, 1885-04-18
INDIAN TREATIES
To be Sacredly Observed in
the Future.
All Persons Ordered Off Indian
Lands in Dakota.
The President Says They Must
Go, and They Will.
A Proclamation.

WAsmNaToN, April l7.-President
Cleveland to-day issued the following
proclamation:
WHEREAS, BY executive order bearing
date the 9th day Of February, 1855, it
IA ordered that IAN that tract of
country in the territory Of Dakota, known
as the old Winnebago reservation, - and
''Sioux or Grow Creek reservation, and
lying on the east bank of the Missouri
river, set apart and reserved by executive
order dated Jan. IL, 1875, and which is
not covered by executive order dated Aug.
10, 1879, restoring certain of the lands
reserved by order of Jan. II. 1875, ex-
cept the following described trusts
Townships number los, north Of range
II west; los, north range - west; frne-
tional township los. north range 70 west;
west half of section 4, and sections 5, 6,
I, s, Q, 16, II, is. 10. 20, 81, %, %, 30,
81, 30 and SO of township 107, north of
range 70 west; fractional township 1907,
north range II west: l07, north of range
70 west; lO7, north of range % west;
west half of township 100, north of range
20 west, and fractional township LOG,
north of range Invest, and except, also,
all tracts within the limits Of the afore-
said Winnebago reservation and Sioux or
Greek reservation, which are outside of
the limits of the above described tracts,
and which may heretofore have been
allotted to Indians residing upon said
reservation, or which heretofore have
been selected or occupied-by said Indians
under and in accordance with the pro-
visions of article 6, of the treaty with the
Sioux Indians of April 20, 1868, be, and
the same is hereby restored to the public
domain" and
WHEREAS, Upon claim being made
that said order is illegal and in violation
of the plighted faith and obligations of
the United States, contained in sundry
treaties heretofore entered into with
Indian tribes or bands. occupants of said
reservation. and that further execution of
said order will not only occasion much dis
tress and suffering to peaeeable Indians,
but retard the work of their civilization
and engender among them distiust Of ma
tional government, I have determined,
after careful examination Of several
treaties, acts of congress and other official
data bearing. on the subject. aided and as
sisted therein by the advice and opinion of
the attorney general Of the United States,
duly rendered in that behalf, that the
lands so proposed to be restored TO the
public domain BY said executive order of
Feb. 81, 1885, are included as existing
Indian reservations on the east bank of
the Missouri river by the terms of the
second article of the treaty with the Sioux
Indians, concluded in 1865, and that con-
sequently being treaty reservations, the
executive was without lawful power to re-
store them to the public domain by
said executive order, which is therefore
deemed and considered to be wholly in
operative and void, and,
WHEREAS, The laws of the United
States provide for the removal Of all per-
sons residing or being found upon Indian
lands and territory without permission ex-
pressly and legally obtained of the in
terror department; now, therefore, to
maintain inviolate the solemn pledges and
plighted faith of the government as given
in the treaties in question and for the pur-
pose of properly protecting the interests
of the Indian tribes, as well as the United
States, in the premises, and to the end
that no person or persons may be induced
to enter upon said lands, where they will
not be allowed to remain without permis-
sion aforesaid,
l, Grover Cleveland, president of the
United States, do hereby declare and pro-
claim said executive order of Feb. 81,
1885, to be in c~ontravention of treaty OBJ
legations of the United States with the
Sioux tribe of Indians, and therefore to
be imperative and of no effect, and |
further declare hat the lands intended to
be embraced therein are existing Indian
reservations, and as such available for
Indian purposes alone, and subject to
Indian intercourse and acts of the United
States. | do further warn and admonish
all and every person or persons now in
occupation of said lands. under color of
said executive orders, and all such person
or persons as are intending or preparing
to enter and settle upon the same there
under, that they will neither be permitted
to remain or enter upon said lands. anC
such persons as are already there are here
by required to vacate and remove there
from, with their effects, within sixty day
from date hereof; and in case due re
gard for and voluntary obedience to thu
laws and treaties of the United States
and this %admonition and warning be no
sufficient to effect the purposes and inten
tions as herein declared, all the power o
the government will be employed to carr
into proper execution the treaties an,
laws herein referred to.
In testimony hereof | hereunto set M,
hand and cause the seal of the Unite
States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington thi
18th day of April, 1885, and of the indie
pendence ofthe United States ofAmerica
the 1O9th. GROVER CLEVELAND,
By the President,
T. +. BAYARD. Secretary of State.