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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 9 rebellion, Slavery is entirely abolished, and the freedmen placed upon an equal footing with the remainder of the people This eqnality waa the more easily accomplished in the case of the Seminoles, since there had already bee11 a considerable intermingling of the races before the tribe remored from Florida, and several of the interpreters accompanying the delegation representing the tribe appeared to he of purely African blood. The Indians cede to the gov-ernment the entire domain secured to them by the treaty of 1856, amouuti~~g to (estimated) 2,169,080 acres, for which they receive the sum of 5325,362. They receivea new reservation of 200,000 acres at thejnnction of the Canadian river with its north fork, for which they pay $100,000, and the balance (of $225,362) is to he paid as follows : $30,000 to establish them upon their new reservation; $20,000 to purchase stock, seeds, and tools; $15,000 for a mill; $50.000 to he invested as a school fund : $20,000 as a national fund: $40,362 for suhsistence, and $50,000 for losses oi loyal Seminoles, to he ascertained by a board of commissioners. A right of way far railroads is granted throngh the 1 new reservations, and $10,000,ir so m<ch as is necessarK is to he expended for agency buildings. The. Indians agree to the establishment, if Congress shall so provide, of a general council in the "Indian country," to be annually convened. consistinp of delegates from all the tribes in the nronortion of their c, - & A numhel.s respectively, and to have power to legislate npon matters relating to the intercourse and relations of the several tribes resident in that country, the 1 laws passed to he consistent with treaty stipnlations and the Constitution of the United States. This council is to he presided over by the Superintendent of Indian Affidrs. (It will he seen hereafter that this plan is more fully css-ried into effect in the treaty with the Choctaws and Chickasaws.) The Semi-nolcs ratify the diversion of annuities made during the war for the support of refugees, hut the payments due under their former tfeaties are to he renewed and continoed as heretofore. They grant six hundred aud forty acres of land to each society which will erect mission or school buildings, to revert, however, to t,he tribe when no longer used for its proper purpose. The next treaty in this series was made with the confederated nations of Choctaws and Clricfiasews : Concluded A ri128, 1866 ; ratification advised, proclaimed July 10, 1866. with an amendmvut, June 28, 1866 ; amen E; ment accepted July 2, 1866, and This trent,v. in its careful attention to all details deemed necessary, is the innit romyl~teof thr serirx, and rvLm iri varii.us pruvidirol~sa re bro~rgltti llto 1~~111 opt.n~tiorw~,i ll establish the cnlrfdcrated trihrn upon a Lnsis of e~ldttri~~p:ro: 5- .ne liiv. It cunr.&io,.u t' eourrl-, rl~eu su;d on,r.i~ions1 ' rh~e n. -us t~bl i ; l r~ro~f t~~~t " peace and fi.ieudshfp, of amnesty, and the aholition.of slavery in every form. Tho Indians cede to the governnlent the whole of that tract of land known as the "leased lands," which have been long held (rented by the governmeut) for the use of Indians removed from Texas, and amounting to 6,800,000 acres. For this the government is to pay $300,000, to he invested at five per cent. interest until laws are passed by the Choctaws and Chickasaws prosiding full rights, privileges, aud imrnuniticr, and grnnts of forty acres of land each for their freedmen, rhich laws are to he passed within two years. If so passed, i that sum, vith its accumulated interest, is to he paid, three-quarters to the Clloetan.~ and one quarter to the Ohickasaws. If such laws are not passed, t h c ~th~e 5300,000 to he kept and nsed by government for the benefit of the freedmelt. Riglrt of way is granted for railroads through the reservations npou compensation for damages done to property, and the tribes m q subscribe to tile stock of such roads in land, such subscriptions to he first liens on the roads. The proviaio~is in regard to a general council are agreed to with more detail than in the other t,reaties, aud its powers clearly defined, so as to estab-lish, for man7 purposes not inconsistent with the tribal la\vs, a territorial gov-ernment, with the Superintendent as goveruor, the Territory heiug named |
