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Show I ' REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 55 western Kansas. The authority of the head chiefs, who signed the treaties, is lightly regarded by those who commit these crimes, and it is not certain that they hare the power to arrest and deliver over the criminals to thegovernmeut. In snch case it becomes difficult to decide as to how far the department is jnq-tified in refitsing to deliver the promised annuities. Such refusal is likely to exasperate that portion of the tribes now friendly, and to induce an Indian war, with its terrible barbarities and enormous expense to the government. SOUTHERN SUPERINTENDENCY. Affairs in this superintendency, composing the tribes and nations belonging to the Indian country south of Kansas, and the Osages, residing upon a large reservation wrthin the limits of that State, have been in such peculiar condition f lr nearly the whole period since my last annnal repora that we are without official data for such statement of the present condition of the Indians as has been usual; and asno annual report is received from the late superintendent, Mr. Sells, who resigned to take effect October 1 instant, and whose successor has been appointed, but who has not yet been qualified and taken possession of the offire, we are further embarrassed in the preparation of our summary at the I - - present time. The Cherokees, Creeks, Seminoles, Choctaws and Chickasaws, were all represented in this city from January till late in the summer, and the treaty arrangements finally consr~mmated with them have been fully mentioned here-tofore in this reoort. The ~eonle of the various tribes. meanwhile, remained L L in their own condtry, to a considerable ext,ent dependent upon the government for t,he means to keep them from actual suffering; the condition of themselve~ and their country, as described in the annual report of last year, being such as to preclude the possibility of their doing anything of consequence last year for their own support. It was necessary, therefore, to supply them with the means of subsistence until they could raise a crop. As to the success which has attended'their efforts in that directiou, this office is not advised ; but entertains the hope that, with the return of peace, and the settlement of the disturbances among-blmm arising from the late war, they will speedily recover their former pr6sperons condition. Indeed, we may fairly gofurther than this, and predict that, under tile plbvisiona of their late treat,ies, they will now make more rapid progress than before in all the elements of Christian civilization. The Witchitas and affiliated tribes, who formerly resided in the country leased fi.om the Choctaws, were taken back to their former homes, and, as this office was advised in Plarch, were preparing to plant their crops, but were hin-dered in their work for want of necessa~yim plements. The agent also reported great destitntion among them. Whiskey had been brought among them by Indians from Kansas, and had made much ti.ouhle. It is a common practice for unruly spirits, impatient of the restraints of civilization, or ot,her parties, disl~arteuedb y the manner in which they liave haen plundered by ~nnscropuloua whites in ICansas, to leave their reservations and proceed to the Indian country, joinit~g the bands herein referred to ; so that it is a difficult agency to manage s.atisfactorily. .\mong these people are also fragments of tribes from Texas, as the Tonkawss, Liyaus, S.C., and the Caddoes and Comanches are repreeeuted among them. new ageut has recently been appoiuted for thrre Indinus, and we may expect to ohtitin shortly some.o$cial information as to tlicir cosdition.* With the Osages, and other Indians of the Neosho agency, we have kept up more frequent co~nmunication; and reference under the Lend of 6'Indian trea- , ties" has been already made to the arrangements consummated with that tribe. The Quapaws, Seneci~s,audC onfederated Senecas and Shawnees, have been engaged quietly upou tl~riro l&r eservations, and nothiug of special interest has ~ - *For se<-ern1 reports from this superintendener see Appendix. |