| OCR Text |
Show I REPOET OF THE COMMISSIONER 03 INDIAN AFFAIRS. 13 I The ninth article of the "Articles of Confederation and' Perpetual Union," provided that-- Tho United Ststes in Cougrsna psseuhled shrall also have tho sole and errlneive nrht and oowcr uf ' rurnlutin.rtl~nr rada nnal rusnaziuc all sffairewith the I lnldims, nit member8 of any of tie states, providedthat theio&leletive right of any State within its own limits be not infringed or violated. In pursuance of this the wngress of the confederation on August 7, 1786, passed an 4' Ordinance for the regulation of Indian Affairs." After the following preamble: Whereas the safety and tranquillity of the frontiers of tho United,Ststes do, in some measurq depend on the maintaining a good correspondence hetween their citizens and the several nations of Indians in amity with them, the ordinance provided that from that date the Indian ~ e ~ a r t k e n t be divided into two districts, viz: The southern, comprehendingall the nations of Indians within the United States south of the Ohio River; and the northern, comprehending all other nations of Indians within the United States west of the Hudson River. For each of these dis-tricts a superintendent was authorized to be appointed, who was to reside within suoh district or as near i t a;@m ight be convenient for the management of its affairs. The superintendent for the northern dis-trict was authorized to appoint two deputies "to reside in such p l w 111s shall best facilitate the regulation of the Indian trade, and to remove them for misbehavior." It was further ordained- That none hat oitizena of the United States shall he suffered to reside among the Indim nations, or be allowed to trade with any nation of Indiana within the t&i-tory of the United Statek That no person, oitieon or other, under penalty of five hundred dollars, shall reside among, or trade with any Indian, or Indian ustion, within the-territory of the United Statoq withont e license for that purpose first obtainoa from the nuperintandent of the district, or one of the deputies, who are hereby-direoted to give suoh lioenss to every person who shall prodme from tho su-prome exeoutive of any State, a oertificata, under tho sesl of the State, that he is of good chamctex, and anitsbly qualified and provided for that employment, for - which lioense he shall pay the sam of fifty dollars to said superintendent for the we of the United States. Also- That in dl ames where trmactions with any nation m tribe of Indians shall he- . oomo neoeisarg to the purposes of t h i ~or dinance, which can not he done without interfering with the legislative rights of a State, the superintendent in whose dis-triot the swne shall happen shall aot in coqjunotion with the authority of snoh State. These superintendents reported to the Secretary of War and were nuder his direction. They had- no jurisdiction over the Indians, and their only duty was to superintend the trade between Indians and those to whom licenses might be issued, to see that the regulations prescribed by the President for the government of such trade were wmplied wjth, and that no improper or unauthorized persons engaged in the business. This was all that the congress of the confederation appeared to think |
