and equitably entitled to the service of said slaves, while unlawfully and against the power and protests of the Seminoles, detained at Fort Gibson for the space of more than three years, by U. S. officers: That the number of said negro slaves so unlawfully detained and kept from the service due their masters, as near as now can be estimated was Two Hundred and Thirty-four or thereabouts: That the services of these said slaves for these three years and upwards were amply worth at the time Seventy five dollars each per annum, making the sum of Fifty two Thousand Six hundred and fifty dollars ($52.650.00,) to which the Seminole owners of said slaves are fully and fairly, in law and equity, entitled, and which ought to be paid to them by the Government of the United States. JOHN JUMPER, P. Chief Seminoles X his mark PAH SUC AH YO HO LAH, Speaker Council X his mark CHITTO-TUSTO-MUGGEE X his mark ARHAH-LOCK-TUSTO-MUGGEE X his mark NOKE-SU-KEE X his mark PARS-CO-FER X his mark TESI-KI-AH X his mark ALLIGATOR X his mark TALLA-HASSA X his mark GEORGE CLOUD X his mark HO-TUL-GEE-HARJO X his mark TAR-HAH FIXICO X his mark Sworn to and subscribed before me, in open Council Jany 22d 1856. J. W. WASHBOURNE U. S. Agent for Seminoles. Witnesses: GEORGE M. AUD [281] President Polk seems to have been of the opinion that negro slaves could not be freed by military proclamation [_Diary_ (Quaife's edition), vol. iii, 504]. [282] Slavery was not completely ignored even in the treaties of the Third Class. In Article IX of their treaty [p. 348], the Wichitas promised to do all in their power to take and return any negroes, horses, or other property stolen from white men or from Indians of the great tribes. The corresponding article in the Comanche Treaty [p. 355], was to like purpose. [283] Article XXXVII of the Osage Treaty, Article XXVIII of the Seneca and Shawnee Treaty, and Article XXVII of the Quapaw Treaty. [284] The following are the Creek clauses and the Choctaw and Chickasaw, Articles XLV and XLVII, the Seminole, Articles XXIX and XXXIII, and the Cherokee, Articles XXXIV and XXXVII, are similar: