OCR Text |
Show 24 REPORT OF THE ,COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. ment to the Delawares has also been completed. A treaty hics been concluded with the Pottawatomies md Ottawas, providing for a'similar allotment to such members of those tribes as may desire it. The necessary preliminary surveys. are nearly completed, and steps have been taken to secure an early allotment of ' the lands. Thus, one by one, the tribesare abandoning the cus&m of holding their lands in common, and are becoming individual owners of the soil-+ step which I regard t s the most important in their progress towards ci-iilization. A treaty has also hcennegotiated with the Kickapoos, providing for an allotment to $he members of that tribe, and is awaiting the constitutional action of the Senate.' I desire, also, to call your attention to treaties negotiated with the Iowas, and the Sacs and Foxes of the Missouri, and also with the Sacs and Foxes of. the Mississippi, now pending before the Senate, in the hope that the attention of that body will be directed to the subject, and its early and favorable . , eonside~ationh ad in the pmmises. A fruitful source of dificulty, and one which detracts very much from the success of our Indian policy, is found in the fact that most of the reservations within this superintendency are surrounded by white settlemehts; and it has heretofore been found impossible to prevent the pernicious effects arising from the intercourse of vicious whites with the Indians. To remedy this it has been suggested that the various tribes should be removed to the Indian country im-mediately south of Kansas. This suggestion is h e d y approvedhy the whites and by many of the India~~asn,d , under favorrthle circumstances, I should have no hesitation in recompending its adoption. Itannot he doubted that most, if not all, of the tribes 'of the Indian country have, in a greater or less degree, com-promised their lights under existing treaties, and that upon the restoration of our authority their treaty relations will require readjustment, not only to pro-vide for the punishment of those who have aided the rebellion, hut also to se-cure the rights of those who have remained loyal. ' This will present afavorahle opporknity for providing homes for such of the tribes and portions of tribes of ' the centralsuperintendency as may desire to emigrate to that coiint~y. I do -not wish to he misunderstood upon this point, either as to the action which should he had in relation to the trifes of the central or those of the southern L superintendency. Those of the central superintendency who desire to remam there should he permitted to do so, without molestation in any form whatever. Most, if not all, of them hold their lands by the most indisputable of titles and by the most solemn forms, and upon every proper occasion have received the . plighted faith of our people that they shall remain forever unmolestedin their posseseion. For these possessions they have surrendered rights elsewhere, which we have always acknowledged to have heen justly theirs, and a full and fair equivalent for all they have received. Any action. therefore on our part which does not leave tlfem perfectly free to elect xyhether thepwill remain %&re they now are or seek new homes, and that does not secure to them ample remuneration for their present possessions, and the quiet and peacea,hle posses- * sion of their new homes, in the event that they shall elect to emigrate, will he a |