Julian Benoit and Allen Hamilton to William Medill, August 31 1846: Sheet #2

Transcription

Fort Wayne August 31st 1846

Sir,

We regret to learn that the Miami Indians refused to comply immediately with their last treaty and postponed their removal to the country assigned them west of the Mississippi to some future period. Feeling for the welfare of the Indians, as we do, we wish sincerely to see them removed far from the corrupting influence of white people, and placed under the immediate protection of the government. Back an application, we are informed, has been made to the War Department for thoughts to coerce these ignorant, ill advised and unfortunate creatures, and accelerate their removal. Permit us to say, that it is with disgust and contempt we look upon an application of this nature, and that we commit both deprecating the result of such an application, if acceded to. We firmly believe such a measure to be both opposed to the generosity and magnanimity of our government. and altogether useless. The withholding alone of the annuities of the Miamis will create among them such difficulties as they cannot overcome. Let them be without this usual resources for one winter only, and their state of starvation will teach them in a forcible manner the absolute necessity of complying with their solemn stipulations. We therefore most respectully, but most earnestly remonstrate against the employment of force and coercion in the removal of the Miami Tribe of Indians. We have been induced to think that formerly, at least we had some influence with the Indians, and rather than to see those poor Indians, not only stripped of very thing they had, but