oil, the department kindly rclin-
! qushes it. The special agents employed to
watch the proceedings Of the company are
selected by the company itself. aud not one
/ Of them was ever known 20 make other than
Il highly culogi-tic report.
! When an investigation was ordered by the
/ House of Representatives some years ago
the Ring found means 10 prevent the Com
| mittcc from summoniug witnesses on behalf
| of the Government. because IL would be-
| expensive, and TO cNpungc from the rec
ord letters aud offers Of testimony, be-
cause they reflected uuplcasantly ON the
servants 81 tho company in the Treasury
Department. The result was "A whitcwash-
ing report. which has ever since formed a
sort Of hrcastwork for both the Ring and
the department; and special agents on the
| main land from Alaska To san Francisco are
reminded 10y it that. whatever their eyes
behold they must be- careful not To speak
d-respectiully of this rich and powerful
monopoly.
About tho time Of the execution " the
fraudulent lease of the islands, the seal
Ring purchased for song the stations. ma
terial, and good will Of the Russian Amcri-
can Fur Company. which gave them royal
start of all competitors for the fur trade Of
the continent, besides the enormously profit
able monopoly of the seals. For obvious
reasons they want in Alaska no eyes and
ears that do not belong To- them. They per-
NIT no visits To the islands except by their
own employees. and the ~o-called Treasury
Agents selected 10y themselves. They have
steadily discouraged immigration. mining.
fishing, and. of course, everything tending
to am independent trldc in petrics At their
in-tiguuon it Is said, the little garrison was
w.th~r-wi- ir.@n S-tkh aud iina-y. -, IL
completely 90 surrender the Territory to Tine
Ring. ions SHERMAN proposed To abolish
the collection district, and with it remove the
last sign and vestlgc Of Federal authority.
Under the Russian domination besides an
imperial Governor, and "a ilourishiug and
imposing church. there was always a large
military force at hand TO keep the Indians
IN absolute subsection. They were mere
scrfs, of the most abjcct descriptions and
the sudden change If condition effected by
the withdrawal OF all visible power, and the
surrender of n handful Of whites and
Chri-tianiZcd natives 10 their mercy, t. ac-
companicd by such an opportunity for blood
and plumber a. no savage could be expect
ed To- resist. The Indian village adjoining
Sitka has an ordinary population OF between
1000 and 1000, with fierce and warke
population of 5000 back of it from which TO
draw rctnforccments The total force Of
white men iit 10 bear arms. including Rus
slams, Is siNty-cight; and To- thi, little
squad Of unorgauizcd civilians. without an
officer, has the United states committed the
keeping of it- treaty obligations. the pro-
lection Of valuable public property, and the
lives of the helpless women and children
gathered on that far off shore. II Is hardly
possible that JoHN SHERMAN, or any of his
in-tigator- and coadiutor-, expect or desire
them to survive a conflict.
The Indians continually and openly de-
clare that the Government has abandoned
the country to them, aud they amusc them
selves by threatening fire and butchcry,
until am armed ship appears i'm the oiling,
when they assure the commander they have
no present intention Of eXtcrmiuating the
settlement, and he sails away contentcd.
| And this il inst what Commander l5HOWNF Of