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Show 8 EEPOBT OF THE ington Territory, with various other tribes and bands, for the purpose of extinguishing their title to large tracts of country, which were needed for the extension of our settlements, and to provide homes for the Indians in other and more suitable locations, where they could be controlled and domesticated. These treaties not having been ratified, the Indians were sorely disappointed in consequence of the expecta-tions they were led to entertain of benefits and advantages to be derived from them not being realiied. Moreover, the whites have gone on to occupy their country without regard to their rights, which has led the Indians to believe that they were to be dispossessed of it without compensation or any provision being made for them. This state of things has naturally had a tendency to exasperate them ; and, in the opinion of well informed persons, has been the cause of their recent acts of hostility. The belief is confidently entertained, that, had the treaties referred to been ratified and put in course of execu-tion, the difficulties that have occurred would not have taken place ; and there can be but little if any doubt, that the cost of the military operations to subdue the Indians, and the losses sustained by our citizens from their depredations and ho~tilitiea,w ill amount to a far greater sum than would have been required to extinguish their title and establish and maintain them, for the necessary period, on properly selected reservations, had that policy in respect to them been sanc-tioned and timely measures taken to carry it out. It cannot be expected that Indians situated like those in Oregon and Washington, occupying extensive sections of country, where, from the game and otherwise, they derive a comfortable support, will quietly and peaceably submit, without any equivalent, to be deprived of their homes and possessions, and to be driven off to some other lo-cality where they cannot find their usual means of subsistence. Such a proceeding is not only contrary to our policy hitherto, hut is repug- ' nant alike to the dictates of humanity and the principles of natural justice. In all cases where the necessities of our rapidly increasing population have compelled us to displace the Indian, we have ever re-garded it as a sacred and binding obligation to provide him with a home elsewhere, and to contribute liberally to his support until he could re-establish and maintain himself in his new place of residence. The policy, it is true, has been a costly one, but we have been amply repaid its expense by the revenue obtained from the sale of the lands acquired from the Indians, and by the ra id extension of our settle-ments and the corres.~ ondincin crease in t[ e resources and ~rosperitv A * " of our country. One of the difficulties attending the management of Indian affairs in Oregon and Washington, is the insufficiency of one superintendent for the b e a t extent of country, and the numeious tribes and large num-ber of Indians in the two territories. The superintendent reiterates his former representations respecting the necessity for two additional superintendencies, and your attention is respectfully recalled to the subject, as presented in the report from this office on the Gth of May last. The superintendent again represents the necessity for the employ- I ment of a small war ateamer for the protection of our settlements and |