St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-30
THE NEW LANDS.


lay in opening the Sioux reservation
after the assent of the Indians had been
obtained to the congressional act. The
proclamation of the president should
have been issued as soon as he could be
appriSed that the stipulatiOnS of the act
had been met. The lands will. of course.
be open to settlers before the winter is
past. The indications are now. how
ever, that the surplus lands of the Sis
Setons may he available at the same
time. and will absorb large part of the
earliest immigration. The committee
that is now in negotiation with the In
dianS has one or more residents of the
vicinity on it, who will infuse energy
and CELEBRITY into the movement; and
the strong representation from South
Dakota in congress will see that there
is the least possible delay in any action
requisite at Washington. The obstacles
that delayed the perfecting of agree
ments with the Sioux do not exist
in this case. There are no SITTING
BULLS and old ignoramuses among the
SiSSetOns. They have been all the time
ready to turn over the land they do not
need to the government when they
could secure satisfaction of their just
claims. When the allotment act was
passed they ut once filed their claims
for l60 acres for each adult and eighty
for those under aye. But the govern
ment has not issued them any patents.
and those who then could take but
eighty acres are now of age and want
hu ft,II I'm.
tons were sLaunch friends of the govern
ment and gave the Union cause valn-
able aid. A company of them served as
scouts under Gen. SIBLEY, and Chief
RENvTI.LE raised an Indian re 5iment at
the time Of the Sioux outbreak. They
were promised pay, but none has ever
been received. Their annuitieS also
were suspended by congress for several
years. and they ask for back pay. They
have been badly treated. and are quite
right in insisting that justice shalt be
done them before they go further in sur
rendering their valuable lands. Under
the direction of the commission now in
the field, it is believed that all the diff
culties will soon be obviated and the
lands thrown open to settlement.
There are about a million acres, of
which the Indians will retain perhaps
100000. leaving ali area of SJ0.000 acres
for white settlement. These are under
stood to be among the most fertile and
desirable lands in South Dakota, al
though possibly not quite the paradise
pictured by the representatives of
neighbnring towns interested in their
rapid occupancy. They are surrounded
OH all sides by a well-Settled country,
and convenient to railroads. There are
upon the lands, or in mirages visible to
writers, beautiful waters, springs of
marvellous virtue, envirOned with pict-
uresque scenery and unmeaSured min
eral richness. But whether modern
Canaan or not, there will be a good deal
of an Oklahoma fiOcking in that direc-
ton when the lines are down. These
SiSSetOnS are somewhat peculiar pen-
pie. They have been fortunate enough
to acquire the hOmely and substantial
virtues of civilization without the vices.
The school books, if well advised, say
they are noted tor sobriety, intellige nee
and peaceful disposition. They have
most of the comforts and institutions of
their white neighOors, and more churches
and practical religion tn any other
community of l,500 people in any land.
They have had government of their
own, with wise and discreet leaders,
like Chief RENVILLE: but under the
new dispensation they will be simply
fellow citizens of tawny complexion
and unknown descent.