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2 "The several Indian Agents in the Territory, are instructed to co-operate with you and act as your assistants in the tribes under their charge." "You will impress upon the Indians the justice of admitting the Freedmen to the enjoyment of all the rights of persons and property without reference to their former condition, and to an equal enjoyment of the bounty that may hereafter be bestowed by the National Government, and that it would be especially gratifying to the Government, if these Freedmen should be admitted to an equal enjoyment of civil rights. with this in view, you will explain to them that in this manner the Indians will rapidly augment their numbers and power-that they would thus be only following the example of the white people of the United States who have, from the beginning, admitted to the rights of citizenship white people of all countries in the world, when there has appeared to exist no natural antagonism; that as a result of this policy the whites have grown so numerous and strong as to render it difficult for the President to prevent them crushing out the Indian race and that many of the States, including the richest and wisest, make no distinction in this respect on account of color." " Very respectfully Your ob'dt servant (Signed) JAS. HARLAN, SECRETARY." II...The undersigned announces that pursuant to the above instructions he has established his Head Quarters, for the time being, at Fort Smith, to which place all papers and letters relative to the business indicated in the forgoing instructions will be sent, addressed to him personally. III...Indian Agents of the respective tribes above referred to, will at once use every means in their power to impress upon the minds of each individual of the tribes and nations, a clear and correct idea of the new relations existing between them and their former slaves, and these former slaves are now vested with the rights of freemen, and that the whole power of the Federal Government is pledged to the maintenance of their rights and the protection of their persons, in their proper exercise; and that a wrong or outrage committed upon one of them, is now looked upon, and will be treated by the United States, as a wrong or outrage committed upon a white citizen of the United States, and sooner or later to be punished accordingly. IV... As the Freedmen of the Indian Territory, seem competent to make their own contracts, it is deemed better, that the price of labor should be regulated by the demand for. and supply of the same, but every effort will

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