FEDERAL INDIAN RELATIONS PACIFIC NORTHWEST 65
the Indian situation was made more serious by the postpone- ment of ratification. 49
In 1854, conjectures were made in the Senate as to why the treaties had not been ratified. It was stated that it might have been due to the large appropriations which were required under them. Houston stated that the treaties contained ob- jectional provisions, that they were made with insignificant tribes, and that there was no apparent restriction in several of the treaties. 50 There may be some obscurity about the exact terms of some of the treaties, and some difficulty in determin- ing the exact reasons for their non-ratification, but of this we are certain the plan of Thurston for the removal of the Indians west of the Cascade Moutains to lands east of those mountains ended in complete failure, which was due to the absurdity of the plan. To have moved the western Indians into eastern Oregon would have meant to have exterminated them.
APPENDIX
Oregon Superintendency, D. 3/52 Anson Dart
Oregon City Nov. 7, 1851, Sub- mits 13 treaties negotiated with Indians of Oregon. Also his report relative thereto.
(Treaties)
Informal inquiry made at Senate shows that treaties were received there from President Aug. 3/52, read and ordered printed, and there all trace is lost. (Never ratified.)
Christiancy
April 1888 Reed. Jany. 10, 1852
49 Dart to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Sept. 23, 1852. in C. I. A., A. R., Nov. 30, 1853 (Serial 658. Doc. i, p. 447).
50 "Indian Appropriation Bill," Congrtsnonal Globt. Mar. 24. 1854, 33 Cong., i Sen., p. 744-
