Cherokee phoenix, and Indians' advocate. [volume], July 22, 1829, Image 1

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

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CHEROKEE PH(EMX, A3~l>INDIANS' ABT©€1TE 4
PRINTED UNDER THE PATRONAGE, AND FOR THE BENEFJT
VOL.. 11.
PRINTED WEEKLY BY
JOHN F. WHEELER,
At $2 50 if paid in advance, $3" in sit
month;, or $3 50 if paid at the end of the
year. «
To subscribers who can read only thr
Cherokee language the 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
the contrary before th« commencement of a
fiew year,and all arrearages paid.
Any person procuring six subscribers,
ind 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, am' thirty-seven and a half cents for
each continuance-, longer ones in propor
tion.
IdPAll letters addressed to the Editor,
post paid, will receive due attention.
AGENTS FOR THE CHEROKEE
PHCENIX,
The following persons are authorized to
receive subscriptions and payments lor the
Cherokee Phcenix.
Messrs. Peirce Williams, No. 20
Market St. Boston, Mas?.
Gsopge M. Tracy, Agent of the A. B.
C. F. M. New York,
Rev. A. D. Eddy, Canandaigua, N. Y.
Thomas Hastings, Ut.ca, N. Y.
Pollard & Converse, Richmond, Va.
Rev. James Campbell, B< aui'ort, S. C.
William Moultrie Reid, Charleston,
S. C.
Col. George Smith, Statesville, W. T.
William M. Combs, Nashville, Ten.
Rev. Bennet Roberts, Povval, Me.
Mr. Thos. R. Gold, (an itinerant Gen
tleman.).
Jeremiah Austil, Mobile, Ala.
Rev. Cyrus Kingsbury, May hew, Choc
taw Nation.
Capt. William Robertson, Augusta,
Georgia.
Col. James Turk, Bellefonte, Ala.
BELX&IOUS.
THE KARENS IN BURMAH
The Karens, a remarkable people in
the interior of the Burman province,
are described below. The letter, as
it will be seea, is from one of our mis
sionaries in India, addressed to the
Rev. Dr. Sharp, Boston.—We are
kindly permitted to copy it.— Colum
bian Star,
Tavoy, Sept. 9, 1828.
Rev. and Dear Brother:—l have ,
lately been visited by a company of \
Karens, in whose history I trust you ,
will feel an interest. The Karens :
are a race of wild people, inhabiting
the interior, dwelling 011 mountains
&nd in valleys, at a distance from cities,
living in the most rural and simple
style. They have no written lan
guage, no schools, no religion, no tem
ples, no object of worship, no priests,
uonc who even profess to know the
way of truth. As were the fathers,
30 are the children: oh the same pa
ternal estate, in the same style, with
the same dress and manners, the same
darkness and ignorance, and conse
quently the same vice. I am not
however aware that the Karens are
Viore vicious than their former oppress
ors the Burmans. Among my visiters
were one or two who appeared some
what above the common level 6f their
countrymen. One of them could
read as well as speak BSrman. One
was a chief and one a pretended sor
cerer. The chief was an interesting
young man-of thirty. His countenance
and air bespoke something noble.—
But 0 'tis a sad thing to see povyer
ful intellects immured in chains of
perpetual ignorance. This chief as
pired after knowledge, but the key of
knowledge had been denied him. Pie
jV'EW ec:
had been taught that man's great good
consisted in eating, drinking, sleeping
chewing betel, and conversation. Bu
his soul was not satisfied. He pantei
for higher enjoyments. "Give u.
books in our own language, and w<
will all learn to read. We want t(
know the true God. We have beei
living in total darkness. The Karen';
mind is like his native jungle." Tin
tires of this man's intellect,, vvhicl
prejudice and a national degradatioi
had buried up and smothered, bill
could not extinguish, demanded vent
It could no longer lie like the unpol
ished marble in the quarry. "o,'
said I, "what a mournful thing is this.
The gensrous soul, if nurtured with
allied to angels; but it has been
y sensual, and but litde higher than
hat of brutes.
The sorcerer was also a superior
nan. Some 12 years since a Mussul
nan joger had visited his village, and
mprinted on hftn the mark of the false
>rophet. "Take this book," said the
oger, "and worship it. It will se
:ure you from evil, and in the next
tate you will be a man, and not a
iriite. 'Touch not, taste not, handle
iot' the things forbidden in the koran,
ind all will be well." After a few
vords of admonition concerning wligt
vas to be eaten, and.what to be re
ected, he exhibited a few of his jug
gling tricks, and initiated the simple
varen into the nefarious rites of the
>rder of J'aLeers, and left him in his
lative darkness, coupled with foreign
vickedness. 13ut this contact of
vickedness with darkness elicited
iome scintillations of native, latent
ight. Ambition was fired. To know
lie contents of this book Jias been for
12 years the Karen's highest aim.—
The thought that he had been so much
listinguished above his fellow coun
trymen as to receive a book—a revc-
God," raised him, in his own estima
tion, into a superior order of beings,
and he became a conjurer! Like Si
mon, he has given out that he is some
great one, and to him many have giv
en heed. Though ignorant of the
contents of the venerated book, not
knowing even in what language it was
written, he has assumed the charac
ter of a teacher and expounder of the
sacred volume. He has persuaded
several of his countrymen to join him
in the new religion, and to pay superi
or worship to the book. A pitched
basket pf reeds' in which that book,
wrapped in successive folds of muslin,
was deposited, has been to them what
the ark of the covenant was to the
Tews—an object of profound venera
ion. "A teacher will come, who
vill explain to us this book," has been
heir grand article of.belief; and as
oon as they heard»of our arrival,- they
ant a deputation to wait upon me,
ind learn my doctrine. "Let the
orcerer come and show me his book,
md I will tell him whether it is good
>r not. Meanvvhiie pay no religious
,'eneration to it. Take these books
vhich contain a revelation from the
-ou understand, find learn from them
•ious well looking man of fifty, stood
;d themselves around lis. "What is
'Your lordship's humble servant has
ship may look at it, unfold its mean
lervants whether it is true or false,
;ood or bad. Your lordship's servant
IF THE CHEROKEE NATION, AND DEVOTED TO THE CAUSE OF INDIANS.—JE. EtCBISCTT, lißlTOfe
3TA, WEDNESDAY JULY 22,1829.
read, and believes them. He is con
cerned to know whether this book
contains the Christian doctrine." I
felt that it was a critical moment. —
Expectation was raised to the highest
pitch. Several had previously en
gaged that they should consider mjt
decision respecting the book as final.
A diKist profound silence prevailed
throughout .the hall. "Show me the
book." The old sorcerer stood forth
with the basket at his feet. He uu
covered the basket and unwrapped
the precious deposit, and creeping
forward, presented to me an old, tat
tered, worn-out volume. It was no
other than the "Book of Common
Prayer," with the Psalms, printed at
Oxford. 'Tis a good book," said I;
"it teaches that there is a God in
heaven whom alone we should worship.
You have been ignorantly worshipping
this book. That is not good. I will
teach you to worship the God whom
the book reveals." Every Karen
countenance was alternately lighted
iij) with smiles pf joy, and cast down
with inward conviction of having erred
in worshipping a book instead of the
God it reveals. I took the book of
Psalms in Bui man, and read such pas
sages as seemed appropriate, and haw
ing given a brief and easy explanation,
engaged in prayer. * I then added,
"Your venerated book teaches no such
doctrine as you say the joger taught
you. Renounce his false instructions,
and attend to the doctrine which your
book contains." The people listen
ed attentively to our instructions till a
late hour in the evening, when ! left
them to take some repose. They
stayed with me two days, and v\ould
have staid longer, but our Karen
Christian, whom I generally use as in
terpreter wt'en conversing with Ka
t rens, had gone out into the wilderness
with the intention of making known the
gospel to his benighted countrymen. —
During their stay they listened con
tinually to our instructions, attended
our worship, and seemed pleased with
our doctrine and worship. Just be
fore leaving us, alter they had taken
leave of me this morning, the old con
jurer put on his jogqr dress, and in
the midst of his former disciples made
some show of his former grandeur. —
There was surely something imposing
in his appearance. But I could not
regard it in a favourable light, and
; desired one of the native Christians to
go and Jell him again that if he fvould
be a Christian lie must lay aside r.l! his
former practices and airs. I listened
to hear the native Christian, who deaß
with the old man in a very plain and
faithful i.-.anner. "If," said the old
man, "this dress is not pleasing to
God, I am ready to send it afloat on
yonder river." He then "disrobed '
himself and put on his common dress,
and presented to his reprover a large
cudgel which had been a badge of his
authority for many years. On leav
ing, they said, "We will no longer
worship any but the true God and his
Son Jesus Christ." During their stay
they expressed a strong desire to re
ceive a written language and books.
They said all the Karens would then
learn to read, and would come to the
knowledge ot God. I pitied them
from my very Tieart. Having suffer
ed cruel oppression from their Bur
man masters, they are averse to ev.e
ry thing Burman, and wish for a writ
ten language which the Burman can
not understand.
From an extensive acquaintance
with the Karens of this province I
judge that as a people they are pleas
ed with their new rulers, the English,
and have no prejudices against the
Christian religion. They seem't obe
expecting and wishing for a religion
of some kind, and it appeArs to me
that the present is the time to ititro-.
duce letters and the gospel among
them. There are more than two
thousand Karens in this province, and
Karen villages are dispersed all over
the wildernesses of Burmah, Pega,
Arracon, and Siam. Is it not exceed
| ingly desirable that at least one mis-
siouary should be sent unto them im
mediately? Snch a missionary should
be acquainted with the modern im
provements for forming a written lan
guage, and should be prepared to en
dure much privation and hardship
from which some of bis brethren may
be exempted. IJ e will find that
that without a life of self denial and
toil he can accomplish but little
among these simple uncultivated for
esters. The Karen Christian will
form no inconsiderable aid, if he has
one to direct his labors; but he is not
competent to the work alone. The
two Karen boys now in the school,
and others who propose soon to enter,
will, if converted to the gospel, be in
due time powerful assistants. Let us
pray that God may prepare them for
the great work. Do not all,these;things
seem like so many intimations that
something should be dene immediate
ly for this people?
Yours in our dear Redeemer,
GEO. D. BOARDMAN.
mmjkNS. .
THE CHEROKEES
It will be seen from a subsequent
paragraph, that another slice has been
cut off from the territory of the Cher
okees by their neighb6rs the Georgi
ans, comprising 1824 square miles, or
1,1&7,360 acres. It is only a few
months since the unfortunate discove
ry was made thbt the Georgians had
any right fo this land: but the hint be
ing once given, there v>as no difficulty
in making out the proof; for according
to the laws of Georgia, no Indian or
descendant of an Indian can give testi
mony in a Court of Justice, and of
com se the evidence was wholly ex-
parte.
The new line, it is said, runs direct
ly through the estate of John Ross,
the Principal Chief of the Nation,
who, at the time of the survey, was
absent on some public business. Mr.
Montgomery, the U. S. Agent, enter
ed a formal protest against the survey,
1. Because the Cherokees positively
and unequivocally denied that any such
boundary ever did exist between them
and the Creeks. 2.-'Because the evi
dence taken by Georgia was wholly
ex-partc, 3. Because the dividing
line between the Cherokees and Creeks
was definitely settled, and the lino run
between them several 'years before
the treaty of the Indian Springs, under
which the State of Georgia claims.—
4. Because it was the province of the
General Government to run all boun
dary lines claimed under Indian Trea
ties, and not of individual States. To
all this Col. Wales replied, that he
was acting under the authority of the
State of Georgia, and was bound to
i fulfil his instructions.
Whatever the Georgians may think
of such conduct, we v.enture to say
the decision of posterity will be, that
it was oppressive, cruel, and unjust.
Even in the dominions of the Sultan,
men are not often proceeded against,
without being permitted to be heard
in their own defence; but here, in this
boasted land of liberty, a State -lias
the impudence to act as „ vocate,
judge and jury in its own case, and
declare a verdict, in its own favor,
without granting even an audience to
the Victims of its oppression. Such
proceedings, we confess, awaken our
indignation, andklead us almost to wish
that the Cherokees had the power to
vindicate their rights and chastise
their persecutors. Had Jefferson liv
ed to see this day, he might have said
in reference to such proceedings, as
he did on contemplating the horrors of
slavery, "I tremble when 1 think God
is just!" —Jour, of Com.
From the Lancaster (Mass.) Gazette.
We have.inserted on our first page
two interesting and important docu
ments touching the iclatifin our go
vernment with the Indians. - 1 lie first
of these documents is an Indian talk
of President Jackson to the Creeks,
demanding a surrender of ihe uiurdtr-
I ers of one of the whites, and recom
• mending to them a removal to the
• westward of the Mississippi. The
other document is a letter from the
i Secretary of Warto the Cherokee'
Delegation, in answer to a complaint
recently made by them of encroach
ments upon their rights by the State
of Georgia. The Indians insist upon
being nn independent State, and deny
the right of Georgia to claim jurisdic
tion over them, and extend over them
her Legislative enactments. The'
Secretary of War informs them, how
ever, that-the government of the Unit'
ed Slates cannot deny to Georgia the
i right which she claims; and proposes
to them as the only remedy for their
troubles, to remove beyond the Missis
sippi, where they will receive protec
tion as an independent, government.—■
It istlesirable that the unhappy trou
bles of the remnant of the Indians ol
this country should be terminated: but
it is very evident that Georgia will
never manifest a more accommodating
spirit than she has done, and that the
Indians will never find any mercy
her hands. It may be their policy,
therefore, where they cannot obtain
justicej to seek peace in a place more
remote from their tormenters. Our
Indians have been oppressed, and
crowded, step by step, from the ten i
tory of their fathers, till they hnrtf
dwindled from a powerful to an in$ig<
nificant race, and been reduced from
the possession of an immense territo
ry to a spot barely sufficient to lay
the bones of the small number of them
that remain, "like the lone column of
a fallen temple, exhibiting the sad
relics of their former strength."—
They command our sympathy, and
much is due from our government to
alleviate the distresses of their declin
ing race.
The following eloquent appeal is a
recent talk of an aged Chief of the?
Creek nation to Gen, Jackson. Its
language goes to the heart:—
"Brother! The red people \verc
very numerous. They covered thfi
land like the trees of the forest, from
the big waters of the east to the great
sea, where rests the setting sun. The
white people came—they drove them
from forest to forest, from river to
river—the bones of our fathers strew
ed the path of their wandering. Bro
ther, you are now strong: we melt a
way like the snow of spring before the
rising Sun. Whither must we now
go? Must we leave the home'of our
fathers, aud go to a strange land be
yond the great river of the West?—
That land is dark & desolate—we shall
have no pleasure in it. Pleasant are
the fields of our youth—We love the
woods where our fathers led us to the
chase —Their bones lie by the running
stream, where we sported in the days
of our childhood —When we are gone,
strangers will dig them up—The
Great Spirit made us all—you have;
land enough—Leave us then the fields
of our youth, and the woods where our
fathers led us to the chase -Permit
us to remain in peace under th<j shade
of our ow n trees —Let tis w atch over
the graves of our fathers by the streams
of our childhood—May' the Great
Spirit move the heart of our father,
the President, that he may open his
ear to the voice of children, for they
are sorrowful."
Cherokee Improvements.—We under
stand, that the Appraisers appointed
by the Secretary of War, have com
pleted the valuation of the improve
ments belonging to the Cherokee In
dians, in the country recently ceded
by that nation to the United States,
under the late treaty. The lotal
value of all the improvements, "agree
blyio their appraisement, we are in
formed, is between $43,000 and $44,-
000—which is $6,000 or $7,000
more than the appropriation by Con
gress for that object. The principal
part of the Cherokees have already
removed to the country to which they
J* O. 14>.