Cherokee phoenix, and Indians' advocate. [volume], March 04, 1829, Image 2

About Cherokee phoenix, and Indians' advocate. [volume] (New Echota [Ga.]) 1829-1834

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
theru -ounrf y'-ot lii ; ii* hue s
v* • not, br some hundred thousand
a es, run off «s high up the Ohatta
boochy as, by the articles of treaty, it
should have been. To the evidence
adduced by the agent Col. Wales,
in confirmation of this opinion, we are
abletoaddsoniethingof our own. While
raversing that country as one of the
o in- the service of the state,
jn we were personally assured
by its people that the true dividing
li ie, running westward between the
Creeks and Cheroket;s was consider
ably of our rout which was di
rect fioin Gites ferry in Gwinnett
county, to the Missionary stand on the
E'owah; which latter place, accor
ding to an observation taken, en pasmnt,.
is in latitude 33 deg. 28 minutes. Our
informants expressed considerable dis
appointment and rejoicing, that they,
who conceived themselves within
C"cek limits, had been set off* to the
CWokees. They had felt much iu-
Cp iatude from an apprehension that
tVir nation, the Creeks, would ere
In.ig be compelled to relinquish al'
thsir lan Is to Georgia, in which e-
V'-uiT t ! ;cv must needs abandon their
and their home: but we?e
gntiSed to learrt that had. in the
i*«'ie beea left inMie q-iiet possession
of both, far within t'>n Cherokre. Yalicn.
Statesman and Pat
YET
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1529.
The progress of emigration is but slow.
At f h» present rate, it will be a great whl
t ■ e th<t Cherokee Nation is removed.—
An) if the prices now pa ; d for improve
ri'"nts is continued throughout, it will cost
th' United States millions of dollars. It
•w II be a dear emigration. The subject is
creating an increased interest among our
citizens—m«etingsare held in various pla
ors, and decided and unanimous opinion is
g-»"n that it is not to the interest of the
C icrokees to remove to the western wilder
ness. A meeting, it appears, was held at
Turkey Town, the result of which the
reader will see in our present number.—
Another washel 1 , a few days ago, at the
house of William Hicks, Esq. An ad
dress was drawn in Cherokee, which was
publlsbct] In uui l<rsi. It is signed oy a
committee o'fseventeen persons, viz: three
from Hightower, two from Pine Log, one
from Oostahnahlee, one from Chutoogedah,
two from Dirt-town, three from Springtown
and two from Oougillogv. We hope it
will not be siid, that these meetings are oc
casioned bv improper interferes e of the
Chiefs—the Chiefs have had nothing to do
with them.
The frivol >us cla ; m aI. aneed by G"-Ar
gil to a 'art of our Country shows,too man
ifs'tiv, the nature of her blasted rights, and
th° inconsistency of her proceedings. It
appears fro n the siiTTiTiar f the evidence
collected by Col. Wal ,to prove that the
teal boundary line between the Cherokees
an 1 Creeks was as far north as the High
To.ver rlv°r, that that evi fence originates
fr m the Indians, St is'all hearsay, which
woo'' be of lit tie avail in a court of law. The
a 1 litional testimony furn'-hed by the editor
ofthe Stats.&Pat.(which see in a preceding
«obimn) is also of the sam° kind—he heard
Indians sav so and so. Now what says the
law ofGeorgia ? "No Indian or descendant
of Indians, resid'ng w ; th'n the Creek or
Cliot-olee Nation of Indians, shall lie a com
pel t w tness, o" a party to ar.y suit, to
wV<-b a vhiteman is a party." Will it be
i that the evidence in question was
g ; vrn previous to the passage of the law?
The Indians then mete once capable oftell-
the truth if ther are not now. Or are
the words of the Indian manufactured into
truth after passingthe mouth of the white
man in the form of a depositien? It ap
pears that Indians' testimony will be re
ceivc-1 when it is considered to the advan
tage of the State, »ven when the law de
clares such fstimon-' unavailing in a court
of justice. How shall we account for such
inconsistencies?
We stated in our last, that previous to
the establishment oftb • present boundary
in» between the Creeks and Cherokees
5
was no other which wns considered
4 I'ne by either pa-'ty. We believe this
tfl 1 trictly correct. W« will, how
evi, ispert further,tha* the Cherokees ha' l
a V.»tt»r fieht to th° country south ofsai.'l
Ihie than the Greeks north of il—anil it is
not at all unlikely, that i f th" Cherokee'
wer« as powerful as th» State of Georgia,
& w»re governed "b'- principles,they
would now v - attemptingto west the com -
ti~* of Carml and Cow»ta from their neigh
bors. Why/ Because many of Mr citi-
belie re, and no doubt can testify to
j.hpt efleci, (hat tjae iq cpyucii a
Fort Jackson, on the S.fVi <Uv of j
liili, diil agree thai u>. boundary jiuulti j
commence ai Vann's Store on the wafers of
Ocmiulgee. It was the intention 01 the
Cheioiees ai that Council ty agiee mill ihe
Creeks on their boundary, winch was then
unsettled, and the following, which we
copy from a printed document, was com
mitted to writing as expressing the agree
' ment made by the parties*
The undersigned, head men,
chiefs and warriors of the Cherokee
& Greek nations, availing themselves
of the present happy occasion, of the
United States giving peace ind boun
daries to the Creek nation; and hav
ing' had an amicable interview, at
which the subject of their boundaries
has been in the most friendly manner
discussed, have unanimously agreed,
that the following described line shall
forever hereafter be acknowledged,
by the parties respectively, to be
their permanent boundary line, viz:
Beginning at a point where Vann's
store formerly stood, on thfe wateis of
the Oekrnulgee river, this point being
well known to the parties respeetive
ly; and from thence continued to the
Coosa river, crossing the same at the
place where the present military
.-pad crosses the said river, and draivn
from then.-e in a straight line, & cross
ing a fork of the Black-warrior river
rt little below the o'd town burnt by
General Coffee; and in the rime' di
rection until It shall inter
sect the Chickasaw lands: thence
leading to the Flat rock, or old corner
boundary, this being known to the
CheroVees by the appellation of tlv
'ong leafed pine: for this point, viz:
Flat rock, or old corner boundary,
reference is had to the convention
made and concluded at Washington
City, between the.United States and
the Cherokees, on the 7th day of Jan
uary 1806.
The parties respectively request
Major General Andrew Jackson to
present a certified copy ofUhc above
arrangement to their Father,'the Pre
sident of the United state 9.
Done in the council house at Fort
Jackson, the 9th day of August, 1814.
The above was, however, merely a ver
bal agreement, for it appears that the for
malitv of a treaty was not concluded, this
having been deferred at the request ol the
principal cblßffe, and by the advice of Maj.
Gen. Andrew Jackson. But an instrument
was drawn,expressing the sentiments of the
Cherokees and Creeks on the subject,which
we request the reader to peruse attentivel .
No intimation is given that either the Ch -
rokees or Creeks knew of any boundary
line then existing.
Be it known and rememlertd. That
the,Cherokee and Creek chief's assem
bled at Fort Jackson; the first With a
view to agree with (he latter on a
boundary line dividing the lauds of the
two nations: That, "n proposition be
ing made by the first to make a defin
itive settlement of the boundaries of
said the second replied, that
they had no objection at some time to
settle their boundary with the. first:
that in the present distressed state of
their nation they could not enter into
the business with that consideration
and deliberation which' the subject
required; ; but that until this could
be done they had no objections to the
("herokees settling themselves down
on lands whi'h they misht deem to be
clearly within their proper bounda
ries and that it is their desire to live
in amity with the Cherokees, and
would ever consider them as their
good friends and neighbors, and
would*render them all the friendly
offices within their power.
Done at Fort Jackson, tfie 9th day
of August, 1814.
The above contains the voluntary
and friendly arrangement entered into
between the Chiefs of th'e Cherokee
nation of Indians, and the Chiefs of the
Creek nation, requested to be com
mitted to writing and attested by us.
Agreeably thereto, the same is com
mitted to writing, and attested by us.
ANDREW JACKSON,
JWrtj. Ge.n.
BENJAMIN HAWKINS, -
./Jsrentof I. J).
RETURN J. MFTGS,
Agent for the Cherokees.
JiugusX 9th 1814.
The following is an extract of a letter
addressed to the Editor, Hated,
JAFFREYVTLLE C, N. J4n. 99, 18*29.
I write to inform you. thr l
those of this place. who havp emigrat
ed for the Arknnsas Country have
sold their stocks and improvements
'o citizens of the United States
These who hrve ho»v hf t* eir■ MpVe*
are at this time moving in, and some
of themtave already moved and «re
m i-. of iliose pieces. • Some
01 the emigratng parly are now lying
at I)utiter .s Lauoiug v> ailing tor a tide.
H appears thai ihe preceding of this
people will be the cause of consider
able contusion between the Chero
kees and the whites. Our citizens, 1
believe, would \\ ish to take possession
of these improvements, if it iveie not
for their white neighbors, who think
they have a greater right to tljem.
We are obliged to jvaji for his
communication. Our limits will not
allow us to insert but a short extract
of it.
"The Indian is obliged to look up to
the white man for pioiectiou. This
protection the white man h..s solemn
ly promised to the Indian, in
great Councils. The white man is
bound to keep the Indian in his arms,
to shelter him from all dangers, and
the time has come when this promise
must be put to the test. It is not
for me to soy in what way it will be
disposed. All that we can do is to
place our confidence in our eldei
brother—if his promise is violated we
ihiist then be subject to his future
proceedings, for power is m his hands.
Ifite says to us, you must move west ol
tVe Mississippi, we will then, perhaps,
ke' obliged to move, but it will noi
ie congenial to pur ft elingi—tor the
Jfiuntry is not desirable —ii is inhabit
ed by a few savage nations of In
dians.
It the white man wishes to civil
ize the Indians, v\hy does he send
them to the west? Would a removal
thither be civilization? ISo. I would
rather be inclined to think that it
would be placing them in a more
savage, destitute and deplorable con
dition. The Indians from time imme
morial "Tie Savages, and knew noth
ing; about civilization, until they min
gled with the whites—all that the In
dians know, they have derived from
their white brethren. V\ hy is it that
an attempt is mode to drive them
into darkness again? The cause is ,
avaricious disposition. The posses
sions of the Indians are quite small,
and their number* are but insignifi
cant, but they dono ~:.u to i>c driv
en like a great herd of Antelopes."
FROM OCR CORRESPOND!"NT.
Washington City, )
Bth Feb. 1829. \
I transmit you by this mail a Doc
ument printed' for (lie use of Congress,
containing a correspondence between
Col. Tlios. L. M Kenney and'HJol.
Montgomery on the iof tlie late
plan of emigration. 1/ unveils some
important points, to whiih v\e have
hitherto been kept, in darkness, and
perhaps may not be Uf interesting to
your readers in the Nation.
You will perceive that Captain
Rogers was a confidential agent of ihe
Secretary of War s, sent out to open
our eyes, and to "explain to us the
kind of soil, climate-,, and the prospects
that avva'ited us it the West." Col.
VI Kenney in his letter to the agent,
informing him of this confidential plen
ipotentiary appointment, &c. says,
"much, if not all his success, will de
pend nponthe keeping of the object of
iiis Visit a Secret, yvu will by no
means make it known." A secret a
gent th'n with an empty Captain's
commission by way of recommenda
tion< whose success depended upon se
cret management and intrigue! He
that hath business with us of either a
private or public nature, let him be
open, candid and upright in his actions;
if he assumes a mysterious character,
he becomes at once contemptible, e
ven to the poorer class. Captain Ro
gers is a man well known in this coun
try. and would I cyuld say advantage
ously known as a man of integrity and
reputation, since a confidential minis
ter toour nation. Explanations,* when
manufactured by men to subserve
private interest, are not likely to ef
fect mu h with people who are bat
ter able fo make their owncalculations
as to their probable happiness in a
change of life; and who need not, at
this time, great inducements, or zeal
ous efforts of secret agents to win
h-m over to the enjoyment of true
•omfort, w hen offered. Many of the
Indian tribes in the North West, yet
in a state of heathenish state of ignor
ance and degredation, are led impli
citly by their #gents; if this has been
'he case with the Cherokees, I am
'i.appy to say it is far from beinj so
low. The means adopted in the af
"->ir of criers and Spears add noth
ing; to the pharactor of the Govern
ment, or f would father say of those of
iis utiiceis, who, after selecting an a
i;ent of their ■choice, and sending him
to the nation, enjoining secrecy, thai
he might not be known as an agent
should, after he had introduced him
self, by improper conduct, into a diffi
culty, say he was an offi-er of the
Government, and as such should be
protected.
i
Col. M Kenney says that it would
be a great object for the emigrants to
ascend as high up the Arkansas as pos
sible, and recommended that flat boats
should be built in place of keeled
boals on that account. Now did you
ever hear of a man before that would
prefer a flat to a keeled boat to navi
gate upstream, or that would prefer
a tin to a brass kettle in which to boil
a buffaloe's head? He also says that it
is with the chiefs of the Southern In
dians, a fixed purpose, by thrcals and
otherwise, to keep their people from
emigrating. The remedy is "the pres
ence of an armed force!! ' Can the Cher
okees be included in this paragraph?
I presume they are, as they are often
blended with other Tribes to their in
jury in the public reports. Tho
writer is certainly very ignorant of
out- condition, or, like the gjeat nabob
(M.J| cares too little for rhetoric. At
stated periods the Chiefs are created
by the people, and if they are displeas
ed at them, and but will it, they can
turn them out, and reduce them to
the ranks of common citizens. For
what reasons, then, should the Chiefs
be tyrannical, or the people be afraid
of their Chiefs How much better
would it have been, if the presence of
this military force had been recom
mended as a remedy for removing in
truders from our lauds.
Vou will also perceive that the
Honorable Secretary entertains an o
pinion that a greater portion of the
"•poorer Indians are disposed to emi
grate." This .opinion I presume is
lounded upon Col. M'Kenney's report
of the Cherokees (without ever see
ing them,) after his visit to the
Creeks. It is not to be proven by the
fruits of his confidential agent's la
bors. 1 am informed that most of
those who have enrolled are white
men and half breeds, under the prom
ise ol getting large sums for their im
provements. The poorer .class of
people are not so soon led into a spec
ulation of this kind. Although the a
gent has been guarded against an un
necessary waste of a cent of the pub
lie money, I cannot but believe that
eren/cent that has been, or may be ex
pended under the treaty of |he Ark
ansas Cherokees. to induce our re
moval, is an unnecessary waste of the
public money, that might have been
applied to much better uses. Sup
pose one half of the Indians residing
within the limits of Georgia were to
emigrate, and paid for their improve
ments; would this give to the United
States a title to the land? No: If
.here were -but 500 citizens left in
the country, the title would yet be
with them, and the United States
must enter into a treaty before their
title can be legally extinguished.
9th February.
I had the honor of seeing the cele
brated Indian Chief Red Jacket, who
arrived in the City yesterday.
The object of his visit I have not
learned. lam sorry to say that he
was already intoxicated when I saw
him. I believe he has been accom
panied by two or three other Indians.
Ridge*s Ferry, )
Feb. 22, 1829. \
Mr. BoUDtNOTT, " •
Sir—William B. Wofford of Geor
gia, I am informed, has started a claim
in the legislature of Georgia to a part
of our territory, from Sowanny old
town, on the Chatahoochy river, Jo the
Six's on the Hightower, and down the
river to its intersection with the
western charter line of Georgia, em
bracing all, or nearly all the District
of Hightower; and on his motion, Gov.
Forsythe is instructed to obtain proofs
of the validity of this claim, under
the treaty of the'lndian Springs, con
cluded with Gen. M'lntosh of the
Creek Nation, who ceded the whole
of the Creek lands in the chartered
limits of Georgia. lam also inform
ed that affidavits or depositions are
taken from citizens of Georgia and
the frontier, to corroborate the claim,
as having in their recollection, a treaty
concluded by the Cherokees with the
Creeks, by which the former surren
dcredthe lands embraced by the afore
mentioned claim.
Be it known, therefore, to said
Wofford, who is grossly ignorant of
treaty stipulations, and to deponents
on this snbjecf, and to all \vh;ai-ft-ftwj '
. ogcern, that a treaty ol boundary »as
several years ago concluded by b: idt
parties, Oen. Mcintosh being coin
inissioiier on the part of the Cretts,
and that a copy of it is deposited in
the War Department at Washington
—that the Indian Spring treaty of
Mcintosh, which cost hire his life, is
annulled and made void by the subse
quent treaty of Washington between
the United States and Creeks, and iu
that treaty the boundary line between
the Creeks and the Cherokees is dis
tinctly acknowledged in writing, and
j that the United States' surveyors fol
lowed the line from Buzzard Roost on
the Chattahoochy river towards tie
Mouth of Wills Creek on the Coosa
River, to the Forty five milie point on
said line as provided for by the Treaty
|of Washington. For further parties
lars I request these claimants to b©
undeceived by the Hon. M Phersoir
Berrien Senator of Georgia, and Mr.
Cobb, who were representing the
State of Georgia at the ratification ot"
said treaty.
JOHN RIDGE.
Coosa River, in Turkey Tewjry
C. N. 9th February, 1829.'
To the Cherokee Public,
The undersigned, in behalf of a towi?
meeting, composed of the Citizens of
Turkey town, take the liberty of ad
dressing you through the public Jouiv
nal of our Nation, on the subject of
emigration to the nest, to which the
United States have called their atten
tion. The view we take of this meas
ure, and the sentiments we will tak»
occasion to express, will be simple'
and plain, founded on truth as ham'ed
down to us by our ancestors. Limit
ed in knowledge and possessing but S
small share of experience, our apolo*
sy in this attempt is in the interest we
feel in every thing that concerns the*,
well being of our Nation. Our aiv
cstors settled in this place at a peri
od not now in our recollection. Here
was s'acred ground, and on this spot
the Council fire blazed with lustre,
and hereivcre the dwellings and seats
of Kings and our beloved Chiefs!—
YVe speak of days when we lived in
the hunter's state,, and when our feet
were swift in the track of gam*.
Gonoi cil Washing!on, after having"
smoked the pipe of peace with our
Chiefs, sent us word to discontinue
the pursuit of ragrant habits, and a
dopt those more substantial, and be
come cultivators of the soil. His suc
cessors pursued, in regard to us. the
same policy, and sent to us the same
Talk from time to time—that as game
was precarious and liable to destruc
tion, the bosom of the earth afforded
means of subsistence, both irfinite and
inexhaustible. But time was not al
lowed us to experience the blessings
of putting this recommendation to
practice by interested wicked /'bite
men, who lived near to us, and ftho
esteemed as a nuisance, because ther
Great Spirit hall placed our habit*
tions in a desirable Country, and be
cause they themselves had crossed:
the Big Water (the Ocean) and had
become our neighbors. The bitter
cup of adversity was tilled to us oo
every side, by our enemies. Our
safety was often endangered by in
trigue ami misrepresentation of our
character to the General Government;
and it was not mental or natural disa
bility that opposed it self to our ad
advancement in civilization, but the
obstacles placed in our wayto reach it,.
The Indians were represented as
incapable of learning the arts of civil
ized life, and at the same time, treat
ed in the most uncivil manner. They
were savagely revengeful, because
they had the spirit to resent the mur
der of their friends & relations. They
were rogues and thieves, because, not
knowing the method of legal processes
to obtain justice, and if they did, thfip
oath decreed to be non-availing, they*
retaliated in the same way. They
were drunkards, because intoxicating
liquors were introduced among them.
They were disinclined to the study of
books, because some few superficially
educated under bad instruction
betrayed their countrymen and had set
bad examples. They were stubborn,
because they loved the land that had
been endeared to them as an inherit
ance of their fathers. This flood of
inconsistency raged with violence over
the heads of our Chiefs & swept with
its waves,, from under their feet, the
earth, for'which they had struggled
for ages past. In this way our terri
tory diminished, and our inheritance
was circumscribed fp its present
bounds*