INDIANS. 19o 



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matter of revenue, is not to be overlooked ; as, v^ith the most 

 moderate profits, it might be made to pay the expenses of our 

 Indian agencies. The impositions of trade are, perhaps, the 

 most feh of all the oppressions to which the Indian is sub- 

 ject. It is one of which advantage can be taken both by the 

 alien enemies of our government, and by citizens who feel 

 aggrieved in being cut off from a lucrative pursuit to which 

 they feel they have a right ; and by means of which the 

 Indian may be stirred up to acts of hostility against our people. 



Another evil of the present system is drunkenness. Mr. 

 D. Jones, Indian Agent at Green Bay, says, in his last report 

 to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs : — " I respectfully call 

 your attention to a subject I submitted in my last annual 

 report, and of which I still entertain a favorable opinion. I 

 mean a system of suttling for the Indians similar to that of the 

 army. If such a system were established, it Avould not only 

 prevent, in a great measure, the introduction of whiskey 

 among them, besides furnishing all their wants at reasonable 

 prices, but would also do away with the annual collection of 

 large sums of money, taken from the Indians at every pay- 

 ment, by the traders for whiskey. I am satisfied that at 

 least one quarter of the annuity paid to the Menominis is col- 

 lected by traders, at the annuity payment, for whiskey." 



Governor Chambers, in his last report, says : — " I have 

 heretofore taken the liberty, in my annual reports, to express 

 the opinion that our system of trade and intercourse with the 

 Indian tribes is, in this region of country, rapidly destroying 

 them ; and I repeat that they are the victims of fraud and 

 intemperance, superinduced by the large sums of money paid 

 them annually by the government, without proper guards to 

 protect against the superior cunning and avarice of unprinci- 

 pled white men. The dictates of humanity, apart from con- 

 siderations of sound policy, demand from the national legisla- 



