Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-12-04

cooperation between the Government
and the mission schools, which hal
wrought much good, should be cordially
and impartially sustained.
THE SIOUX COMMISSION.
The last Congress enacted distinc
law relating to negotiations with tht
Sioux Indians of Dakota, for relin
quishment of portion of their lands t.
the United States, and for dividing thu
remainder into separate reservations
Both were approved on the same day
March I'd. The one submitted to the
Indians, a specific proposition; the othel
(Section 8 of the Indian Appropriation
Act), authorized the President to appoint
three commissioners to negotiate with
these Indians for the accomplishment o!
the same general purpose, aud required
that any sgi cement arrived at should be
submitted to Congress for ratification.
On the 10th day OF April last APP
pointed Hon. Charles Foster, of Ohio,
Hon. William Warner, Of Missouri, and
Major. General George Crook, of the
United States army, commissioners ua-
der the last-naned provision. They
were, however, authorized aud directed
first to submit to the Indians the definite
proposition made to them by the act fret
mentioned, and only in the event of a
failure to secure the assent of the requi.
site number to the proposition, to
open negotiations for the modified
terms under the act. The work
of the commission was prolonged and
arduous, but the ascent of the requisite
number was, it is eaid, finally obtained
to the proposition made by Congress,
although the report of the commission
has not yet been submitted. In view Of
thesa facts shall not as ct present ad.
vised deem it necessary to submit the
agreement to Congress for ratification,
but 1t will in due course be submitted for
information. This agreement releases to
the United States about nine million
acres of land.
THE CHEROKEE LANDS.
The commission provided for by Sec
ton IA Of the Indian Appropriation bill,
to negotiate with the Cherokee Indians
and all other Indians owning or claiming
lands lying west of the ninety-sixth de-
gree of longitude, for the cession to the
United States of all such lands, was
constituted by the appointment of Hon.
Lucius Fairchild, Hon. John f. Hart.
rant. of Pennsylvania, and Hon. Alfred
M. Wilson, of Arkansas, and organized
on June 10Th, last. Their first confer
ence with the representatives of the
Cherokees was held at Tahlequah, July
29sh, with no definite result. General
John F. Hartranft, of Pennsylvania, was
prevented by i'll health from taking part
in the conference. His death, which has
occurred recently, is Justly and gener-
ally lamented by people he has served
with conspicuous gallantry in war, and
with great fidelity in peace. The vacancy
thus created was filled by the appoint
ment of Hon. Warren G. Sayer, Of Indi-
ana.
A second conference between the com
mission and tho Cherokees was begun
November OH, but no results have yet
been obtained, nor is it believed that
conclusion can be Immediately expected.
The cattle syndicate now occupying the
lands for grazing purpose is clearly one
OF the agencies responsible for the
obstruction of our negotiations with the
Cherokees.
The large body of agricultural lands
constituting what is known as the
Cherokee Outlet" ought not to be, and
cannot long be held for grazing and for
the advantage of few against the
public interests, and the best advantage
of the Indians themselves, and the
United States has now under it's treaties
certain rights in these lands. These will
not be used oppressively butt cannot be
allowed that those who by sufferance
occupy these lands shall interpose to
defeat the wise and benefcent purposes
of the Government. l cannot but be-
lieve that the advantageous character of
the offer made by the United States to
the Cherokee Nation for full release of
these lands, as compared with other
suggestions now made to them, will yet
obtain for it favorable consideration.
THE OCCUPATION OF OKLAHOMA.
Under the agreement made between
the United States and Muskogee Cor
Greek) Nation, the 10th day of January,
1888, an absolute title was secured by
the United States o..about three million
and half acres of land.
Section IL Of the general Indian appro-
priation act, approved March 2, 1889,
made provision for the purchase by the
United States from the Seminole tribe of
a certain portion of their land. The
delegates of the Seminole Nation, having
FIRST duly evidenced to me their power to
act in that behalf, delivered proper re-
lease and conveyance to the use OF all
the lands mentioned in the act, which
was accepted by me and certified to be in
compliance with the statute. By the
term of the act referred to, all the lands
80 purchased were declared to be q part
of the public domain and open to settle
ment under the Homestead law, but some
of the land embraced in their
purchases (being in the aggregate about
five and half million acres) had already
under the terms of the treaty of 1865
been acquired by the United States for
the purpose of settling other Indian
tribes thereon, and had been appropri-
ated to that purpose. The land remain
ing and available for settlement con-
sisted of l 1887, 1895 acres, surrounded on
all sides by lands in the occupancy of
Indian tribes. Congress had provided
no civil government for the people who
were to be invited by my proclamation
to be settlers upon these lands, except
as the new court which had been es.
tabiished at Muscogee, or the United
States Court in some of the adjoining
States had power to enforce the general
laws Of the United States.
Under this condition of things I was
quite reluctant to open the lands to settle
ment, but in view of the fact that several
thousand persons, many of them With
their families, had gathered upon the
borders of the Indian Territory, with a
view of securing homesteads on the coded
land ovI tbof dolou xuoulA snuoluo III a m