The Iola Register

Representative Meeting at Arkansas City, Kan.

Resolutions Adopted—Interesting History of the Coveted Land of Promise.

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan., Feb. 4.—Representatives from a large number of cities in Southern Kansas assembled in delegate convention in this city last night to give expression to the almost universal sentiment in favor of the early opening of the Oklahoma territory to settlement. The principal speeches were made by Captain W. L. Couch, of Douglass; Colonel Crocker, of Caldwell; Judge Galloway, of Fort Scott; S. Jennings, of Wichita, and M. W. Reynolds, of Geuda Springs. The meeting evidenced the fact that the great mass of the people in Southern Kansas were terribly in earnest in this matter. Congressmen who imagine that the present movement in favor of the legal and peaceable occupying of the Territory emanates from a few adventurers will find out sooner or later that they are woefully mistaken. The utterances of "Kicking Bird," that Congressmen and Senators who heed not the mighty voice of the people might as well at once turn up their Congressional and Senatorial toes to the daisies, for the places that know them will know them no more forever," was cheered to the echo.

The following resolutions, addressed to the United States Senators and members of Congress of the State of Kansas, were adopted:

WHEREAS, The interest now manifested in the country at large and the attention of Congress now being given to the question of opening portions of the Indian Territory to settlement, is one of dominant importance to the State of Kansas and the entire Southwest. We, the people of Southern Kansas, in delegate convention assembled at Arkansas City, February 2, do declare and resolve as follows:

First—That in the interest of civilization and to meet the requirements of the many settlers seeking homes upon the public domain and for the future welfare and prosperity of the Indians residing in certain portions of the Indian Territory, the Senators from Kansas are requested and our Representatives are instructed to use all efforts in their power to secure at the earliest day possible Territorial organization and open to settlement all the unoccupied lands in the Indian Territory and No-Man's-Land and all lands not needed for Indian occupancy, substantially as contemplated in the bill known as the Springer bill, now pending in the House of Representatives.

Second—That while all legal and just rights of the Indians should be carefully guarded and protected, the public welfare, the lawless condition of the Territory and the impediment to Inter-State commerce demands prompt and speedy action by Congress in this matter.

Third—The secretary of this convention is hereby instructed to forward copies of this preamble and resolutions to the Senators and members of Congress of the State of Kansas, and that it be presented to their respective bodies.

In response to a congratulatory telegram from the chairman of the committee on arrangements for the Kansas City-Oklahoma conference, the convention passed the following resolution:

Resolved, That we heartily recommend that all cities and towns of the State of Kansas send delegates to the conference to be held in Kansas City February 8, and supplementary thereto this convention do elect five delegates at large to said conference.

The following persons were elected: Captain W. P. Couch, of Douglass, M. W. Reynolds, of Geuda Springs, Colonel Crocker, of Caldwell, J. S. Jennings, of Wichita, and Judge Galloway of Ft. Scott.

A permanent organization was effected to consist of one person from each city to push the work by holding conventions and in other ways.

THE PROPOSED TERRITORY.

KANSAS CITY, MO., Feb. 4.—A correspondent writing to the Times from Washington gives a few facts in relation to Oklahoma, as follows:

The question of organizing a Territorial Government for Oklahoma has become, from the force of circumstances, one of the most important issues of National legislation, and, as a necessary consequence of its agitation, inquiries are made all over the country concerning the history of the Oklahoma lands, and why it is that Congress has not already provided laws for its settlement and government—also the reason for excluding citizens from settling on these vacant lands, and for driving off all who attempt to locate themselves there. In order that the history of Oklahoma may be known, the following facts are presented:

The Indian Territory is part of the purchase of Louisiana from the French Government, by which both soil and sovereignty passed to the United States. About the year 1817 was inaugurated by our Government a system of establishment of reservations for Indian tribes and which has continued up to the present time. Between 1817 and 1836, by a series of treaties made with five tribes of Southern Indians, the Cherokees, Choctaws, Creeks, Chickasaws and Seminoles the whole of the territory was parceled out in reservations for the occupancy of those tribes. These reservations were received in exchange for lands east of the Mississippi held by them in like manner by treaty, as reservations at the time of the exchange. The Cherokee lands ceded to the United States were in the eastern portion of Tennessee, the western part of the Carolinas and Northern Georgia.

By the treaties of 1828 and 1833 the Cherokees received in exchange the lands in the present Indian Territory lying east and north of the Arkansas river and extending along the northern boundary west of the Arkansas to the 96th meridian, embracing an area of 25,000 square miles. The Choctaws ceded lands, situated principally in Alabama, and the Chickasaws, lands in Southwestern Tennessee and Northern Mississippi, and by treaty of 1830 with the Choctaws and 1837 with the Chickasaws, modified somewhat by definite joint treaty with both in 1855, received in exchange the portion of the Indian Territory lying south of the Arkansas and the main Canadian rivers, the title being declared by the last treaty to be joint between the two tribes, but the Choctaws to occupy severally the eastern and the Chickasaws the western portion. This reservation was about 32,000 square miles in extent.

The Creeks, by treaty of 1826 and 1833, ceded lands principally in the State of Georgia and received in exchange that portion of the Indian Territory lying along and north of the Canadian river, bounded on the north and east by the Cherokee reservation and on the south by that of the Choctaws and Chickasaws, embracing about 20,000 square miles. These tribes, in accordance with provisions in these treaties, ceded to the Seminoles, a tribe closely allied to them and formerly occupying Southern Georgia and Northern Florida, the western portion of the above described reservation, the boundary between them being fixed by treaty of 1856, near the 96th meridian. Next the Missouri line in the northeast corner of the territory reservations of small extent were granted in exchange for Indian lands in Ohio to three remnants of tribes, as follows: Senecas, by treaty of 1831, about 200 square miles; Shawnees and Senecas, treaty of 1831, about 500 square miles, and Quapaws treaty of 1833, about 150 square miles.

These reservations covered the whole of what is now the Indian Territory, embracing an area of 60,000 square miles. The limits of these reservations remained substantially unchanged until 1866, in which year, owing to the participation of some of these tribes in the late rebellion, new treaties were made with all the principal tribes, changing materially the boundaries of several of the reservations. The Choctaws and Chickasaws ceded for $300,000 all that portion of their reservation west of the ninety-eighth meridian. The Creeks ceded for $500,000 the west half of their reservation, and the Seminoles ceded for $50,000 the whole of their reservation, receiving 200,000 acres within and near the new western boundary of the Creek reservation. In the treaty of 1866 with the Cherokees no change of boundaries was effected, but it was stipulated that upon all that portion of the reservation west of the 96th meridian—about one-half—other tribes of Indians might be settled by the United States upon payment, by each tribe so settled, of a price for the land occupied, which shall be agreed upon by the parties and approved by the President, or which, if not agreed upon should be fixed by the President.

In 1867 additional changes were made. By the treaty of October 21, 1867, the Kiowas and Comanches were granted reservation embracing nearly all that portion of the tract relinquished in 1866 by the Choctaws and Chickasaws, which lies south of the Washita river, containing about 8,000 square miles. By the treaty of October 28, in the same year, the Cheyennes and Arapahoes were granted a reservation consisting of that portion of the Cherokee country west of the ninety-sixth meridian which lies between the Arkansas river, the Cimarron river and the southern boundary of Kansas, containing about 9,000 square miles. A remnant of the Sacs and Foxes, by treaty of the same year, were granted a reservation of 50 square miles west of the Creeks and north of the Seminoles, and a reservation of the same extent, situated west of the Seminole lands, was assigned to the Pottawatomies.

By treaties of the same year the Senecas, Shawnees and Quapaws relinquished parts of their small reservations next the Missouri line, and the ceded portions were reassigned to detachments of the Wyandottes, Ottawas, Peorias, Kaskaskias, Weas, Piankeshaws and Miamis. Subsequently, by act of Congress, the Osages received a reservation upon the Cherokee lands immediately west of the 96th meridian. Small reservations were also assigned the Kickapoos, Iowas and Wichitas cut of the lands ceded by the Creeks, and the Pawnees, Kansas, Nez Perces, Poncas, Otoes and Missouris were settled on small tracts west of the Cherokees. This is an epitome of the establishment so far of Indian tribes in and upon the Indian Territory, and it is the country thus ceded by the five civilized tribes out of which it is proposed to carve the territory of Oklahoma, and give it a government under the terms of the bill introduced by Mr. Springer of Illinois, adding thereto the public land strip known as No-Man's-Land.

The arguments in favor of organizing the territory of Oklahoma were ably and elaborately stated by Hon. Isaac S. Struble, of Iowa, in a speech made in the House of Representatives on June 3, 1886. It was prefaced by a quotation from the remarks made by Hon. J. D. C. Atkins, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, in his annual report, as follows:

"What political development lies before the Indians of the Indian Territory, it is impossible to foresee; but one thing is evident, the idea of maintaining permanently an imperium in imperio, such as now exists, must in some respects be abandoned. The idea of Indian nationality is fast melting away, and the more intelligent Indians are themselves awaking to that fact. In a word, the Indians in the Indian Territory must sooner or later break up their tribal relations, take their lands in severalty, and to all intents and purposes become citizens of the United States and be amenable to its laws, as well as enjoy all of its high and distinguished privileges. When that is done they will be prepared to dispose of the surplus lands they may own to the best advantage to themselves and in a spirit pro bono publico."

General Miles, referring to this question, said: The Indian Territory is now a block in the path of civilization. It is preserved to perpetuate a mongrel race far removed from the influences of civilization—a refuge for the outlaws and indolent of whites, blacks and Mexicans.

Secretary Teller said: "Treaties impossible of fulfillment or contrary to the public interest, should be modified or repealed. No more treaties should be made or statutes enacted according to agreements made with the Indian. If he has more land than he needs, he must surrender the excess, and it can not be left to him to determine either the amount he ought to retain or the price he ought to receive. He is incapable of determining such weighty questions. They should be determined by the legislative branch of the Government, or by some suitable tribunal created for that purpose. To many of the reservations he has no title whatever and is but the occupant thereof by executive favor. Such occupants ought not to be left landless, neither should they be allowed to hold large tracts not necessary for their support, and of which they make little or no use."

Mr. Struble took the ground that at the time the policy of settling the Indians on territory west of the Mississippi river was first projected it was not thought possible, and could hardly have been foreseen by even our wisest statesmen, that the vast plains of the far away West would ever become the permanent homes of millions of prosperous and happy citizens of the Republic—that the barren plains of the great American desert would become the garden of the new world. Nevertheless, it is a matter of astonishment that the able legislators, who not only laid the foundations of our present Indian policy, but assisted in carrying the same into effect, should have so legislated in relation to any of the aborigines of this country that the time would ever come when in the very heart of the Republic there would be found an empire capable of sustaining millions of people, yet reserved for the exclusive occupancy of outlaws, cowboys, cattle and only about 50,000 Indians.

It was also a matter of wonder that a system should have been allowed to grow up, under which this remnant of Indians could claim exclusive ownership to such vast domain, and not only this, but confront Congress and the people with the assumption that they are a body of people wholly independent of the power and control of the great Government which is supreme over every other foot of soil within its boundaries—this, not only as to such lands as these Indians have never ceded back to the United States, but as respects every foot of land included within the limits of the Indian Territory, which, they assert, can never include either themselves or any of those lands within the jurisdiction of any State or Territory.