OCR Text |
Show COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 11 The formidable difficulties by which they have been surrounded will not, I trust, be overlooked by a benignant and paternal government. While they have been + plied with promises, deceived by false representations, and terrified by menaces on the part of the rebels, they have beheld the withdrawal of the troopsehat had so long been amongst them for their protection, the treason of the officers by whom those troops were commanded, as well as of the agents of the govern-ment, upon whose counsels they have so long been taught to rely. Indeed, the only matter of surprise to me is, that they have not more readily and heartily espoused the cause of the rebels. From all the evidences in my possession, I feel a~suredth at the degree of loyalty amongst them is far greater than amongst the whites of most of the rebellious States; and it is in this belief that I desire to have the power, whenever circumstances will justify it, to give them evidence of the still kindly interest of the government in their welfare, and its desire for a restoration of the intimate relations which have so long subsisted between them and the United States and their people. Underdirect instructions fromthe President to submit in person the amendments made by the Senate at its late session to the Delaware treaty of May 30,1860, I left Washington for that purpose in thelatter part of August last. On my arrival in Kansas I visited the tribe at their reservation, and explained to them, in open council, the proposed amendments to their treaty, to which they readily assented, inasmuch as said amendments are designed to give them additional security for the faithful performance, on the part of the Fort Leavenworth, Fort Riley, Pawnee, and Western Railroad Company, of the treaty stipulations. I found this tribe much further advanced in civilization than I had been led to suppose. A large proportion of them have adopted the customs, dress, and habits of the whites, and are in possession of comfortable dwellings and well cultivated farms. They number at present 1,034, and their personal property averwes almost one tl~ousand dollars to each individual. Many of them have become traders with other Indians, both reclaimed and wild, and travel even to the boundaries of California. The troubles of the times have of late brought most of these wanderers home. Some of the more thrifty of the farmers hold more than a hundred acres subject to the low, and there is under cultivation land enough to give an average of upwar%s of three arable acres to each member of the tribe. Last year, like all other cultivators in Kansas. their crons were deficientthis vear thev will have a anrplns for marker. The nrore ind;atriuua elass are eapec$lly gralified ill tln: asrignrncur to rllem in severalty of their homrs, and in bring thrrehy securrd in rile tniownent of the fruits of their own induatrv. There are. l~owevrr.urno~~vsr the tribemany who are unwilling to give up their old habits,jnd who in& upon continuing their tribal relations, refusing to select for themselves the lands to which they are entitled, and claiming that they will be happier wit11 their lands in common. This idea was insisted upon so strenuously that I thought it best, after giving notice a proper length of time, to discontinue the making of further allotments for the time being, that the disaffected may have time to re-flect and profit by the example of those who have been more wise in securing to themselves fixed and permanent homes. I have no doubt that a short time will suffice to satisfy them of their error, and that e,ventually all, or nearly so, will make selections of land. An excellent school has been established for some yeas amongst the members of this tribe, under the patronage of the American Baptist Missionary Union, and the immediate superintendence of Rev. John G. Pratt, and to this, in a great degree, may be attributed the superior advancement of a majority of its members in the arts of civilization. The school buildings are plain and commo-dious. I was so unfortunate as to make my visit during a vacation of the school, but the fruits of the good seed sown were everywhere apparent. I availed myself of my visit to the Delawares to visit several other tribes in |