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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN APFAIES. 35 ploy63 of internal improvemrnt companies authorisrd hy government, will be perlnitted to rrzidc in the collntry, unless incorporated wit11 the several nations. Printed conits of the aJdres3 of the commidsiuners involsinc the above oroDo-sitions were placed in the hands of the agents, and of memFers of the iribks, many of whom were educated men. On the third day the delegates from the loyal Chickasaws, Choctaws, Sene-cas, Osages, and Cherokees, principally occupied the time with replies to the address and propositions of the commissioners, the object being partly to express ' . a willingness to accept those propositions, with some modifications, if they had been clothed with sufficient power by their people, but chiefly in explanation of the manner in which their nations became involved with the late confederacy. The address of the Cherokees was especially noteworthy, inasmuch as they at-tempted to charge the causes of their secession upon the United States, as hav-ing violated its treaty obligations, in failing to give the tribe protection, so that government, and to make peace with those of their people who had aided the it was compeZ2ed to enter into relations with the confederacy. The next day the loyal Seminoles expressed their willingness to accede to the policy of the i rebellion. The president of the commission then read a reply to the address of the loyal Cherokees above referred to, showing, from original and official docn-ments, that, as a trihe, by the action of their constituted authorities, John Ross being then, as at the time of the wuncil, their head, they had, at the v e v open-ing of the rebellion, entered into alliance with it, and raised troops for it, and I nrged the other tribea to go with them. and that they conld not now, under the j facts proven, deny their original participation in the rebellion. (The documents establishing the bad faith of John Ross had but recently come into possession j of the department. They are very interesting, and taken in connexion with his / course at Fort Smith in keeping aloof from the council, but exercising his pow- I erful influence to prevent an amicable settlement with the hitherto disloyal part of the nation, will he found folly to justify the course taken by the commission in refnsing to recognize him in any manner as chief of the Cherokees.) The loyal Creeks on this day presented their address of explanation, setting forth the manner in which their nation, by the unauthorized action of its chief, entered into treaty relations with the confederacy, and the terrible sufferin@ which the loyal Creeks endured in battle and on the march to Kansas seeking protection from the United States, and asking "to he considered not guilty." I t being certain that no final treaties could be new concluded with the tribes represented, fur thereason that, until the differences between the loyal and die-loyal portions were healed, there conld he no satisfactory representation of most of them, it was determined to prepare fur signature by the commission, and by the delegates representing all factions and opinions, a preliminary treaty, pledg-ing anew, on behalf of the Indians, allegiance to the United States, and repu-diating all treaties with other parties; and on the part of the United States agreeing to re-establish peace aud friendship with them. This was considered essential as preliminary to the main businessof the commission, to wit : tomake peace between the several tribes, and negotiations as to purchasing lands, terri-torial government, &c. This work was diligently pnraued until, on the break-ing up of the commiasion on the 13th day, all of the delegates representing the following tribes and sections of tribes, in the order given, had signed treaties, (some of them holding out for.severa1 days until they could agree among them-selves:) Senecas, Senecas and Shawnees, Quapaws, loyal Seminoles, loyal Chickasaws, loyal Creeks, Kansas, Shawnees (uncalled for, but asking to be permitted again to testify their allegiance,) loyal Osages, tribes of the Wichita agency, loyal Cherokees, disloyal Seminoles, disloyal Creeks, disloyal Chero-kees, disloyal Osages, Comanches, disloyal Choctaws, and Chickasaws. Friendly relations were established between the members of the varions tribea hitherto at variance, except in the case of the Cherokees. The ancient feuds |
