Mr. INGERSOLL. I was about to read, when interrupted by the honorable gentleman, a subsequent clause of the treaty which limits the language referred to. This bill prouses to subject them to taxation by the State of ansas. It proposes to repeal, so far that contract made by the Governmen with these Indians without any notice to them. But let me read further: “ Until otherwiseprovided by law. such tracts shal be eXemptfrom lev, taxation or sale and shall be alienable in fee, or leased, or otherwisedisposedof only to the U.S or to personsthen being membersof the Pottawatomic tribe and of Indian blood, with the permissionof the President." In violation of the stipulation of this treaty this bill proposes to dispose of these lands to the State at Kansas, so far as to make them subject to State taxation; and should the taxes assessed not be paid, to vest the title absolutely in other persons than those mentioned in the treaty. By the treaty it will be observed that no white person is allowed to buy any of these lands, even though the Indians might desire to sell them. The bill under discussion proposes to override this provision of the treaty. It was never contemplated that the State of Kansas should be a party to the contract and have any rightto interfere between the U.S and these Indians. I understand that these Indians are under the special protection of Congress, and for Congress to concede all its rights to the State of Kansas without a single word from these Indians, and againstwhat seems to be their interest, would not only be an out rage upon their rights, but in violation of the so emn compact which we entered into with them 4 years ago, which I think demands glint, we shall treat them honorably, justly, and air. I believe it to be true that 9 10ths of the depredations ascribed to the Indians generally are exaggerated by those who are interested on our borders in plundering these tribes from Kansas to California. Yes, sir, so far as the evidence has gone in all the cases examined heretofore, hardly with an exception, there has been some white man, some avaricious monster with his fire water. tracts, and trinkets robbing, cheating, plundering, brutalizing, an murdering them; and, sir, when the Indians have asserted their rights, attempted either to retaliate or defend themselves, then we have been appealed to by these same men asking us to use the power of the Government to crush these weak and out raged people. We find that General Pope and other major generals have been dispersed all over the western country with troops at their back for the purpose of hunting down and murdering Indians who in 9 cases out of ten would have lived peaceably with the whites if they had been treated as they were treated by William Penn on the banks of the Delaware nearly 200 years ago.