OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE Indians may cease to be the victims of such inhumanity, and the recurrence of scenes 80 disgracefnl rendered impossible. Representations as to the causes of and manner in which this ('Indian war" is hcing prosec~ited, as also in relation to various other alleg~~,,abec?~e~!n the Indian service in California, Oregon, and the Territory of Washmgton, mdKced me, w x y~ou r approbation, and at the urgent request and upon the recommenda-tion of several prominent public and private citizens, to appoint, in August last, Dr. Elijah White, represented to be a gentleman of large experience in Indian affairs, as special agent, to visit those places and investigate the various suhjecta of complaint, and I am anxiously awaiting his report in the hope that his mis-sion may be productive of good results. From what haa been stated in relatiou to the condition of the Indims in Cali-fornia, and from the papers herewith relating to that subject, it will be seen how great is the necessity that the subject should receive the earnest consideration of the approaching Congress, to which I trust it will be commended, and its wis; dom and liberality earnestly imkcd in behalf of the Indians, so that adequate remedies may he provided to cure the deplorable evils by which they are sur-rounded. Indian affairs in Oregon continue to he discouraging in some respects, and gratifying in others. The incompleteness of the aiTangements of some of the reservations, and the dilapidated condition into which the buildings and other improvements have boon suffered to fall, have furnished evil-disposed persons with a plausible pretext to assert to the Indiana that the government of their "Great Father" is destroyed, and that no more annuities will be paid them. The eonsequence of this is that the Rogue River Indians have abandoned their reservition, and that the Indians of other reservatim axe threatening to follow their bad example. >Ieasnres, which it is hoped will prove successful, have been taken to compel the return of such as have wandered away, and, so far as possi-ble, counteract the effects of the wicked representations by which the trouble has been caused. With the exception of a series of robberies and murders com-mitted in the neighhorl~oodo f the Dalles, by some Indians of the Warm Springs reservation, who were promptly surrendered by the tribe to he dealt with according to law, the affnka of that reserration are progressi~lg wit11 quiet and regularity. On the Umatilla reservation a remarkable degree of iudustry and consequent prosperity is noticeable, which is to he credited principally to the Cayuees, and secondarily to the Umatillas. Although tho Cayuses number Ze.9.s than 400 souls, they own property valued at more than one hundred thousand dollass. Th&y are justly considered the most advanced of all the tribes in Ore-gon. On this reservation, besides the two bands already named, there is a hand of Walla-Wallas, less industrious and provident than the others. These bauds unitedly exceed one thousand in number, and would be much benefited by the establishment of a scliool among them. The discovery of gold in this ree~i,o n has the unwelcome effect of hrin., ein.e, to it manv vicious men of the wllitc raw. I V ~ O P Crr ridr in sl)it.i~uouI=i quor~i d higllly prcj;idiriul to tilt lr~clin~is. 1.hb.y catnlllislr rhern.itlvc3 j ~ i n to utrid*.t l~c1.1 sel.mriol~,,a nd present R vn;'~ on the I'ncitic cos t sinlilsr to t l ~ utlw ndp rlutic<.di n rhr northcrrrinpt ~. i~l t~i~drncy, an n qniri~tgn drlitionul 1egiclrtioi.Ly Congn -:,<.r t l S~rrrrv govr~ii~tnt.ilor,r hoil~. on lllc Silcrz ~.csrrr.nliuu ng'riolltornl cpenirions are quite ,.xtl:ii:i\.e. More tl~ail1 ,200 acres arc t~ndrrti llnzl:, oi whiclt nen?I~o ,u?-lult'\ VIE t1.i: veir dc~ot rd to an oat cro.n. about one-fourtE to wheat. and mist of the remaindei to ootatoes. . 'I'l~erria n srl~oool n tllir n irrvntion, hni dirtic~tltyi i rxpr~. i~t~icn ~?ecrI; rilib' the ntreurli~nceo f rl~cchildr~r'I~'h. ~egIi~ t . t l tr l~i ~t~wto tl~ou1.indl liilinn3 lire now eo1- Itrtcd on rhiz n:ervntion, only two hoodwrl nnd GI~Y-ninuri tlwni ijrc ~tttdcr confirmed treaty relations. '?his circumstance was regretfully alluded to by theagentin hisreport for last year, and reference to it is repeated in his present report. It was tliought best by the late snpcrintendent, with whom the present |