Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/58

40 the immigrants, acquiring wealth, while they, the owners of the land, remained as poor as before.

Again, from the above facts, we may draw these conclusions:—

First. That with the purest intentions, and with the best religious ideas of the times, the Presbyterian missionaries of the upper country found it impossible to implant spiritual religion in the minds of the aboriginal inhabitants of earth.

Second. That the influence of the contact with savagery was to unspiritualize themselves; to drive out of their minds confidence in the power of religion to change the tribes, to keep them in proper subjection to the laws of the United States, to suppress violent and lawless acts along the said line of frontier, to facilitate the passage of troops and munitions of war into and out of the said territory of Oregon, and the transportation of the mail as hereinafter provided.

Section 2. And be it further enacted, that there shall reside at each of the said posts one superintendent having charge thereof, with full power to carry into effect the provisions of this act, subject always to such instructions as the president may impose; one deputy superintendent to act in like manner in case of the death, removal, or absence of the superintendent, and such other artificers and laborers, not exceeding twenty in number, as the said superintendent may deem necessary for the conduct and safety of said posts, all of whom shall be subject to his appointment and liable to removal.

Section 3. And be it further enacted, that it shall be the duty of the president to cause to be erected at each of the said posts, suitable buildings for the purpose herein contemplated, to wit: One main dwelling-house, one storehouse, one blacksmith s and gunsmith s shop, and one carpenter shop, with such and so many other buildings for storing the products and supplies of the said posts as he may from time to time deem expedient; to supply the same with all necessary implements of mechanical art and agricultural labor incident thereto, and with all such other articles as he may judge requisite and proper for the safety, defense, and comfort thereof; to cause the said posts in his discretion to be visited by detachments of the troops stationed on the western frontier; to suppress through the said posts the sale of munitions of war to the Indian tribes in case of hostilities, and annually to lay before congress at its general session, full returns, verified by the oaths of the several superintendents of the several acts by them performed, and of the condition of the said posts, with the income and expenditures growing out of the same respectively.

Section 4. And be it further enacted, that the said superintendents shall be appointed by the president, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, for the term of four years, with a salary of two thousand dollars, payable out of any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated; that they shall respectively take an oath before the district judge of the United States for the western district of Missouri faithfully to discharge the duties imposed on them in and by the provisions of this act, and give a bond to the president of the United States, and to his successors in office and assigns, with sufficient security to be approved by the said judge in at least the penalty of twenty-five thousand dollars, conditioned to indemnify the president, his successors, or assigns, for any unlawful acts by them performed, or injuries committed by virtue of their offices, which said bonds may at any time be assigned for prosecution against the said respective superintendents and their