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Show , . OOMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIBS. 25 delegates .from Red lake being embarrassed by promises they had given to the members of the band whe remained at home. .The.com-missioners state that, from information that has- reached them, it is believed negotiations could be, resumed with reasonable prospect of 1 SUCCeSB. After the return of the Chippewas to thlir bomes, the cbiefs of the Red lake band, after consultation with their people, communicated to their agent the conclusion to which they had arrived, and asked that they might be afforded another opportunity for negotiating a treaty. Information has reached this office that the Pembina Indians-those of Red river-had made a similar request, and had agreed to conclude articles of agreement and convention for a cession of their lands. , The attention of the department was called to this subject in a letter addressed to you by the Hon. Henry M. Rice, of dated September 29, 1860, who expressed the opinionthat cipal objection to a treaty" had been removed, and invoked the aid of the government to effect the object conteinplated by Congress. The importance of negotiating,with tbe,Red Lake and Red River Chippewas, and the advantages to be secured by entering into treat1 stipulations with them, are set forth in my last annnal report. I therefore recommend that steps maybe taken, at an early day, forthe purpose of effecting a treaty with these tribes. As early as the year 1849 it was contended by the office of Indian affairs that the capability of the Indian for self-government was no longer a problem ; that although, with some tribes, all efforts for their civilization had proved unavailing, yet, with others, the fostering care of the government accomplished the main design of substituting the pursuits of civilized for those of savage life, and impressed their minds with elevated modes of thought which gave' them a proper appreciation of moral responsibility; and the future to them wass promising. Again, in 1851, it was inslsted that history furnished abuadant oroof that the Indian wossessed all the elements essential to his elevs- &on to all the powerLand s-ympathies which appertain to his white brother, and which only need proper development to enable him to tread with equal step and dignity the walks of civilized life. But the direction to be taken for that develo~ment was a question which had never received a satisfactory answer. The magnitude of the subject and the difficulties connected with it seemed to have bewildered the minds of those who had attemwted its investi~ation: and then. oer-haps, for the first time, the idea was entertaivned that any of civilization would be defective if it did not provide in some efficient manner for concentration and domestication. Upon that suggestion my redecessors have acted, and it has be-come the policy to locate a tri%e within such limits as would not at first, or too suddenly, change the modes and manners of hunter life for purely agricultural, yet, at the same time, compel the memhels to labor in part forsubsistence; and, as they become habitusted'to labor, gradually to restrict their possessions and finally to divide their reaerv-ations in severalty, giving to them distinct and separate farms, and |