Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-25

ments, and a general adjustment of all
disputes between the Indians and the
government, between the several
tribes. and between the Indians and
the 100000 white non-citizen residents
of the Indian Territory towns. 1t was
a stupendous undertaking, but neither
the government nor the commissioners
fully realized the difficulties that were
to he encountered. They have now a
much better understanding of the
same and, having reached the end of
their forbearance. the report they will
make to Washington this month will
deal plainly with facts and venture
some recommendations which, to say
the least, will be considered radical.
The Dawes commissioners. however,
have had nearly four years experience
in this matter. They have probed the
claims of all parties to the bottom.
They have an accurate knowledge of
conditions in the territory. They know
now that no treaty can ever be made
with any Indian commission appointed
to meet with them. for the simple rea-
son that the Indian legislatures are
easily controlled by men who are prof
it1HS ny PiCSclt SOuuIlfOIlS anu WIlo uO
not want allotment or a change in the
form of government of the territory.
These men put up the necessary
money. and it takes very little to buy
an Indian Legislature. and the treaty
is defeated.
1t was eighteen months before the
Indians would consent to treat the
Dawes commission seriously and it was
not until April. 1897, a treaty was ac-
tually made with commission ap-
pointed by any one of the five tribes.
The Choctaws and Chickasaws,
through a commission, agreed upon a
plan for the allotment of their land,
the settlement of all claims, the aban-
donment of tribal government and
fealty to a territorial government Or
ganized under the constitution of the
United States. These treaties have not
been ratified by the tribes as a whole
and will not be. The Cherokees, in
spired by the example thus set them,
appointed commission, which went
into session with the Dawes commits
sioners. This conference lasted for
weeks and was complete failure. A
Creek commission came to an under
standing with the Dawes commission,
but the Creek house of kings and house
of warriors, or in other words, the
Creek Legislature, promptly and
unanimously rejected the proposed
treaty. The Seminoles had indicated a
willingness to treat but theresults in
the Creek nation have changed the
outlook and the results will be the
same in the Seminole nation.
There are no blanket Indians in the
five tribes and the population is divided
about as follows: Full FLOODED Indians.
5000; breeds. 5000; negroes. $500. and
adopted white citizens, 5000. The full
bloOds are nOn-prOgressive and few of
them speak English. The breeds range
from half to a very slight trace of In
dian blood. They all speak English, most
of them are fairly well educated. and this
class furnishes the politicians of the ma
tiOns. The negroes are descendants of
the slaves owned by the Indians before
the war and are Industrious but have no
sense of the responsibilities of citizen
ship. They are content to be let alone
The adopted white citizens are mostly
traders and are very prosperous. having
a full perception of the advantage their
Indian citizenship gives them in coun-
try where there are 100000 whites without
done by the negroes and the breeds as
get a bare living. The entire citizen pop
in severalty as it ever Will be, and every