OCR Text |
Show .,9 ppcw1 i.r·. souri. In this dc,achcd situalion, it e~tnnot be <'XJI('ctcd that they Will COmply Wi( h :tll,Y of the ~tipulat ions of tiH•it•}i<•cn. cs. rJ'hc supcl'int<'ntlant of St. Louis, disl~nt t.'i$!:hllaundJ'etl or a t1wusaud mil<'", cannot Jc•ar·u wlaPtlH'J' theJ Inn<· fol'fejtcd I he penalty of tlH··r· liN•mws 01' 110(: they lllay, th<'I'CfOl'e, vend ~u·d<'llt !->pi•·its, (•ou1pr·omit lite goventn,<·ut . ol'thc chat·aet Cl' of' flw \\bitt's, in the c. U Illation of tlae Judiau , 01' JH'aC(l('C any Olht.'l' e t•illH.'!oi in t•eJation to jJw..;c J)CO~lh•, Winlnut the ft'ill' of d('l cd ion m· punislwaeut . The :.;-ovc·r·nmcnt caunot '' ith }>!'OJll i<'fy, sa) to those tr a<h·r·s. tl1a1 IJH'J !!hall tt·a<lc at villat;t.'S, '' la<•n in r·c•alit_y thc·y do HOt c~i 1; nor· can the.y for· a moment, l IH·c..·~ume, thiuk or ineunin'" the ex- ~ lH'IISC or ~emlill," an ludian agent with t.':l,(•!J tratll'r, to SCC that lae coaumit. no hna.dl oft lac slipulations of his licen se. 'l'fH·s<' (l'adt•r·s naust of t·ou•·se be tn·ought to~··ether·, at so1uc gen<'l'al points, wlat·re it will he <'onveuicut for scvcJ'al nation-; to trade "ith tlH'nt. and whm·c tJwy <~an be plact•d un· der· (}!{' <'j"C ofan I atlian agent, whose duty it should he to sec that tltry <'OinJ>Iy "ith the rrgulations laid down for tlu•il· r.:;ovt•t·mnrnt. There m·c crimes which may hr committ d '' ithout a lweat'h of om· present Jaws, and which make it nct·ess~u·y that some furthet· J'C!:>trictions tlmn those COlli ai1wtl in the present licenses or OIU' tradeJ'S, should rit her be added mu.lc1· {trnaltics in those licenses, OJ' puuishcd by way of a tlis<·•·etionavy power·, lodged in tllr supct·intendent, extending to the exclu~ion or SUt'h iudi\ idua! ~ rr•OJ!J the Indian trade. Of this dcsCJ·iption I shall here enumerate tbt•t•e: I•'irst, Tlnlt of hol(ling conve1·sations '"ith 1l:c Indians, tcntling to b1·ingour r.;ovc.>r·mncnt into disrepute among them, and to a1it•nat<' theit· affections f1·om the same. St.·<·ond, That of }J; acti!>ing auy means to intlucc the Indians to maHn·at m· pluntle•· othca· merchants. 'J'h i1·d, That of stimulating m· <'X<'i t ing by lH·iucs or othcr\\' isc, any nat ions m· bauds of J ndians, to wage wat· against other nations or band·; orag· ins( tlrc citizens of the Pnife(l " .A.J>JJP ndi.:c. Statt•s, ot· aMainst citizt.·ns ot· s ul~jects of any power ~lt pc;we '"it Ia tlH· same. Tlw~e appear to me to be cl'imrs f1·aught whh more J' ·al evil to the community. and to the lmlia.ns thrmsdvt.·s, than vcnding a1·dent spir·its. OL' visiting tlu ir huut i11;.; camps for the IlU rposc off radc..·; yt.>t. ther·c al'c nn po" <·t·s H·~ted in the SU(lt.·r·inteudents, or· ag(•nfs of lh•~ United Stafcs, to pt·cvcnt their rq)('af<•d comnaission; nul' J'f!:>t a·i ctions ot· Jines imllO· sed by ou1· laws, to punish stu·h u(l'·ru.'es. It is wt·ll kno" n to rue that we have ·cyt.•t·al prrsons en· gagecl in th · t r·at.le ol' the .. Missouri, "ho littvt·, wi(hin the last thl'Cf' y<'ar·s, b<·Pn ~ cloptt·d as citizrus of the United Statrs, and "lw ~~~·~· now lwstil · to om· gon't'rtlll('llL It is. not r·ea.,onalJie to expe~t, 1 hat such pcr·sons "ill act with good faith LO\Htrtls us. Jl<·uce, the nrtessity of assiguing metes and hounds to tltrit· ta·ansaclions aruoug the Indians. On my wa.) to SL Louis, last fall, J t·,·ccived sati:,l'actory cvid ·nee that a .M •·· Uobi<kau, au inhauitant ol' St. Louis, had, th' pa·ect.·tling "iutt.•t·, c..lul'iug- his iutet·com·se with the Ottocs anti J'"t'lts-;out·is, ueen guilty ol' the mot Ilagt·aut LH'eachc!:! or the fil·::,t or tlw~c mistlcmeallol'S auove IHCll· tionct.l. On JH) anival at St. )4ouis, l•·epot•tt•d the ca!>e to .I\lr. Bt·oom, the <Lctiu~ supl"a intemlent. and rccommentletl his pl'ohd)ifiug that (H'I':,On l'1·om the tt·ade ol' the ~lisso ul'i , unless he woultl i;ivc sati~ractol'y assna·anccs ora di position to hold a difle•·ent. langua~c to tho Indians. ~h. Ut·uoul infonnc( l me, that i Itt· hm s and r·q;uJations of the United States on this suhjt..·ct, gave him 110 such powet·s; an<l :il-lr. Uouideau and so us still in·oseeut e thria· trade. The uncontl·ollcd iu~r·ty "hich our citi:tens take of hunting on J ndian lands. lms always been a sout·cc of serious difli<mlty, Oil CVl' l') pa t of' Olll' frontier, and is C\'lt.icntly destined to he come quite as much so iu lf ppel' lAoui:;iana, unless it be l'est rain<~ll and limited "itl in ('On~i ~te nt hounds. 'Vhcn tl&c Judians hu"c htcu taught, by commerce, dul_y to apprcciafc the furs and l)cltrirs of Oarit· country, they Jccl |