ippewa bands and
trading-posts in that quarter. Much complaint is made respecting
the conduct of the persons licensed by you last year, who located
themselves at the Granite Rocks, and on the St. Croix. No doubt can
exist that each of them took in, and used in their trade, a
considerable quantity of whiskey. And I am now enabled to say, that
they each located themselves at points within the limits of my
agency, where there are no trading-posts established. My lowest
trading-post on the Mississippi, is the Pierced Prairie, eighteen
miles below the mouth of the De Corbeau. It embraces one mile
square upon which traders are required to be located. On the St.
Croix, the posts established and confirmed by the Department are
Snake River and Yellow River, and embrace each, as the permanent
place of location, one mile square. I report these facts for your
information, and not to enable you to grant licenses for these
posts, as the instructions of the Department give to each agent the
exclusive control of the subject of granting licenses for the
respective agencies.

Much solicitude is felt by me to exclude ardent spirits wholly from
the Chippewas and Ottowas, the latter of whom have, by a recent
order, been placed under my charge. I am fully satisfied that
ardent spirits are not necessary to the successful prosecution of
the trade, that they are deeply pernicious to the Indians, and that
both their use and abuse is derogatory to the character of a wise
and sober government. Their exclusion in every shape, and every
quantity, is an object of primary moment; and it is an object which
I feel it a duty to persevere in the attainment of, however traders
may bluster. I feel a reasonable confidence in stating, that no
whiskey has been used in my agency during the last two years,
except the limited quantity taken by special permission of the
Secretary of War, for the trade of the Hudson's Bay lines; and
saving also the quantity clandestinely introduced from Prairie du
Chien and St. Peters.

I know, sir, that an appeal to you on this subject cannot be lost,
and that your feelings and judgment fully approve of temperance
measures. But it requires active, persevering, unyielding efforts.
And in all such efforts, judiciously urged, I am satisfied that the