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Show 10 REPORT OF THE pw!?ii(.n prt:vailing amuug-t tlrnt claaz of yer.or~s n8 to the views of rhc pren.nt adm~nidtmtiota~n d its illtended policy in relation to slavery, and tlrr furrlae~fa ct tlrnt .11tnost in~lnrdiatelvu tter the brtxliinr 0111 of liostiiitir, I,rl>re,,ur l w z-oveln-ment and its disloyal citizens, the forts i l their vicinity were in many instances basely surrendered to the rebels by the officers in command, and so far as pos-sible all United States troops withdrawn by government from that section of country, it is not surprising that many of the Indians have thrown off their allegiance and espoused the cause of the rebellion; and that many others, find-ing themselves entirely without support from the government, or the means to repel the violent and aggressive measures everywhere adopted by the rebels towards loyal citizens, have quietly submitted to the condition of &airs by which they were surrounded. Amongst the first to yield to these varied influ-ences were the Choctaws and Chickasaws ; amongst the last were the Cherokees, at the head of whom is John Ross, who appears to have resisted the morements of the rebels so long as was in his power. If reliance is to be placed in the following publication, which has been extensively circulated, and so far as I have observed without contradiction, it may be presumed that he bas at last ~luc t ant lyyi elded : "It is reported that an understanding, under the name of a treaty, has been arranged between the rebellious confederacy on the one part, through Albert Pike, of Arkansas, and Elias Rector and the Cherokee chiefs an% headmen on the other part, in which Mr. Pike entitles himself as 'Commissioner of Indian Affairs,' and Mr. Rector, who for several years held the post of superintendent of Indian affairs of the southern superintendency for the United Statea, as 'superintendent' under him. I am informed, nevertheless, that this treaty does 4 not satisfy the Cherokees of the full blood, who regard it as having been effected by the most scandalous frauds, misrepresentations, and corruptions!' The Rev. Evan Jones, who has for many years resided amongst the Chero-kees, and is intimately acquainted with their disposition and feelings, under date of 31st ultimo, writes me in relation to this reported treaty as follows : "I have no doubt the unfortunate affair was brought about under stress of threatened force, which the Cherokees were by no means able to resist. But greatly as this defection of our old friends is to be lamented, I feel assured that it was an unwilling surrender, and that it only needs a sufficient force to afford them protection to secure a speedy and cordid return to their former allegiance, and an abjuration of whatever reluctant alliance they may, under duress, have formed with the rebel States." He adds the following suggestion, in which I heartily concur: "And in consideration of the unfavorable circumstances in which the Cherokees were placed, I have no doubt the President will be dis-posed, on their return, to treat them with a generous lenity and forbearance, which will bring about a restoration of that confidence and good understanding which have so long and so ha pily subsisted between them and the government and the peoplc of the United h' tates." His letter, which is herewith, is amongst the most interesting I have received. "i In view of the distracted condition of affairs amongst the Indians of this super-intendency, as well as on account of the interruption of communication there-with, oec~.sioned by the occupation of the intervening countv, comprising the "neutral land" and the.Neosho valley, by armed rebels and banditti, the accustomed annuities have been withheld, not, as has been falsely represented, with a view to their confiscation, but that I might obtain more reliable assur-ances that they would not fall iqto the hands of the rebels as booty, and thus the loyal and deserving portions of the tribes interested be defrauded of their just dues. In submittine the remlar estimates for the orosoective fiscal vear. I deemed it proper to ascfor the i snal appropriations fir tgis ~ n ~ e r i n t e n ~ ennoctw~i,t h-standing the present relations of the Indians therein towards the government. |