Cherokee phoenix. [volume], September 17, 1828, Image 1

About Cherokee phoenix. [volume] (New Echota [Ga.]) 1828-1829

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s
VOL. i.
•ITED BY ELIAS BOUDINOTT
PRINTED WEEKLY BY
ISAAC JI. HARRIS,
FOR THE CHEROKEE NATION
At $2 50 if paid in advance, $S in six
months, or $3 50 if paid at the end of the
year.
To subscribers who can read only the
Cherokee language this price will be $2,00
in advance, or §2,50 to be paid within the
year.
Every subscription will be considered as
continued unless subscribers give notice to
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new year.
Any person procuring six subscribers,
and becoming responsible for the payment,
shall receive a seventh gratis.
Advertisements will be inserted at seven
ty-five cents per square for the first inser
tion, and thirty-seven and a half cents for
each continuance; longer ones in propor
tion. 1
iCPAII letters addressed to the Editor,
post paid, will receive due attention.
AGENTS FOR THE CHEPiOKEE
PHOENIX
The following persons are authorized to
receive subscriptions and payments for the
Cherokee Phoenix.
t. *t KN " Y ,LI -> ® s q- Treasurer of the A,
B. C. F. M. Boston, Mass.
George M. Tracy, Agent ofthe ... B.
C. F. M. New York.
Rev. A. D. Eddy, Canandaigua, N. Y.
1 homas Hastings, Utica, N. Y.
Pollard & Converse, Richmond, Va.
Rev. James Campbell, Beaufort, S. C.
William Modlteie Reid, Charleston,
y. C.
Col. George Smith, Statesville, W. T.
William M. Combs, NasTiville Ten.
Rev. Bennet Roberts— ; \>wal Me.
Mr. Thos. R. Gold, (an r inerant Gen-*
tleman.)
Jeremiah Austil, Mobile Ala,
[continued.]
WASHINGTON AND THE CHERO
KEES.
My Children of the Cherokee Nation.'
attend!—ln a former interview soon
after your arrival, esteeming you the
representation of your whole nation,
I received you with open arms and an
hearty welcome. I then referred you
to communicate freely all you had to
say to General Knox the Secretary of
War, and I am glad to learn that you
have fully disclosed all the things
which you hau in your hearts to say;
and he has reported the same to me.
I am highly satisfied with the confi
dence you repose in ine, and in the
United States as your friends and pro
tectors.
We shall indeed rejoice in being the
instruments of the Great Master of
Breath, to- impart to you and your
whole Nation,-all the happiness of
which your situation will admit. To
teach you to cultivate the earth and j
to raise your own bread as we do ours
—to raise cattle—to teach your chil
dren such arts as shall be useful to
them, and to lead you by degrees from
one information to another, in order
not only to better your situation on this
earth, but by enabling your minds to
forma more perfect judgment of the
great works of nature, to lead you to
a more exalted view of the Great Fa
ther of the Universe.
Rest therefore upon the United
States, as your great security against
all injury.
But in order to receive the good de
signed for you, it vvilfte your duty
upon all occasions to be peaceable—
to be kind to the whites—and above
all, not to indulge resontment upon a- j
ny supposed injury, but rather apply
to the United States or their Agent
for redress.
J\fy Children—You have mentioned
CHEROKEE
something about your past grievances.
We too have had causes of complaint
on our parls, but we are desirous of
burying deep under ground all past
evils. r
We will now consider the treaty
made at Holstein, near the mouth of
rench Broad, on the second day of
July last, as the bond of our union
Adhere to that treaty on your part, as
vvc shall do on ours.
You have asked whether we have
authorized Governor Blount to make
I at treaty, he being a Carolinian? In
answer to your question we tell you I
now that Governor Blount is the Agent
of the United States, and that he will
always speak truly to you, and you
must depend upon what he shall say
Jo you on our behalf. Respect him
therefore and love him for my sake,
and I will answer that ho shall conduct
himself as your friend.
, When he shall send to you that he
is ready to run the lines according to
the treaty, attend to what he shall
say arid repair to him immediately.
It is very important to you as well
as the whites that the boundary should
be known so that no "bad people tres
pass in future on your grounds.
My Children—Attend to me now,
for I shall reply directly to the objects
uinch you have communicated as the
cause of your journey.
You ask, firstly, that you should
nave a greater sum each year for
your lands than was stipulated in the
treaty of Holstein.
Governor Blount told you truly that
he could not give more than one thou
sand dollars yearly for the lands you
relinquished; because he was limited
to that sum.
I But my Children, as you have re
quested five hundred dollars more, and
as the United States and myself are
desirous of affording you every proof
oi our friendship, we comply with
your request; and you shall according
ly, receive suitable goods to the a
rnount of one thousand five hundred
dollars, yearly.
You ask, secondly, that you should
take with you goods to the amount of
one year's allowance. This request is
also granted, and you shall have the
goods accordingly.
Vou ask, thirdly, that the white
people who have settled to the south
ward of the new line which divides
the waters of the Tennessee from
those running into Little River, should
be removed.
I ansu er that the people shall be
removed as soon as the line is run.
You ask, fourthly, that a person
shall be sent to reside in your nation
who shall be your Counsellor and pro
tector, in belialt of the United States.
I shall also comply with your re
quest in this instance, and 1 have ac
cordingly appointed this Gentleman,
Leonard Shaw (presenting him at the
same time,) to return with you and
reside in the Nation. He is a man of
knowledge, and is desirous of being'
serviceable to you in teaching you and
your children useful arts, is he ac
ceptable to you? and will you protcci
and comfort him and "follow his ad
vice'?;
You have fifthly, that we
shall make no settlements at the Mus
cle Shoals on the Tennessee.
Be assured my Children, we shall
not make any settlements at that place,
which we understand to be the hunt
ing grounds of several of the southern
Nations, without their consent. It is
however proper that you should agree
among yourselves about your own
boundaries, so that there be no dispute
in future on that account.
It is proper also that you should un
derstand that fhe United States have
stipulated by treaty with the Chicka
saws, to establish a post at the Occo
chappo or Bear's Creek below the
Muscle 'Shoals. This ground the
Chickasaws stated as solely belonging
to them. They asserted this at "the
treaty of Hopewell, when a considera
ble part of your Nation was present
and it was not denied on your part. i
2VEYV ECHOTA, WEDIESDiy, SEPTEM
My Children—You may be told
when you get back to your Nation, if
you have not heard it already, that a
battle has been fought between the
whitfe people, and the hostile Indians
living at the Miarna Towns and on the I
Wabash north west of the Ohio •and
such others as they could draw to their
aid; and that our people were beaten
with considerable loss; and you may
be told too by some of these Indians
who probably may visit your nation,
that this dispute has arisen from at
tempts of ours to take away their
lands.
That a battle has been fought; that
we have lost many mci 1 ! and were oblig
ed to retreat at that time is true. But
that the dispute is about land is false.
e neither claim nor do we want to
possess any land beyond the boundary
which has been established between
us and those Nations of Indians whose
right itjwas to fix it, and who did it by
! three different treaties. All we have
asked and all we require is that our
frontier people may live undisturbed j
in their persons and properties; and
these dispositions have been commu
nicated to them ia various messages
And lastly it is proper that you
should know, that the object of the
United States, is not to make a settle
ment there for the pilrpose of hunting
or clearing your lands, but to prevent
bad white people from doing it, and
that you may obtain goods cheaply un
der the protection of the United
slates, it is the General Government
who will be present there and not a
disorderly set of people. But notwith
standing that these are the objects of
the United States, yet a trading post
will not be established there if it be
disagreeable to the red people. Con
sult therefore among yourselves and
with your neighbours, when you get
back to your nation, and let me know
your wishes on this subject.
You have asked, sixthly, for two In
terpreters, who shall be sworn to com
municate all things faithfully which
shall p ass between the United Stales j
and your Nation; and you have point
ed out James Carey, who is present,
as a proper person for one Interpreter,
and after your return you will let
Governor Blount know whom your
IN at ion will choose for the other.
In conformity therefore to your re
quest, I appoint James Carey one In
terpreter and leave it to the Nation
to nominate the other.
I have ordered that you should be
well clothed yourselves; and that you
should also carry home some clothim;
tor your families besides other person
al presents of Medals and Rifles, which
you have received.
I have besides ordered personal
presents of a similar nature to be pro
vided and sent by Mr. Shaw to be de
livered in the name of the United
States to the Little Turkey, the
w *fV he , . Dra Sg'ng Canoe, John
atts, Katakiskee, the Hanging Maw,
the Breath, the Boots, the Black Fox,
the I high, the Glass, and Dipk of the
look out Mountain who I learn are the J
principal Chiefs of your Nation.
lou will understand that all these
presents are in addition to the annual
allowance to your Nation, whiph al
owance is the public properly, and to
be distributed in the most fair manner
upon your arrival at home in the pres
ence of the Little Turkey and your
I other great Chiefs. And I am sorry
you have been detained here so lone
the Grea t Spirit above having cov
ered the waters with ice and the
ground with snow our vessels nor wag
gons could not pass, nor could your
goods be transported, this you have
seen and will be able to declare to
your people.
You havejmentioned one Bowles
» 10 has caused disturbances
the Creeks—my Children, believl
what 1 say to you concerning that man
—he is an impostor and a deceiver and
means no good either to the white or
red people and therefore ought not to
be suffered to reside among the In-
and by every means in our power, be
fore we marched any forces against
them, and even after they had at dif
ferent times between the close of the
I war with Great Britain and the march
ot the troops under General Harmen
killed wounded and carried into cap
tivity, one thousand live hundred of
our people and more than two thou
sand of our Horses. 4
This my Children is the truth, you
nave it from my own mouth; and I will
not deceive you. But hearken fur
ther to my words—though we were
unsuccessful in the last battle from
causes which are not necessary to
mention, yet if these unfriendly Indi
ans do not now come forward and
make peace with this country on the
terms 1 have mentioned and which are
the terms of equity and justice, the
force that will be sent against them in
future will he able to cut them oH I
trom the face of the earth.
Losing an hundred a thousand or
even ten thousand men would not be
missed in this country. But such a
Joss would destroy the whole of these
Indian Nations which are at war with
US,
Look through the streets of Phila
delphia and behold the number of
people! and what are these when
compared with the whole number in
the United States? Why not more
than one leaf is to the whole number
ol (hose which grow on a tree. Had
you travelled to this place by land, in
stead of coming by wa!€F,' you would
have been an eye witness of the truth
of this observation,even then you
woud not have seen half the extent of
the Umted Surteir which'are now join
ed together aiuN ill act as one ian, '
Zt 'T 9t Vvhrit . is <'one to a
1 " i these matters to you
|my : Children'fciid-' frtehds, 1 that all bad
Indians may be'&equ&inted with it and
know what ffiilst bb-the Consequence
0 waging an unjust war against the
mted States, or injuring the proner
ty of any of its citizens.
JYly Children— There are several
other matters, which General Knox
the Secretary of War will speak about
to you m my behalf and which you
must attend to. .
But I shall subscribe my name to
11S u which written in
your book, in order to be preserved a
mong you as a witness of our transac
tions together, and to which you may
have recourse in future.
1 his book you will sacredly ore
serve and not suifer any thing to be
written therein but in the presence
of the United States or their A«-ent
iim Mr sZ™. 0 ' '° J " Sj ' r
In this book the treaty between the
United States and the Cherokees will
be written together with your speech
es here, and this answer thereto.
Besides this manner of recording
our proceedings, I confirm all I have
said to you in your own method, by a
White Belt as the emblem of the puri
ty of our hearts towards you.
1 shall also in answer to the Messa
ges and Belts brought by you, send
I particular Messages and Belts by Mr
Shaw to the Creeks, the Choctaws
and the Chickasaws—l consider their
interest and the interest of the United
Mates as the same, and shall accord
'r'§ Ji 1 eat theSi as our firm friends and
children.
Given under my hand at the city of
I hilaaclphia this third of February in I
the year of our Lord one thousand se
ven hundred and ninety two.
GO. WASHINGTON.
From the National Gazette.
Extract from the second volume of Dr.
Goodman's American Natural History.
the beaver
The general aspect of the Beaver
at first view would remind one of a
large rat, and seen at a little distance,
it might be readily mistaken for the
common musk-rat. But the greater
size of the beaver, the thickness and
breadth of its head, and its horizontal- i
ly flattened, broad and scaly tail, ren-
R 17, 182 S.
In a state of captivity or insultation,
the beaver is a quiet or rather stupid
animal, about as much intelligence as
a tamed badger or any other quadrup
ed which can learn to distinguish its
feeder, come when called, or grow
familiar with the inmates of the house
ivnere it is kept. It is only in a state
of nature that the beaver displays any
of those singular modes of actin°-
which have so longrendered the spe
cies celebrated: these may -be sum
med up in a statement of the manner
m which they secure a sufficient depth
ot water to prevent it from being fro
zen to the bottom, and their mode of
constructing the huts in which they
they pass the winter.
They are not particular in the site
they select for the establishment of
their dwellings but if in a lake or
pond, where a darn is not required,
they are careful to build where the
water is sufficiently deep. Fn stand
ing water, hoifevcr, they have not
the advantage afforded by a current
lor the transportation of their supplies
ot wood, which, when they build on a
running stream, is always cut higher
up thgn tiie place of their residence,
and floated down.
1 lie materials used for the construe
tJon of their dams are the trunks and
branches of small birch, mulberry
willow, poplar, &c. They Login to
cut down their timber for Building
early in the summer, but their edi- d
,es are not commenced until about J
the middle or latter part of August, ■
and are nqt completed until the be- I
ginning of the cold season. The J
strength of their teeth and their per- M
severance in this work may be fairlyM
estimated by the size of the
hey cut down. Dr. Best informs uM
that he has seen a mulberry tree
I eight inches in diameter, which had V
been gnawed down by the beaver.—
W e were shown, while on the banks '1
of the Little Miami river, several "
stumps of trees, which had evidently
been felled by these .animals, of at
least fire or six inches in diameter.
These are cut in such a manner as to
fall into the watUr, and then floated
towards the site of the dam or dwel
lings'. Small shrubs, &c. cut at a
distance from the water, they drajr
with their teeth to the stream, and
then launch and tow them to the place
of deposit. At a short distance above
a beaver dam the number of trees
which have been cut down appears
| truiy surprising, and the regularity of
the stumps which are left, might lead
persons unacquainted with the habits
of our animal to believe that the clear
ing was the result of industry.
The figure of the dam varies accor
ding to circumstances. Should the
current be very gentle, the dam is
carried nearly straight across; but
when the stream is swiftly flowing, it
is uniformly made with a considerable
curve, having the convex part opposed
to the current. Along with the trunks
and branches of trees they intermin
gle mud and stones, to give greater
security, and when dams have been
long disturbed and frequently repair
ed,they acquire great solidity, and
their power of resisting the pressure
of water and ice is greatly increased
| by the willow, birch, &c. occasional
ly taking root, and eventually growing
up into something of a regular hedge.
Ihe materials used in constructing
the dams are secured solely by the
testing of the branches, &c. against
the bottom, and the subsequent accu
mulation of mud, and stones, by the
force of the stream or by the indus
try of the beavers. In various parts
of the vvestern count ry, where bcaVers
are entirely unknown except by tradi
tion, the dams constructed by their
3TO. 29.
der it impossible to mistake it for any
other creature when closely examin
ed. In its movements, both on shore
ln tbe water, it also closely re
sembles the musk-rat, having the same
quick step, and swimming with great
er vigor aud celerity, either on the
surface, or in the depths of the wa
ter.