Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-12-09

the executory conditions contained in
treaties with these nations have for the
most part become impossible of execution.
Nor has it been possible for the tribal gov
ernments to secure to each individual
Indian his full enjoyment in common with
other Indians OF the common property of
the nations. Friends of the Indians have
long believed that the best interests of the
Indians of the five civilized tribes would
be found in American citizenship, with all
the rights and privileges which belong to
that condition
The Dawes Commission.
By section 16 of the act of March 3, 1898,
the president was authorized TO appoint
three commissioners to enter into negotia-
tons with the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chicka-
saw, Muskogee Tor Creek and Seminole ma
tons. commonly known as the Five Civ
ilized Tribes in the Indian territory. Brief
ly, the purposes of the negotiations were
to be: The extingaishment of tribal titles
to any lands within that territory now
tribes, either by cession of the same or
some part thereof to the United States or
by allotment and division of the same in
tions or tribes respectively as may be en-
titled to the SANG, or by such other method
as may be agreed upon between the sew
eral nations and tribes aforesaid, or each
of them with the United States, with
view to such an adjustment upon the basis
of justice and equity as may, with the con-
as may be necessary, be requisite and suit
able to enable the ultimate creation OF
a state or states of the union, which SHAH
embrace the lands within said Indian ter
rtory.
The commission met much opposition
from the beginning. The Indians were
tested a decided disinclination. to meet
with favor the propositions submitted to
them. A little more than three years after
this organization the commission effected
an agreement with the Choctaw nation
alone. The Chickasaws, however, refused
to agree to its sterms. and as they have
q mr. int writ (NhnRt a
the lands of said nations, the agreement
with the latter nation could have no eff
feet without witt ~ the consent Of the former n
an agreement with both tribes-the Choc-
taws and Chckasaws. This agreement,
it is understood, has been ratified by the
constituted authorities of the respective
tribes or nations parties thereto, and only
requires ratification by congress to make
It binding. On the 9th Of September. 1897.
an agreement was effected with the Creek
nation. but It is understood that the ma
tional council of said nation has refused
to be had with the Cherokees, the most
populous Of the Five Civilized tribes, and
with the Semnoles, the smallest in point
OF numbers and territory.
The provision in the Indian appropriation
act approved June 10, 1885, makes it the
duty or the commission to investigate and
determine the rights of applicants for
commission is at present engaged in this
work among the tribes and has made APP
pom lIueHlS LOT TAKING the census OF these
people up to and including the S0th, of the
present month Should tho agreement be-
tween the Choctaws and Chickasaws be
ratified by congress and should the other
tribes fail to make an agreement with the
commission, then it will be necessary that
some legislation shall be had by congress,
which, while just and honorable to the In
dams, shall be equitable to the white peo-
pie who have settled upon these lands by
invitation of the tribal nations. Hon. Hen
ry L.. Dawes, chairman of the commission,
in a letter to the secretary Of the interior,
under date of October H. 1897, says:
individual ownership is in their (the
commissioner opinion absolutely essen
tial to any permanent Improvement In
present conditions, and the lack of it is
the root of nearly all the evils which so
grievously affiict these people. Allotment
by agreement is the only possible method,
unless the United States courts are clothed
with the authority to apportion the lands
among the citizen Indians for whose
use it was originally granted"
1 concur with the secretary of the interior
that there can be no cure for the evils en-
gendered by the perversion OF these great
trusts excepting by their resumption by
the government which created them.