Speech #460141881

Adamss administration Secretary Barbour prepared a bill for the of the citizen Ottawas of Blanchards Fork. nearly all have disposed of their al- organization of an Indian Territory. based on the general principles of excluding lotted lands. and are still cared for to some extentby thoGovernment as Indians . whites. abolishing tribal relations. and apportioning lands among individual Li. that of the Ottawas and Chippewas of Michigan. a maj1ority certainl. and prob- dians. upon which groat stress was laid. Ably a large ma lority. have sold the lands patented to them in severalty. in many cases the negotiation preceding the issue of patents. two parties of white sbarpers It was then just as important in the judg ient of very many well"contesting for the favor of the agent in the way of early information ns to th pre. meaning people that land in severalty should begiven to the Indians cise lands assigned. and the disa pointed faction. in at least one instance. resort. as it is today. and the same happy results were then prophesied if In to burglary anti larceny for Ihe needed documents. will be thus seen. that. of these Indians upon whom the experiment of citi- land was only given to them. that are now predicted. zenship has been tried. more than onehalf. probably at least two.thirds. are now A leading feature. however. was that nothing was tobe done withoutthe consent homeless. and must bo reendowed by the Governnient or they will sink to a con- of the Indlians. dition of hopeless povertyand misery. Treaties were made in President Jacksons first term with the Chootaws and the I repeat that whatever civilization today exists among the Indians Creeks. having emigration for their object. but intending to give each emigrant the privilege of selling his improvement. and to secure to each family desiring to exists by virtue of the commnunal right to land. There is no particu- remain. a home with title in feesimple. (See fourteenth and nineteenth articles larly noted instance of Indians having progressed except in that line Choctaw treaty 1830. anl first three articles Creek treaty 1832. 7 Statutes.315. 336.. and in that way. Of the civilization of the five tribes the Senate 366.) Both treaties. in their reservation features. proved to be miserable failures heard yesterday.