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Show COMMISSIONER OP INDIAN AFFAIRC. 11 divide them; require diligence, energy, and integrity, in the adminis-tration of their affairs, by the agents who may be intrusted with their interests and welfare; and visit the severest penalties of the law on all who may violate its salutary provisions in relation to them. . Let these things be done; the co-operation of the civil officers, magistrates, and good citizens of the Territory secured, and the most actire efforts of the friends of the benevolent institutions now existing among them be brought into exercise for their moral culture; and, by harmonious and constant effort and action a change may, and it is believed will be brought about, and Kansas become distinguished as a land in which the complete and thorough civilization of the red man was worked out and accomplished. The agent for the Upper Platte and Arkansas agency experienced no difficulty in obtaining the assent of the tribes who were parties to the Arkansas treaty, to the amendments of the Senate to that instru-ment, except the Apaches; and he expresses the belief that the Co-manches and Kioways have faithfully complied with the stipulations of the same, except in their forays on citizens of New Mexico, seeming not to understand that that territory now belongs to the United States. When the agent met the Apaches, he was without an inter-preter, and therefore could not submit the amendments to them. It is stated that the great majority of the Indians of that aEency have no respect for the government of theunited States or the citizens. thereof; that emigrating parties have generally to buy their way through the country, and that the military force at the different posts can render no assistance, being, indeed, unable to protect itself beyond the reach of the guns of the forts. The Osages, Pawnees, and others, have alko annoyed the emigrants,. and committed depredations upon them. The roads on the principar ' routes to the Pacific coast have become very important thoroushfares.. Thousands of emigrants, and many merchants, who, with then prop-erty to the amount of several millions in value, pars annually over the plains, are entitled to the protection of the government. The weakness of the present military force operates injuriously in various ways, and it would be much better to withdraw it entirely, and let., emigrants have notice that they must protect themselves and their property, and leave the Indians to be dealt with by our agents alone, than to permit the posts to remain in their present weak and enfeebled condition. The report of Agent Whitfield reiterates the admonition of his pre-decessor in relation to the impending fate of the Indians of the Arkansas, the Platte, and the Plains, if some policy be not soon in-. troduced by which their habits, tastes, and pursuits may be changed. The buffalo on which they mainly rely, not only for food and cloth-ing, hut also for the means of shelter, is rapidly diiappearing, and must soon cease to he a source of reliance and dependence for support.. The best policy to be adopted to meet the exigency, it is difficult to determine satisfactorily. But that something should be done, and that speedily, must be apparent to every reflecting mind. In the report last year of the lute Agent Fitzpatrick he states that, in his then recent visit., he found many of the Chej-ennes, Arapahoes, |