| OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF COMMISSIONER. poos, is steadily improving. These tribes have made abundant crops the past season, particularly the Kickapoos, whose farms, the agent reports, will not suffer by comparison with those of their white neighbors. In the early part of the last spring the Sacs and Foxes suffered severely from the small-pox. They lost about one-fifth of their tribe before a check was given to the further spread of the dreadful disease by a vaccination of the remainder. Prompt measures were adopted to prevent the pestilence from heing communicated to other tribes, withoutwhich there would doubt-less have been a wide spread mortality among them. With the consent of, and encouraged by, the Ioways, two hands of Win-nehagoes, in number about three hundred, have settled on the lands of the former, principally near the Great Nemaha river, where they have this sea-son made good crops of corn, and are in a fair way of bettering their con-dition. By reason of intermarriage and association with the Ioways, to whom these Winnebagoes seem much attached, the most friendly relations exist between them, and all seein anxious that their connexion shall not be disturbed. On the part of the Ioways much devotedness and generous feeling have been displayed, illustrating in a highly creditable manner the sincerity of their friendship for these sojourners ofanother tribe amongthem. On several occasions they have goneso far as torequest the agentto allow the Winnebagoes to participate in their annuities equally with themselves. This rare evidence of disinterestedness and generosity is of itself sufficient to com-mend the wishes of these Indians to indulgent consideration on the part of the Goverument; and, when it is consideled that these Winnebagoes have mani-fested an unconquerable aversion to the country assigned to their tribe in Minnesota, it may well he doubted whether the interests of the Government and the Indians will not be promoted by permitting them to remain where they are. But it is apprehended by some that serious difficulties niay re-sult from the adoption of this policy; while, on the other hand, itis certain that their removal to Minnesota cannot he effected without considerable ex-pense and trouble. No little diversity of opinion exists in relation to this subject, and it presents one of the legionary cases arising out of our Indian relations, in which it is impossible for the Department to ascertain with cer-tainty what should be done. The three commissioners appointed by authority of Congress to negotiate treaties with the Indian tribes in the Territory of Oregon entered upon the du-tiesof their commission in February last. They report that the Indians on the Willamette and lower Columbia rivers are peaceably disposed, hut that other tribes north and south of those rive~sa re wild and fierce. Six treaties have been negotiated by them with the various bands of Calapoogas and Morlal-les, allowing all the bands reservations on the west side of the Cas cade mountains. The Indians refused to have any of their money set apart for agricultural andschool purposes, except the Twallalty band, who con-sented to have a small portion of theirs appropriated for the purchase of ag-ricultural implements. Many of them are good farm hands, and labor in that capacity for the citizens. They profess to be anxious to adopt the habits and customs of civilized life. The country ceded in these treaties comprises that part of Willamette valley, extending southward from Oregon city to Mary's river, and is represented to be the most valuable and thickly settled part of the district. The commissioners, by whom the treaties referred to were negotiated, being informed by this office that their functions had been abrogated by a |
