The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-01-07
THE INDIAN QUESTION.
REMARKS OF HON. c. E. HOOKER.

u HitHiDeI OF the committee on indian
Affairs, said:
AlE. HOOKER. / had the honor to offer
the amendment to the resolution of the
Senate which il embodied in the report
made by the committee of the House aud |
did so because / thought it was our duty in
treating with these Indians 10 treat with
them according to existing treaty stipula-
tjons. Ny distinguished friend from Illinois
Mr.. Springer in speaking upon this
question has seen fit to refer TO and to have
read the Press Association dispatches in
reference to the negotiations now going on
with the Utes of the White River agency.
The gentleman does not understand this
bin at all II does not apply to them. 1t
.tpplies % the reservation held in Southern
Colorado ont of which several years ago
YOU got quite 4 considerable portion of their
territory. II expressly by its terms en-
braces alone that portion Of the Ute tribe
of indians who by no hostile act have for
teited the rights TO VIII IN by treaty stiPula-
tious they are entitled.
If the gentleman from Illinois means to
carry into the treatment of this question
with reference to all the tribes, the five
-emi-civilized tribes in the Indian Territory
and the savage tribes of the plains, the
theory which he proclaims, then 1t Is a
aheorv which has for its basis a robbery of
the Indian Of every foot of land which has
been lett u MIN by LHc treaties your own
Government has made with him. The same
policy which would prompt the gentleman
from Illinois 80 sanction the proceeding
which is now being attempted BECAUSE some
portion of the Ute tribe have been guilty
Of deyredations, and therefore 20 deprive
them all Of their land, would lead him 70
side with the policy OF those people who
undertook TO take possession Of that terri
tory which had been set apart Tor the hive
ecmi-civilized tribes, and which forfeit
ed last year, although the whole power of
the Government had been pledged to protect
these Indians in what they were entitled to
under treaty stipulations. If the theory of
the gentleman from Illinois is to prevail
with regard TO the treatment of the Indian
question, then it involve. The infringement
Of every treaty stipulation, the Ghrogation
Of every law which you have passed ~
order to secure these people in the little
remnant OF that vast territory which they
have coded 10 you, and which You have sold,
and the money Obtained for which you have
placed in the Treasury of your country and
hold there as an evidence Of the llberallty
of the Indians to the Government of the
United States.
But, sir, to contine myself to this resolution
and the report Of the Committee on Indian
Affairs the gentleman from Colorado says
that this involves the question of the eXtir-
patton of the Southern Utes of Colorado,
ulent to prevent it. Sir, if you take that
theory To be the true one, then the gentle
fuan from Colorado, siding with the gentle
man from Illinois, proposes, IN violation OF
the most solemn treaty stpulatlons to rob
these people of the territory which has been
ceded 10 them by the Government of the
United States to rob them of rights which
bv most solemn treaties the Government
has pledged itself TO respect. ! now send
10 the Clerks desk and ask that there be
read from the treaty made even so late as
ten years ago, in 1865, with this Y tie tribe of
indians, the second and sixteenth sections
that the House may understand what are
the obligations of the Government of the
United States to these Indians.
CRere follow extracts from the treaty
which we omit for the want of room.)
1t will be oAserved that by the second ar
ticie of the treaty, which | have caused To
be read for the information of this commit
tee. that portion of territory coded to the
Indians in Southern Colorado was to be
theirs forever. And they were SO careful
in making this treaty as TO stipulate that
they should not he deprived of 1t, as the
committee will observe from the sixteenth
article which has been read, except by the
consent Of three-fourths of the adult males
of the tribe.
When they made this treaty giving con-
cessions to the Government they believed
they were getting something substantial
for what they then yielded. They believed,
a. did the FIVE civilized tribes when they
coded that vast empire which east of the
Mississippi has formed state after state III
coIumnal sovereignty. supporting your SOW
eign Union and constituting now the great
est and most powerful portion OF that re-
zion Of countrv-they believed that the
Government was in earnest when 1t SAID
IN the emphatic but figurative language OF
the then President of the United states
that that territory should be theirs "whlle
grass grows and water flows. 80 the Ites
thought when they eeded their territory
they believed they were making compact
with government honest enough TO do
what was right. If the honorable gentle
man from Illinois Mr.. SpringeFl and the
honorable gentleman from Colorado Mr
Bedford think that this Government Is
powerless to carry cut this treaty, | would
ask them to state why it Is powerless tC
carry out this treaty.
SIR. BEDFORD. viii the gentlemen al
low sne to ask him question?
Mr. HOOKER. Yes, but will say, thai
that Is a bad way to answer one.
Mr.. BELFokD. | want the gentleman K
point if he can to a single instance in histo
ry where any government eyer allowed ;
race of people like these Indians 10 stano
an the way of ihe development of its min
eral wealth and Of its citizens who desired
to develop it.
Mr.. HOOKER. / can only say that thi
Government under treaties written on pa
per and signed by its authorized agents
has - stipulated with these tribes. And i
they were a powerful nation, with grea
armies at their back and could point their
cannon at your shores and demand justice
you would not dare TO take the position vol
now do with reference to these feeble Indian
tribes.
| hold that whatever may be the pOwe
of the Government of the United States, ]
is at least powerful enough to do what !
right, to see that Justice is done, even though
the people who demand il do so only IN tn
name OF law and moral right, and not be
cause they have the physical power to com
pei you to carry out your treaty 0eliga
tiOn.
/ offered this amendment because / fel
now, at this time, when it is true that tn
Utes of White River reservation have com
united depredations upon the agent and tn
employees OF the agency, and had massa
cred portion of our ARMY felt that j
was an ignoble spectacle to submit N,
country TO nov, because one portion of thu
Ute Indians have committed depreciation
aIpon your people, and hsd nassacred Dol
tion d your army-it was an iSuoble spec
tacle fer great people to say that we vii
seize this occasion In order to rob the South
ern Dtes of their territory, wheni in all thei
history, so far as understand it, they hav
never presented an instance of Opposition I
the people of the United States. OF "a III
treaties which have been made between 81
people Of the United States and themselve1
believe that it is not proper now tbs
The Secretary Of the interior ~ the Comm
aioner Of Indian Affairs acting for the Go,
ernment of the United States, should at th
particnIar junetuge &C., p 81 tbat NhiI