OCR Text |
Show 14 REPOBT OF THE to me to be ample and conclusive, that Congress repeal this act of the territorial legislature. The objects contemplated to be attained by holding a council with the Blackfeet and other wild tribes on the head waters of the Mis-souri river, for which provision was made in the act of July 31,1854, were confided to Superintendent Alfred Cumming of the central, Joel Palmer, superintendent of the Orkgon, and Governor Isaac I. Stevens, ex officio superintendent of the Washington Territory snperintend-ency, they having been designated by the direction of the President, as the officers of the Indian Department, for that service. The gen-eral objects desirable to be accomplished by the negotiations with which those officers are charged, is the establishment of well defined and permanent relations of amity between the Indian tribes of that region and the United States, and a general pacification of the Indians among themselves. The commissioners were instructed to have these objects in view in any stipulations which may be agreed on, and to have proper regard in the negotiations, not only to the peculiar habits and situation of those Indians, but to the general policy of the gov-ernment and the future growth of the population of the United States in that direction. They were also directed to avail themselves of the occasion of their visit to that region, to procure a census of each tribe, and to note all that they might learn respecting the habits, charac-teristics and history of each, and make such observations of the soil, climate and natural features of the country, as might be specially useful to the government or contribute to the general fund of know-ledge. Owing to the urgency of his other official engagements, Superintendent Palmer did not enter upon the duties of the commis-sion. Governor Stevens arrived at Fort Benton July 26, having trav-elled direct across from Washington Territory, and Superintendent Cumming also reached there a few days subsequently, after a prosper- L ous voyage from Saint Louis. A communication from the commis-sioners, dated Fort Benton, Angust 29, 1855, was received here on the first of November, from which it would appear that they had every p~ospecot f succeeding fully in their plans, and the grave duties with which the commission is charged. It is expected that these duties will have been completed, and that the result, and the pro-ceedings and iournal of the colnmissioners map be looked for here bv the firit of January next. The annual reuort from the suuerintendent of Indian affairs in California has not been received here. It however appears from the current correspondence from that superintendency that the Indians of the State are generally quiet except in the northern part. Occasional difficulties have occurred between the whites and Indians in the mining regions, but pacific relations have resulted in most instances by the intervention of the agents of the department where there were such, and in the neigh%orhood of forts by the commands stationed thereat. It appears from the most reliable information received here, that the whites in the mining regions are quite as much in fault for the atate of thin s that exist there as the Indians; the appearance of an Indian being tie signal for an assault upon him, and every petty Indian theft |