Cherokee phoenix, and Indians' advocate. (New Echota [Ga.]) 1829-1834, May 27, 1829, Image 2
ami with increasing satisfaction.—
Last July the western district, com
prising nearly half the population ol
the nation, adopted in general council,
and by an-unanimous voice, a similar
regulation. Since that, the other dis
trict has followed the same example.
There cannot be a question that
less ardent spirit is now used in the
Choctaw nation, whether we consider
the extent of territory or the amount
of population, than in any other part
of the United States. It is only when
\ve go to the borders of the surround
ing settlements, that w'e see Indians
intoxicated. There, a few unprin
cipled white men, equally regardless
of the laws of God and of their coun
try, continue, for filthy lucre’s sake,
to sell the deadly poison to those In
dians who resort thither.
Advance in the Arts of Civilization.
Other evidences of improvement
we have in the increase of industry,
and a consequent advance in dress,
furniture, and all the comforts and
conveniences-ol civilized lile.
It has been remarked by many, that
the fields of the Indians have never
been kept in so good order, and man
aged with so much industry, as the past
year. At councils and other large
meetings, the Indians, especially in
the northern and western districts ap
pear comfortably and decently and
some of tl\ein richly clad. A great
desire is manifested to obtain furni
ture for their houses, and some are al
ready supplied in a manner not inferior
to that of new settlers in. our own
count ry.
The result of a census taken last year
in the northeast district was as fol
lows, viz. population, 5,627; neat
cattle, 11,661, horses, 3,974; oxen,
112; hogs, 22,047; sheep 136; spin
ning wheels, 530; looms, 124; ploughs,
360; wagons, 32; black-smith’s shops,
7; cooper’s shops, 2; carpenter’s
shops, 2; white men with Choctaw
and injurious customs. The erCCtijn
of poles iu honor ol the dead; ctyilg
at these poles morning, noon, a)d
night, for weeks and months; larfe
meetings for feasting, dancing intfcn-
peraneo, when the poles are pulled
down, have l&en fruitful sources of
poverty and licentiousness TO the*
Choctaws. These practices, inter
woven as they were with the strongest
prejudices and superstitions of the
people, were last July abolished by
an unanimous vote, in a general coun
cil of the western district; and they
are fast going out of practice, or be
coming greatly modified, in the other
parts of the nation. The killing of
persons for w itchcraft, by which much
innocent blood has been shed, is
now hardly know'n.
A very great desire for the educa
tion of their children furnishes another
proof of the advancement of the Choc
taws. Petitions are frequently made
requesting the establisment of new
schools. Numbers more have ap
plied for admission to the boarding
school than could be received. Noth
ing is now wanting bat suitable per
sons and adequate means to extend
the advantages of education into eve
ry part of the Choctaw nation.
Capt. W. thinks that they will emi
grate en masse, and that they will nev
er plant another crop in their present
country. He further states, that the
extension of jurisdiction over them
has had a most salutary effect, and
that previous to the arrival of Col.
Crowell 1000 had enlisted. Thus
we are in a fair way of speedily ac
qulring the Indian country; the acqui
sition ofitohich promises the greatest
advantaps to Montgomery.—Alabama
Journal.
on by the latter for “reparation;” and,
that being refused, after the ex-
THE CREEKS. i
The Indians appear to-be in trouble.
Yesterday we gave an account of a Ut
ter which had been addressed by tie
Agent among the Cherokees, warning a
white man to hold his peace, and tot
dissuade them from emigration, or
else he might incur the sentence-of
expulsion from the nation. To day,
we have to lay before our readers,the
substance of an article in the Savin-
nail Georgian, touching the Creeks.i ll
appears that Capt. Walker, an officer
of the United States,had brought bsck
with him from the Arkansas, a Chief
Memphis, T. J[Iay 2.— Choctaw fy
Chickasaro Indiana.—The disposition,
and anxiety, to obtain the lands of
these people is becoming every day
more manifest, and we should not
be surprised if the Mississippi legisla
turc were, ere long, to compel fhem
to a removal, by extending their mu
nicipal regulations over them. This
measure has been repeatedly threat
ened, and as often deferred under the
expectation that the Indians would,
by treaty with the General Govern
ment, surrender their lands, and there
by obviate the necessity of resorting
to so arbitrary a measure. We are
advocates for their removal upon two
considerations. In the first place
because w r e believe they cannot pos
sibly subsist, for any considerable,
length of time, where they now are;
and, secondly, because the country^
to which it is proposed to remove
them, appears to be well suited to
iheir habits, wants, and well being.
Adv.
change of several notes, satisfation
becoming a gentleman was demanded.
They met, accordingly, at Battersea’
Fields, when Lord Wellington fired
once without effect, the Duke ol
Winchelsea discliared his pistol in the
air, and then a memorandum was
offered by his second, and accepted
as satisfactory by the second of the
Duke of Wellington.
In the letter to Mr. Colridge above
alluded to, the Duke of Winchelsea
expresses a decided opinion that the
principles of the King’s College will
not be “truly religious, Scriptural, or
permanently Protestant;” and this ap
pears to have been the ground on
which he resolved to make several
charges against Lord Wellington, and
aftenvards to fight him!
NEW ECHOTA:
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1829.
We have been obliged to suspend our
paper longer than we' anticipated. We
have finally with difficulty procured some
ink.
JOURNAL OF MR. HUSS.
John Huss, the translation ofwhose Jour
nal will be seen below, is a Cherokee ex-
horter,under the direction of the A. B. C. F.
M., and one of the Judges of the Supreme
Court of this nation. He has favored u» ;
wj|h an account of his labors during the
months of January and February. For
want of time we could not translate it. A
friend lias banded to us the translation
which follows, and which we are glad to
present to our English readers,
Willstown, March, 1829.
I resume my journal of my labors
in preaching to the people the word of
God. My Christian brethren, tvho
receive the Cherokee Phoenix, will
see an account of all my labors, in
diffusing without molestation . the
word of Jesus Christ, and seeking the
conversion of sinners, during the pre
sent month, if ray life and health are
spared. I exert myself much that
men may peteeive the sinfulness of
our hearts; and I have great anxiety
in my spirit, and, when 1 consider the
sinfnlness of all oirr hearts, the wa-
teis are ready to burst from my eyes-.-
When, too, I reflect upon this subject,
I think that, if we would do well, our*
It was mentioned in our la§t,that Mr.
David Brown would act as Agent in
collecting subscribers for the Phoenix. On
account of his ill health we have been de
prived of his services.
foreign.
From the New-York Advertiser
LATEST FROM ENGLAND.
New'-York April 24.
w. iu miii tivus wi ^ i By the packet ship George Can-
of the Orange tribe, who was desired-! ning, Captain Allyn "• U ”' K
Many of our subscribers still complain of
the irregularity of our papers. We are
sorry to hear of these complaints after we
have been using our endeavors to perform
our duty faithfully. The negligence must
rest on some of the Post Masters. We
shall do all in our power to serve our sub
scribers.
families, 22; schools, 5; scholars in
course of instruction, about 150. In
one clan, with a population of 3 13,
who a year ago were almost entirely
destitute of property, grossly intem
perate, and roaming from place to
place, there are now 188 horses, 511
cattle, 853 hogs, 7 looms, 68 spinning
wheels, 35 ploughs, 6 oxen, 1 school,
’• 20 or 25 scholars.
Some of their mechanics shops&many
of their tools bear but a poor compari
son with what we find in civilized lands,
and would be considered of little use
by those who have good ones: yet to
these people they are of great value.
And it must excite pity in every one
who looks into their circumstances,
to see them laboring to cultivate the
soil, build houses, iqjnufactlire cloth,
* and struggling to rise from their deep
poverty, by the aid of such miserable
tools as many of them arc obliged to
use.
The northeast district last year ap
preprinted $1,500 of their annuity for
the establishment and support of black
smith’s shops. The present year
they have appropriated their whole
annuity to similar objects.
As an evidence of industry and pub
he spirit, I would mention that in one
neighborhood the natives have built
a shop, chopped wood for a large
coal-pit, and carried it on their backs
to the place of setting; have built a
bouse for their black-smith, and clear
ed for him a field of 12 acres, all with
their own hands; they have purchased
with their annuity a set of tools and
iron and steel to the amount of two
hundred dollars, and have engaged to
pay their smith $3<J0 more annually,
for three years. Similar provision is
making for smith’s shops in other
places.
Another evidence of the progress of
improvement among the Choctaws is
the organization of civil government.
In 1826 a general council was con
vened, at which a constitution W’as a-
dopted, and legislative power was
delegated to’ a National Committee
and Council, whose acts, when ap
proved by the chiefs; become the su
preme laws of the land. I have now
before me in manuscript a code con
taining 22 laws, which have been en
acted by the constitu'.ed authorities,
and so far as l know, carried into com
plete execution. Among the subjects
embraced h#4hese laws are theft,
murder, infanticide, marriage, poly
gamy. the making of wills and settling
' of estates, trespass, false testimony,
what shall be considered lawful en
closures around fields, lie. &c.
to attend a Talk in the Creek Nation,
relative to the proposition of the go
vernment about the removal of the In
dians to the West of the Mississippi -
One of their Headmen, Opothle Yoholo,
well known as the friend of Gen.
Gaines during the progress of the
Georgia controversy, upon being ask
ed whether the Osage could be admit
ted to the Conference, made this strik
ing reply:
which arrived
yesterday morning from Liverpool,
we have received our Liverpool pa
pers to the 24th of March, London
papers to the 23d.
In the House of Commons, the
Catholic Relief Bill passed a se
cond reading on the 18th, sustained
by an animated and interesting speech
from Mr. Peel, although strongly op
posed particularly by the Attor
ney General. We copy
bfclow the
If he comes as a friend, desirous of most important parts ol the debate.
... . .. i • i 1 • l mi. _ Ihnl nA P!irth V 111-
becoming acquainted with him and his
people, he was welcome; but for the
purpose of inducing the Creeks to emi
grate, they wanted nothing to do with
him; that a great man, Tecumseh,
once came among them, and the
Creeks ever since have been suspicious
of strangers.”
The Creek Chief had, however, an
other experiment made upon his feel
ings. Alabama has passed a law ex
tending the jurisdiction of the btate
over its Indian Territory. A law to
the same effect, we believe, has been
recently passed by the Legislature of
Ge#gia. With a view of testing its
efficacy, a w'rit was served upon 0-
pothle Yoholo and other Chiefs—but,
as they laughed at the process, he was
subsequently arrested; and the She
riff, not being able Jo prevail upon him
to give bail or take him to Montgome
ry, compromised with the Chief—-tak-
in*n Vile tvrtnl that Via would attend the
Our readers will recollect an order we
published some time since, issued by Col.
Montgomery to Mr, Stidman, requesting
his removal out of the limits of the nation.
We pronounced the proceeding to he cruel
and highly tyrannical. It appears from
very good authority, that the order from the
War Department had reference only to
straggling white men, and that it was not
intended to apply to white citizens of this
nation, among whom is Mr. Stidman.
I * 7 ^ w | ^ ^
iri% his word that he would attend the
Court. And here ends the first chap
ter.—Rich. Compiler.
Another evidence of improvement
yre have in the abolishing of ancient
The Creek Indians.—Colonel John
Crowell, the late Agent in the Creek
Nation, w'e are authorized to say, has
been directed to remove his Agency
west of the Mississippi to the country
allotted to the emigrating Indians.—
He is very lately returned from
Washington City, and has, we under
stand, a talk from the Executive "to
the Creeks. The President tells
them that an Agent will no longer bo
retained in their present nation; that
it is his wish they should remove, and
his determination to have their lands
surveyed; that inasmuch as the State*
of Alabama has extended her jurisdic
tion over them, they will be thrown
without the protection of the Gefleral
Government, and that the only course
to be pursued is for them to remove.
He also informs them, that such ad
are disposed to remain, shnll have a
strip of land set apart for them, h.ut
that they will be subject to the juris
diction of that State in which the land
may lie; but that snch as remove will
have continued to thorn the protec
tion of the Government. Capt. Walk
er, from whom we derive this inform
ation, further informs us, that a meet
ing of the Indians is to be held on the
28th April, for the purpose of. deci
ding, on the President’s instructions.
The latter said', that no earthly in
ducement could make him draw up,
or subscribe such a bill, calculated
to subvert the constitution which his
Majesty, in his coronation oath, had
sworn to support.
Mr. Peel repeated, what he and his
associates on that side of the Bill
have stated before, that the time had
not arrived when it would be proper
to communicate all the information the
Ministry possessed in relation to the
Catholic Question: but when it should
e made known, his opponents would
confess that he had no oth^r alterna
tive, and had adopted the only course
by which the power of the Catholics
coi^d be diminished, and the Protest
ant religion maintained. He lament
ed, in feeling terms, the unavoidable
loss of old friendship and public con
fidence, which his new course ren
dered inevitable, and remarked, that
although, in case of a failure to ac
complish the object proposed, he
should be subject to all the blame of
defeat; success would confer on him
no honorable distinction aS an origina
tor or early friend of the measures
he was now advocating. That dis
tinction, that honor belonged to some
of his great predecessors—Fox, Grat
tan, Plunkett,the gentleman opposite,
and Canning whom he had steadily op
posed.
The Bill relating to the Elective
Franchise was, on the 19th, passed to
a second reading, after some debate,
by a majority of 206.
Lord Wellington and the Duke of
Winchelsea have been engaged in a
very foolish duel. Indeed the points
of inconsistency with which it is
some respects ridiculous, Lord H in
chelsea, offended at the turn of affair,
in relation to the Catholic Questions
determined’ to w ithdraw his name as
a subscriber to the new Episcopal
Institution called King’s College,
which some charge the Ministry with
having got up at the time they did,
to blind the public with a false idea
of their devotion to the Church; and
which the Duke of Winchelsea re
gards as unsafe in hands which are
resigning such power to the Catholics.
He wrote a letter to Mr: Coleridge
the secretary of the College, in which
he reflected strongly on the Duke of
Wellington, and for this wat called
Our neighbors who regard no law, or pay
no respect to the laws of humanity, are now
reaping a plentiful harvest by the law of
Georgia, which declares that n» Indian
shall be a party in any court created by the
laws or constitution of that state. 1 hese
children would grow up beautifully.
These are my thoughts while I labor
for the conversion of men. But there
are some Who say, “These labors are
calculated to do us much evil.”
When I think of these their remarks,
and of the fatigues which I endure in
traversing the mountains out of a de
sire for their welfare, my heart
aches. But perhaps they will some
time perceive.
On the first Sabbath in March we
met at our place of assembly in
Willstown. A few people only come
as hearers. They did not know of
my coming, and Mr. Chamberlin was
not at home, on which account few
caftie together. I however addressed
them as I was able. At the close !
appointed a meeting at night at Mrs.
Pack’s, where a considerable number
of hearers came, and I spoke much to
them, so that I became quite fa
tigued.
The next day we assembled at the
mpeting-house for prayer, it being the
frst Monday in the month. There 1
heard that I was called to a periop.
who lay sick, at the point of dcftlh,
about four miles distant, I went
thinking that sb* would be already
dead. She V/as, however, still liv
ing, vvhftli I Srvired, but motionless,
and only breathing. I rejoiced that
neighbors come over the line, and take the auu umy creaming, l rejoiceu uiai
cattle belonging to the Cherokees. The there was opportunity for me to pray
ru i nupciiii nf thpir nrooertv. I tV.nf «ilw» mirrlit iPPPivA n1i»rr.tr. fill A
Cherokees go in pursuit of their property
but all that they can effect js, to see the : , r
cattle snugly kept in the lots of these rob
bers. We are an abused people. If we
can receive no redress, we can feel deeply
the injustice don.c- to our rights.
We understand lhaLa party from Geor
gia, who say ihey are acting under the au
thority of Governor Forsyth, are now busy
in running the line from Suawana old town
to the Six’s, &c. The pretext is the very
frivolous claim which has lately been
brought to light. We are told the Agent
met the surveyors and requested them to
desist, hut they only laughed at him.
CREEKS.
If the statement copied from the Alabama
Journal, in regard to the Creeks is true }
our readers will easily infer what course of
conduct which the present administration
intends to pursue relative to Indian affairs
We hope such a talk has not been sent by
General Jackson. We pity the Creeks—
they afford an example of the effects of the
emigrating scheme*.
CHOCTAWS.
We rejoice sincerely to notice the pro
gress of improvement so plainly exhibited
by our brethren the Choctaws, h rom the
interesting communication of the Rev. Mr.
Kingsbury, copied in our first page from
the Missionary Herald, our readers will
perceive that they are rapidly following
the Cherokees. We earnestly wish
that their progress may be uninterrupted—
that they may not have to encounter the dif
ficulties under which we have been labour
ing. Perhaps Mississippi will be more
generous benevolent and just to the Choc
taws and Chickasaws, than Georgia has
been to us. If that should be the case, we
may rest assured that the Choctaws will be
come a civilized people. When the pros
pects are so bright among so many of theln
dian tribesjwhen we hearof the astonishing
progress of improvement in morals and re
ligion, not only among the Southern, but
also among the Northern Indians, is it not
mortifying to common-sense, that their re.
moval should be so repeatedly urged on the
ground of their civilization f
1 '•i H(13 VUIII1J IVI MIV *• V
t.unt she might receive DlCrcjr. She
was a professor of religion* an aged
woman. A little after noon of the
next day she died. So long she lived
every moment apparently dying, as
she was unable to move or to speak.
She had been sick four days when she
died: At her burial I addressed the
people, who were very attentive, & a
considerable number. After this I
directed my course to Haweis, and
spent the night at the house of Rising
Fawn. There also the neighbors as
sembled at evening, and I addressed
them.
On the second Sabbath in March
I spoke in the meeting-house at Haw
eis. There I providentially met with
Mr. Chamberlin. He first preached
without an interpreter, and I after
wards addressed those who did not
Understand the English Language.
Very fetv people were collected.
I thfcn went to the Fork, and spent
the night at the house of Mr. John
Ridge. In the evening Mr. Ridge
interpreted to me the address of the
people of Turkey Town' at their l^te
assembly. It was a beautiful ad
dress'. Evidently they were intelli
gent. r Mr. Rhlge however, himself
wrote the address, and therefore !
[not knowing who was the author]
thought it must have been written by
some person of talents and .intelli
gence. •,
The next flight I spent at Arcjiy
Downing’s. There a few people werd
providentially met w r hom I addressed.
They did not know of my being there,
but were visitors. They were,
however, attentive to my discourse,
and acquainted w'ith prayer, except
two, a man and his wife, who were
the last that came, who were not ac
quainted with divine worship, and
did not imitate - our example,* when
we prayed.
The next morning I set out fof'
home. 1 w r as pursuing a small path*
for, with the intention of conversing
with an individual who was a proles-*
sor of religion, but had been guilty
of some misconduct,' F had left thfl