Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1894-04-19
THE TELLER COMMITTEE.
Remarkable Addresses Delivered
at South McAlester.

At South McAlester on the 11th
inst. the senatorial committee con-
sisting of Senators Teller, Platt
and Roach and also the Dawes
commission were given a public
and brilliant reception. Speeches
were made by all the gentlemen
belonging to both bodies except
Senator Roach who was sick and
Col. McKennon, who was absent
in Arkansas. The most notable
speeches were those of Messrs.
Teller of Colorado and Platt of
Connecticut.
Senator Teller said in substance,
that in entering into treaties be
tween nations, it was always un-
derstood that either party could
withdraw from the treaty when it
became necessary for his interest.
That all nations had the right to
abrogate treaty they had entered
into and it was not breach of faith
to do so. That an abrogation of a
treaty was not a violation of a
treaty,-that abrogation of a treaty
and a violation were two different
things and that the United States
might abrogate all the treaties with
the five civilized tribes without be-
ing accused Of violating them. But
in doing SO it would not affect the
title to the lands ceded TO the In
dians in the treaty. The title OF
property was a vested right, and
could not be taken from the Indian
without injustice, and an injustice
congress would never permit. That
nations made treaties for what
were good reasons existing at the
time the treaties were made, and
at the time these treaties were
made there were good reasons for
making them, but these reasons
have long ceased to exist. The
abrogation of the treaties gave con.
gress no trouble. put the perplex-
ing question was the disposition of
the property rights. At the time
these treaties were made there
were no white men in this country
and no one supposed there ever
would be, and there were no rail-
roads running through the terri
tory, and no towns, but now white
people had settled all around the
five tribes and railroads and towns
had been built in many places. He
further said that these treaties had
been so hagrantly disregarded and
violated by the Indians that they
should not be heard to complain
even if congress should wipe them
out. 1t was agreed in the treaties
that white people would not be al
lowed in the territory, but there
we're many thousand here by inn
piled or expressed invitation of the
Indians, and their labor had made
nearly all the improvements ex-
istlng in the territory, and il is the
presence of these white people
around and in the territory that is
making all the trouble. That there
were now 100000 white people
here, and in a short time there
would be 100000. That the In.
dians could not invite the white
people here and then ask the gov.
ernment TO take them out. Thal
by the treaties the lands were held
in common by all the Indians, each
one having the same right in all
the land OF his tribe. That the In,
dian government had authorized
and allowed white men and a few
Indians TO monopolize by fencing
up nearly all the best land and ex
clude the real Indian from any
benefit Of it. This, OF itself, was
violation Of the treaties, and vic
lation Of the rights Of the poorer
class Of Indians, and would justify