Speech #580068265

I will say to my friend the gentleman from Kentucky that all of these societies that are urging the passage of this bill are doing it entirely on account of the Indians. I will say to him that here are 2.700 people who are civilized people. people who take newspapers. who cultivate their lands. who have their own parties among themselves and conduct their elections. who have a tribal government. who are as intelligent as nine out of ten of the immigrants who land on our shores to become American citizens. Here are 2.700 of these Indians settled down in one of the old States of this Union. outside of the law. without any law to govern their own property relations. without any property rights which go to the individual. but all of them possessed only of tribal rights. All of their domestic relations are outside of the law.