| OCR Text |
Show VIlI REPORT OF THE COMMISSIOEER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. Jlomed. The older and more common Indian title has been title by own-pancy. This title has from time to time been extinguished by treaty stipulation. Of the lands thus acquired, there have been at various times certain tracts set apart for the several tribes by treaties ratified by the Senate, in which possession in common has been guaranteed to them for-e\- er. These reservations have in general been established far beyond the limits of white settlement. As the settle~nentsin cident to the rapid growth of the country have approached the boundaries of the reserva-tions, the pressure has in many cases become so groat that the Indians have been compelled, ,w a matter of self-protection, to ask for a nen7 reservation, or thcir lands have been seized by tho settlers, and they 1ha1-e been ousted from possession of the same. war in defense of their rights has generally resulted in snch cases, wl~iclu it lras been the dot)- of the government to suppress. Many of ouw Indian wars have ariscn either from the bad faith of the gove~.umeut in the observance of treaties with regard to Indian land, or from the seizure of the same bs- its citizens, in violation of expressed treaty stip~~lationgsra nting tho reser~-ationto the Indians in perpetuity. In some eases title in severalty in fee silnyle has been given to tllo individual members of the tribes for a certain quantity of the lands enlbraced in the reservation. Experience has shown that even the most ah-anccd allcl civilized of our Indians are not capable of defending their lau~ds\v luen title in fee is ollce vested in them. The reservations in sneh cases areat o ~ ~icnfee sted by a class of lancl-sharks vho (lo not hesitate to resort to any measure, however i~l iqi~i tot~o ~dsc, f ra~~thde Indians of their lands. Whiskey is given tl~ein,a nd while they are under it,s in-fluence they are made to sign deeds of conveyance, ~vitl~ocnotl lsidera ti'o n. They axe often induced to sign w11at they are infornled is a contract of sale for a few trees groving on their l a d , with a receipt for the con-sideration paid; or some party goes to them clahuing to be an agent of the State or county, distribluting funds to the poor. This party will pay the Indian five or ten dollars, and lrocure his signatwe to a pre-tended receipt for the same, when in reality the paper signed is a war-ranty deed, which is recorded, and generally the land is sold to a third ancl innocent party before the In(1ian cliseo~.erst he fra.~u(l~ ~ h i hcahs been practiced ul~onh im. Iu other eases the Indixns complain, alld, as it a~~poarlslo,t ~ v i t h o ~ ~ t cause, tliat they are sul~ject,edto unequal and u~ljustt.a xation which t l~ey are unable to meet, and are tlms divested of the title to their lau(1s. Again they are induced to mortgage their lands for small sums which they are told will enable tlle~nt,o make money and iiluprore their farnls as their white neighbors have done. These mortgages are made payable generally at a time when the Indians are likely to have no money j an attorney fee of serei~ty-fireo r one huudred dollars is inserted. At ma-turity if the mortgage is not satisfied, which gellerally llal~pens,f orc-closure is had, the land is sold, and the Indian is left ho~nelessa nd hope-less, a panper for the eommuu~ityto supl~ort. |
