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Show i I 30 REPORT OF THE COMM.ISS IONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 1 . few years hence the presence of settlers will render it more difficult. By aotting promptly we may not only obtain locations best idapted to the wants of the In-dians, but shall also avoid the vexations and tlnuble always attendant upon an attempt to appropriate to Indian purposes any part of the public domain upon which our own people have settled. The Sionx of Dakota, who mnst not he confounded with those of Minnesota, number some thirteen thousand. They are among the most warlike and pow-erful of the tribes of the continent. They abound in everything which consti-tutes the wealth of wild Indians; have an abundance of horses ; are expert riders ; andif once engaged in actual hostilities with the whites wouldhe found capable of inflicting an immense amount of damage upon the frontier settlements, and in - a country like theirs exceedingly troublesome to subdue. . The defiant and independent attitude they have assumed during the post sea-son towards the whites, and especially towards theix agent, warns us that not a moment should be lost in making prcparation to prevent, and, if need be, resist and punish any hostile demonstration they may make. They have totally re-pudiated their treaty obligations, and, in my judgment, there is an abundance of reason to apprehend that they will engage in hostilities next spring. Like the southern rebels, these savage secessionists tolerate no opposition intheir un-friendly attitude toward the whites. Last spring Agent Latta found between two and three thousand of these people, being portions of seven different bands, asembled at St. Pierre to mekt him. When it was ascertained that he was nn- =companied by military force, Big Head, a chief of the Yanctons, and his party refused to hold council with the agent. The chiefs and head men of the other portions of bands, after much hesitation, consented to hold a "talk!' Notwith-standing the fact that Agent Laktic's entire report is among the accompanying papers, I deem it proper to here insert an extract therefrom, giving the substance of this talk on the of the Inilians, that, so far as is in my power, I may ob-tain for it that attention which its importance seems to demand. The following is the extract': "They stated that they regretted to see rnc without a military force to pro-tect them from that portion of the& several bands who were hostile to the gov-ernment, and to them who were friends to the Ghite man and desired to live in friendly relations with this government, and fulfil their treaty stipulations; that - General Harney,.at Pierre, in 1856, had promised them aid; that they were greatly in the minority ;that that portion of their people opposed to the govern-ment were more hostile than ever before; that they had, year after year, been promised the fulfilment of this pledge; hut since none had come they mnst now hreakoff their friendly relations and rejoin their respective bands, as they cdnld hold out no longer; that their lives and propeity were threatened in case they accepted any more goods from the government; that the small amount of annui-ties given them did not give satisfaction; it created discord rather than harmony, nor wonldit justify them to come so far to receive it; that they had been frienda to the government and to all the white men; had lived up to their pledges made |