St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-18
THE wINNEBAGo RESERVATION

Il
The proclamation of President CLEvE-
LAND vacating the one issued by President
ARTHUR on the 9th of last February open
ing the Winnebago reservation to entry and
settlement, will create more stir in the
Northwest than anything that has been
done by this administration. In one sense
the president may be right. If he is con-
WINGED that the order of his predecessor
which opened this territory to settlement
was a violation of the governments pledge
to the Indians, then he had the right and
possibly it was his duty to set the former
order aside There are so many conflicting
rights however, that it does seem the presi-
dent would have done better to have made
haste slowly in this matter. 1t is very sin
gular, to say the least OF it, that Mr.. AR
THUR should have made such wild shoot
as he did when he issued his proclamation in
February. 1t ought to have been deter
mined then as to what claim the govern
ment had to the Winnebago reservation,
and what rights, if any, the In
dams had under their treaties with
the government. When the reserva-
ton was opened to settlement there was
tremendous rush of white settlers who took
up claims and have expended more or less
money in improving them. These settlers,
relying as they did upon the faith of the
government in making their settlements, it
Seems to us have some rights to be pro-
tected as well as the Indians have. If there
is conflict Of rights between the Indians
and the white settlers, both of whom have
protection of their rights, it occurs to us
that the proper thing to have done would
have been for the government to have gone
to work and have endeavored to bring
about a compromise by which both Indians
and white settlers could have been dealt
with fairly. There is very little doubt but
that the government at comparatively
small cost could have purchased from the
Indians all claims that they may have to
the reservation, and thus the settlers, who
went upon the lands at the invitation of the
government and as they believed under the
1Egis OF its protection, would have been
made secure in the tenure of their
claims and equity would have been
done to all parties. 1t may be suggested
that the executive would have no right to
have effected a compromise with the In
dianS or to have changed the conditions of
the treaty now in existence without the
concurrent action of congress. Granting
that to be true the president could have held
the matter in allegiance until congress as
sembled next December, or, if the emer-
gency hadrequired. congress could have been
convened in extra session at an earlier date
to have taken the matter under considera-
ton. Conceding that the president is right
in maintaining the plighted faith of the
government with the Indians, the impress
sion will prevail that it was equally i'm
portant that the plighted faith of the gov
eminent with its own citizens should also
be preserved inviolate.
IL is an unfortunate trouble. and is Justly
chargeable to the indiScreet action of the
former administration, which acted with i'm
proper haste in opening these lands to entry
before it had been determined what
rights the Indians held in them.
OF course there will be conjecture
as to what the settlers will do. There is
but one course for them TO pursue, and that
IS to submit to ths power of the govern
ment trusting to a public sentiment which
will be strong enough to compel congress.
at its next session. to reimburse them for all
losses they sustain by reason of their
mistaken confidence in the good faith of
their own government.