OCR Text |
Show Miasissippi in point of wealth. They held livge numbers of slaves, and many" of them owned droves of cattle m~mberedb y thoma&. Their eonntry is eon-sidered one of the finest agricultural and gazing regions within our borders, and has proven to the rebels a sonree of immense supplies for tbeir armies. Since my last annual report their old chief, 0-poth-la-ya-ho-la, has deceased. During the last half century the influence of this chief hm been second to no other among the soutbern tribes. Re was ever the firm and unwavering friend of the whites, and to his infhrence, as much as that of any other man, is due the fact tbat so great a proportion of his people have never hesitated in their loyalty. believing that the treaty recently negotiated with the Creeks is just in i t s . L provisions, andembodies a policy wlrich, so far as practicable, should be adopted-by the U.nited Statesln readjusting its relations with the tribes of this superin-tendency, I bespeak for it a careful consideration. Its main features Itre a6 fullows : First. Perpetual peace between the contracting parties, and between the :. Creeks and other Indians, the United Statee stipulating that all necessary pro-tection shall be furnished to secure the Creeks from hostilities on the part of other Indians. Second. The "necessi.ty, justice, and hnmanitp" of the emancipation procla-mation of Jmuary 1, 1863, is expressly recognized, and the Creeks solemnly co~enant tbat henceforth slavery in tbeir midst shall cease, and agree to set apart a suitable portion of tbeir country for the occupation of the freed men, and dl others of the African race who shall be permitted to settle among them. Third. A cession of about seven hundred square miles of their territory for the use and occupation of such other tnies now resident in the States and Territories as may hereufter he agreed npon, for which'the United States agree to pay them five per cent. per annum on the sum of two hundred thousand dollars in money, or such mechanical or other useful articles as may be deter-mined upon by the Secretary of the Interior, and to guarantee them the quiet possession of the remainder of their country. Fourth. A provision for an equitable compensation of the loyal, and none other, for such losses of property (other than slaves) as they have sustained in consequence of the rebellion, and our failure to comply with farmer treaty stip-ulations. Fifth. The utter exclnsion of all persons who have engaged in this rebellion from all offices of profit and trust in the nation. The Chickasaws and Choctaws, until recently, have been snpposed to be almost unanimously in favor of the rebellion, only about three hundred of the latter having come within our lines. These are now upon the Sac and Fox reservation, under charge of Agent Coleman. With them, as with all the other refugees, the change from the comfortable houses, theabundant supply of fruits, vegetables, fresh meats, and, indeed, all other necessaries of .life which they enjoyed in their own country, to their present mode of life, has been productive |