OCR Text |
Show 12 REPORT OF THE dians that the trade and intercourse law be extended over their reser-vations, in order to enable the department and its agents to protect them from improper interference by lawless white persons, and to prevent the fatal traffic with them in intoxicating liquors. I regret to state that no prdgress has yet been made in carrying out the provision in the act of March 3, 1851, for " collecting and estab-lishing the Southern Comanches, Wichitas, and certain other bands of Indians, on reservations to be located south of the Arkansas river and west of the ninety-eighth degree of longitude." Those Indians are wild and lawless in their disposition and habits, and cannot be brought together without danger of difficulties occurring among them-selves or of their committing forays upon the western Choctaws and Chickasaws, with whom they will be brought into close proximity, and whom we are bound, by treaty stipulations, to protect from such casualties, A strong military force at the proper point in the region of country where it is intended to settle them, is absolutely necessary to hold in check and control them, and to afford the requisite protection to the agent appointed to take them in charge. And until it shall be in the power of the War Department to furnish such a force for that purpose no successful efforts can be made to carry out the intention of the above quoted provision. Not even the agency for those Indians can until then be established, as, for the necessary security among Indians solawless and treacherous, it must be in the immediate vicinity of the post which it is the understanding shall be located there as soon as troops are available to occupy it. A bitter controversy having arisen among the Choctawa, growing out of a reorganination of their government, and it being likely to lead to serious dacnlty, if not domestic strife and bloodshed, the de-artment was compelled to interpose for the purpose of arresting it. &he occurrence was the more to be regretted because of the excellent character of the Choctaws and their uniform good conduct heretofore. I am happy to state, however, that the difficulty appeare to have been amicably arranged and settled by the judicious course pursued by Superintendent Rector, acting under the positive instructions given to him by your direction, a copy of which is herewith. With the exception of this disturbance among the Choctaws peace and good order have continued to prevail among all the different tribes of the southern superintendency. Much credit is also due to the sameofficer for his judicious management in effecting the removal last spring of nearly the whole of the Seminoles in Florida to the country set apart for them west of Arkansas, au object whioh the government had, at an expense of many millions of dollars, been working for more than twenty years to accomplish, but with only partial success. It is, fnr-ther, highly commendable that his operations were conducted with the most rigid economy, but a comparatively trifling amount having been expended by him, and much less than the department apprehended would be required. He is under instructions to return to Florida for the purpose of removing the few Indians who could not he found when he was there last spring, but who have since made their appearance end manifested a wish to follow their brethren to their home in the west. |