Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1888-02-09

bracing nearly an that portion Of the sraet
relinquished In 1855 BY the Ch0ctsws and
Chichasaws, which lies south Of the Washita
liver; c6utainine about 5000 square miles
BY the treaty Of October q; IN the sane yeax.
the Cheyenaes md Arapaboes were granted
reservation consisting Of that portion 81 ths
Cherokee eodntry west u the ntnkty-sixth me.
ridian which lies between TIE ArkSnsss river.
the Cimarron river and the southern bo6hdSf3
Of Kansas. containing about 1900 square titles:
remnant Of the Sacs and Foxes, by treaty Of
the saide year, were granted . reservation Of
80 square miles west u the Greeks and north
Of the Seminoles, and resefVattcn of the same
extent, situated west Of the SeMihS16 1sSds.
was assigned to the Pottawatosnies.
BY treaties Of the same year tho Senecas.
ehswnees and 0uapaws relinQuished parts Of
theif small reservations next the Missouri line,
and the coded portions were feasSigned to de-
tachments Of tho Wyandottes. Ostawas, Peo-
Has; Eosk6slias, Meas, Piankashaws and N
amis. Subsequently, by act Of Congress. tie
Osages received . reservation upon the Chero-
kee lands Immediately west Of III 96th
meridian. Small reservations were Also as
signed the Kickapoos, Iowas and Wichitas ovt
Of the lands eeded BY the Creeks, and the Paw
nees, Kansas, Nee Ferees; Poncas Otoes and
MissOuris were settled on small tyasts west Of
the Cherokees This is an epitome st thS g.:
Enlistment 50 far OF Indian tribes In and
upon the Innian Territory. and it Is the country
thus coded by the five civilized tribes out Of
which 1t Is proposed to carve the territory Of
Oklahoma, and give II . government under the
terms Of the bill introduced by Mr.. Springer of
Illinois, adding thereto the public land strip
known as No-Man's.Land.
The arguments In favor Of organizing the
territory Of Oklahoma were ably and elabof-
ately stated by Hon Isaac S. Struhle, Of
Iowa In speech made In the House Of Rep
resentatives on June 8, 1856 1t was prefaced
by quotation from the remarks made by Hon
]. b. q: Atkins Commissioner Of Indian Az
fairs, in his annual report, % fellows:
"What political development lies tsfofe the
Indians Of the Indian Territory, it is imp0ssi.
BILE to- fOresee; but one thing is evident, the
idea Of maintaining permanently an in,pe-
rum In hRperi0. such as now exists, must in
some respects be abandoned The idea Of
Indian nationality is fast melting away, and
the more intelligent Indians are themselves
awaiting to that fact. In word, the Indians in
up their tribal relations. take their lands in
severalty, and to all intents and purposes
become citizens of the United States
and be amenable to its laws, as well as enjoy
all of its high and distinguished privileges.
When that is done they will be prepared to
dispose Of the surplus lands they may own to
the best advantage 10 themselves and in spirit
pro bono publtco'
General Miles, referring to this question,
said: The Indian Territory is now q block IN
the path Of civilization. It Is preserved to
perpetuate mongrel race far removed from
the influences of Civilizations refuge for the
outlaws and indolent of whites, blacks and
Mexicans."
Secretary Teller said: Treaties impossible
OF ful6llment or contrary to the public inter
est should be modified or repealed No more
treaties should be made or statutes enacted
according to agreements made with the IN
dian. II he has more land Than he needs, he
must surrender the excess, and it can not be
left to him to determine either the amount he
ought to retain or the price he ought to re-
ceive. He 10 incapable Of determining such
weighty questions: they should be deter
mined by the legislative branch Of the Gov
eminent, or by some suitable tribunal created
for that purpose. To many Of the reserva-
tons he has no title whatever and 10 but the
occupant thereof by executive favor. Such
occupants oug ht not to be Left landless, neither
should they be allowed to hold large tracts not
necessary for their support, and Of which they
make little or no use.'
Mr.. Struble took the ground that at the time
the policy Of settling the Indians on territory
west Of the Mississippi river was first pro-
5ected It was not thought possible, and could
hardly have been foreseen by even our wisest
statesmen, that the vast plains Of the far away
West would ever become the perma-
nent homes of millions of prosperous and hap
Ply citizens Of the Republio-that the barren
plains of the great American desert would be-
come the garden Of the new world. Neverthe-
less, It Is q matter Of establishment that the
able legislators, who not only laid the founda-
tions Of our present Indian policy, but as
sisted in carrying the same into effect,
should have 50 legislated in relation to any of
the aborigincs Of this country that the time
would ever come when in the very heart of the
Republic there would be found an empire capa-
BILE Of sustaining millions Of people, yet reserved
for the exclusive occupancy Of outlaws, cow
boys, cattle and only about 900 Indians.
It was also o matter of wonder that o sys
tenn should have been allowed 20 grow
up, under which this remnant Of Indians
could claim exclusive ownership to such
vast domain, and. not only this, but con-
front Congress and the people with the as
sumption that they are body Of people
wholly independent of the power and control
Of the great Government which is supreme
over every other foot Of soil within its
boundaries-this, not only as to such lands as
these Indians have never coded back to
the United States, but as respects every foot
Territory, which they assert, can never include
either themselves or any Of those lands within
the jurisdiction OF any State or Territory.