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<CMUR©BiJE®3 PH®23f|X, AID IIDIAIS’ ADVOCATE.
PIIINTRD -UNDER THE PATRO UQE. V,V!3 POR THE BENEFIT OF THE CHEROKEE NATION, AND DEVOTED TO THE CAUSE OF INDIANS.•**&£,
BOUDINOTT, EDITOR.
VOL. II.
HIVW EGHOTA, WEDNESDAY MARCH 31, 1830*
* T o.
what arc the sentimants an.l principles I suppose that these annuities are so hi
here spoken o(? Should they not in jits-1 that they are the cause of much wealth r
- PRINT!'. D WEEKLY 1! 1
JNO. P. WIIKELEU,
n At $250 if paid in advance, $3 in six
Months, or $3 50 if paid at the end of the
"f , „„ , , I Cherokees are contained in the written I amount of tiiese annuities is very little o- provement of ihe Inmans, w !
i 1 o subscribers who can read only the ■ ... .• , ■ , , , . . , . J .
Cherokee language the price will be'$2,00 con ” ll ' ut ‘ on long ago made public, which , ver six thousand dollars, and the sum paid |heve such statements as this,
in advance, or $2,50 to lie paid within the ; secures to every free irlan equal rights and j yearly to each member oftlrc council “mix-
yeai. .privileges, In the second place, how doled’’ anil “pure blood,” for services, is
Every subscription will be considered as < the ednimittoc know that the full blooded j from seventy to one hundred, dollars
-there is no necessity for that—it came
omments with it stronger than we ea
tice to themselvc, have stated what they corruption to the “mixed class'?” hit' t ., l( en them. No liberal person who has at- 1
arc? The sentiments and principles of the ! do we can tell them better. The whole' tentively watched the progress of the im-
11 be led to be-
continued unless subscribers give notice to
the contrary before the commencement of a
itevv year,an.l all arrearages paid.
Any person procuring six subscribers,. ,
and becoming respon : ib!.e for the payment, ! * or K ! ' ai, tcd teat they uid understand them,
shall receive a- seventh gratis. ! for lhe~c new institutions Were sanctioned
Advertisements will bo inserted at seven- by themj having been reduced into a writ-
ly-ilve cents per square ior the first wiser-; ten form bv persons (some of pure blood
tion, and thirty-seven and n half cents for } clected ‘ for the p d r p* c by «,
each conuniftmcc; longer ones in propor-
Chcrokccs did not understand the design j This small pittance is all they receive.— j
of these new institutions, and of course j There is now no “loan office or? hank” a-J
are not likely to be profited? We take it j mong ihc Cherokccs. When there was!
Now what are the authorities upon
whieii the committer, have founded their
premises and statements? This question
(ion.
.Vll letters addressed ta tlio J2ditd,i
ost paid, will receive due attention'.
o) elected for the purpose by their voles.
Wheu the mixed race oeganto as
sert its superiority, may he dated the
commencement of tiio deterioration
of the mass of the tribe.
When the mixed Cherokees were dumit-
G ’.v y JlfdKO.t .ID k SI J E CvG.t.
r>e.vtXot).i TA.sr* .iruruA.i i“4ct»4.
BO.TE .llitJfi.loSy KT.a dsp om.nui | ^ atc< *’” die overthrow ol Indian prejudic-
•*“411)4 TCrz TE/JO-P no.nStt'Fofc.t. | es a K a * ns t civilization, and cousequently
Tcrz t?liP Td50“A Til DeJ>V3l“<a. I, kx l ba commencement o: that improvement
D.T O’O.m.i i“4i®.i. DSH/SttSEZ Til Jmv i wlncli has so justly distinguished the Che-
S)0.f.Sl?£“o5.I, o-y.tT D 0»0JB4 Wrt!.i. : ro ' iees » ^ ie assertions ol the committee to
Givyz CPCvR 4ii<t9ii4rt'y, \yf«v* n?T the contrary notwithstanding.
■O’otr.,! *“4o®.i v?4B(T 5 ,a’GFZ Tr„tS0“T J do* That part of their ancient usages
kt.tz dsp ocay-v* o j jMb 1 which secured an equal division of
var DOj,5oii“ot)4. the presents and spoils which fortune
threw in their way, has been slowly
AGENTS FOR THE CHEROKEE undermined. Wealth has long since
PHOENIX. become the principal badge of. dis-
Thc following persons arc authorized to ; Unction among them, and those who
lfhei'nfepr> l, ph!iMiiv )nS ani ^ ,a ^” i0nlS l0r ^ ie P osscss it constitute a distinct class.
However patriotic'or public spirited
some few individuals of those who
positively false, when they say that “those
who control tie* new institutions appropi?.
ale the whole resources of the tribe to
themselves.” ft is a little surprising that
the Indian committc" in congress should b-
directly advocatedld ignorant customs ofthe
Cherokees; shah as the custom of dividing
ted into tlic councils ot the nation “may be j among the individuals of the nation, the
annuities, a dollar’s wortli or so of goods to
one, every person, “mixed” or “pure
blood,’ 5 if he was able to pay, flail Ihe lib
erty of borrowing. It is therefore false,, , , . , ,,
j «»: a solitary proof is adduced!
vil! the publ c think of this, especially
mist naturally arise in the mind of every
leader, before he. give, liis assent to what
a said. What are the authorities?
Vliat the testimony in support of tlii S
cark pieturi ? N,‘ a solitary authsrthy—
What
ot
when the coimnittei ha r so ungenerous-
; iy, illiberally and criminally charged the
j missionaries, eye witnesses be it remember-
nth !iwx
on the
ami re!
pul
ecg:
each,
which .could not pos. ibtv bcnefjt j
them. It is civilization tvhivh ha? ebang- I
cd the custom, and however the Hon. 1
Committee may be disposed to impugn (he j j,.
mid ives oft hose who have been instrument-j p j j „j.. j.
lion, with
lins been P
>*.:i tioed a “piottv fraud”
lie, in (lie statement of the civil
us improvement of the Clieio-
Iwes.—'Tim following paragraph must as
tonish tii Chi' .1.11:1 public :
If iiiii- r<*(*ivsetduiion of the eondi-
(ion of the 1
are the children of this class. The fact
an not be controverted that the fifrst and
great object of the missionaries is to iq
struct the ignorant portion of the nation^
For this purpose interpreters arc employ*
•d, native exhorters and preachers are
sent to every neighborhood,—Hymns and
portions of Scriptures arc translated and
Published tract &. book societies are or*
ganized in different parts of the nation to
circulate them, and in these efforts they
hare the heartv good will and co-ormrjK
lion of the Chiefs. In this they do indeed
‘‘become parties to the views and interest 5
of those in power,” for what are th'>i|J
views interests? Wealth is not a lo'lg$
oj distinction, hut merit only, an,l i/ie
interests of the people, are the interest ■ oj
the Chiefs, and ihe interests of the people
consist in their civilization and christiarU
izatinn.
mi; in: can otu
ti■ *. both side
Cherokee Phtenix.
Messrs. Peikce Si Williams, No. 20
Market St. Boston, Mass. . .
<rEOP.ua M‘. Tracy, Agent of the A. B. "'ere active 111 forming the new gov-
C. F. M. New York, • , eminent mav have originally been,they
Rev. A. D. Eduy, Canandaigua, N. Y.. have at last been compelled to yield
j to the general spirit of those around
Thomas Hastings, Utica, II?. Y.
Pollaud tk Converse, Richmond, Va.
Rev. James Campbell, Beaufort, S. C.
William Moultrie Reid, Charleston,
S. C.
Col. George Smith, Statesville, W, T.
Jeremiah Austil, Mobile, Ala.
Rev. Cvrus Kingsbury, Mayheiv, Clioc-
taw Nation.
Capt. William RoEEit#soN T , Augusta,
^Georgia.
Col. James Turk, Bcllefontc, Ala.
Y’liEROKEi: pilttkMX.
REMARKS ?
On the Report of the Committee on Indian
* Jl(fairs in the House of Representatives.
We have rea l that part oftlio report of
Jflie Committee on Indian Affairs in the
Jl juse of Representatives, which describes
the condition of the Cherokees, with feel
ings of indignation, and sinccic regret
that otherwise intelligent men should be
.prompted by self-inteic.st, to the rciter.v
vie
es. As
ion do ik
decree
probable
] in rei'.
them; mkl the only tendency yet per
ceivable in the new institutions has
been to enable those who control
them to appropriate the whole * re
sources of the tribe to themselves.
For this purpose, they have in effect,
taken the regulation of their trade into
their own hands. They appear,also, to
have established something in the na
ture of a loan office or bank, in which
are deposited the funds arising from
tilts annuities payable by the Govern
ment ; and these are lent out among 1
themselves or their favorites. The
committee have not been able to
learn, that tlic common Indians have
shared any part of the annuities.of the
tribe, for many years. 'File number
of those who control the Government
are understood not to exceed twenty-
live or thirty persons. These, to
gether with their families and imme-
1
al in bringing about the change, it k a tri
umphant instance of the civil improvement
of the Cherokee?.
But tlie most remarkable reasoning r,r
the Committee is where they «iy that th"
number of those who control the Cherokee
government does net exceed twenty-five
or thirty. What of that? How lvauv
control tlic government of (lie United
Slnt' , f! of 12,000,000 inhabitants? One
Chief forr 40,000 soul:?, while the atari- j ry teachers h:u
clous, the despotic and wealthy “mix- j cf labor am on;
ed” Cherokee is a representative of only a | portion ol t lie I:
few hundred. What did the ccmmiOen i as tlic h uevolf
mon Indiana shall ap
his • dmr-'d, when con-
wing pictures
py i- .••roving condi-
hirh 51 ■ ( brif.tio.n
leu;: >eon:d. the com-
in explaiirition,
.dirt j.iiclure
it i:. 1: . true,
t ■■■ distinct
complex- j -yh
The different vicmmunities of Christian^
Bij i sts, laoiavians, Presbyterians and,
Methodists, who have established missions
here,naturally feel a deej. Ik elevated inter
est in Ihe success of their benevolent ef
forts} with what feelings must they there-
( view the unmerited aspersions cast
1 u “'“-j upon the integrity and motives of their
world servants?.. We cannot—avc darr not,
holding die station we do, and living
where we do, and knowing what we du»
knew, bold our peace and hear g worthy
people so ungenerously assailed. We*
must speak axvord, how feeble eoeve' iliat
Cr.;ss-|m.u be. Tlie editor of this paper is ndt
ti to acknowledge publicly his in-
m a v
, ji, „
bat
committee 1
mean? Did they intend this as an objection
to the new institutions?
If the comm (tee are not aware r.d -tri
er a single unmixed Cherokee i-, longs to
cither oftha higher classes, if is because
they did not seel: (•■-; m.:nv from a proper
source, or they did not wish to believe r>-_
1st tug facts. The speaker cf the council
of last year ivas of “pure blood,”—the
have rcg.ii(led the highf
nucleus, mound wide: 5 :,
nally bring the nakc
wnmlcrcr. whom they r;
ccpl aht'ut the farm:
wtv bli), dunliy
form th e dues, bv
and pr.ivlito oft lie 1
of civilized li e. Wi
however <h in
nplv any great
tion, it is
■! ntissiona-
■m ample field
uue fortunide
'i:ey, as well
■ cllci. mat
: ■ ' !. ss os a
they might li-
..1 rit-.l huiigry
^aw. cx-
.s ofihe
tion of studied and criminal misreprcsenta- • , , ,
.. ltr ., . diatcdcpendon sanaconnexions,may
tions. We were aware, considering the po* * 1 '
litical opinions of a majority of the commit
tee, of the general principles which would
be promulgated by them, still, Wd
did not in the least suppose that, to justify
file policy of removing the Cherokees, such
unfounded an untenable premises would
be resorted to. But it is ctc.n so. As
truth cannot be brought to second their de
sign, misstatements and falsehoods derived
from interested and rtjcrceiiary persons
must be put in requisition. It matters not
what Is sacrificed, so that the great aim
of removing and destroying (as we do now
verily believe) the Indians may be accom
plished. We can new no longer CTcrcire
charity for the advocates of Indian emigra
tion, when it is apparent that their design
is intended to be brought about by deception
f— this is thebattery to demolish truth and
justice, &, with what skill and dexterity it
jfc handled,may he learnt from the following
Extracts of the report.
, Tho commilteo are constrained to
Relieve, from the effects of the new
institutions, fCherokee Government*]
and (tie sentiments and principles of
most of those who have the direction
of them, that the Cherokee Indians,
of pure blood, as they did not under
stand the design, so they arc not like
ly to profit by the now order of things.
The committee here hazard assertions
gratuitously, How do they know in the
first place, “the sentiments and principles
of most of those who have the direction ol
$hese new institution^?” B . what proccs®
have they been led to the knowledge, and
be Said to constitute the whole com
monwealth, so far as any real advan
tages can be said to attend the new
system of government. Besides this
class, which embraces all the large
fortune holders, there are about two
hundred families, constituting a fid
dle class, in the tribe. This class
is composed of the Indians of mixed
blood, and white men with Indian
families. All of them have some
property, and may he said to live in
some degree of comfort. The com
mittee are not aware that a single
Indian, of unmixed bio id, belongs to
either of the two higher classes o(
Cherokees, hut they suppose there
may he n few such among them. The'
third class of tho free population is
composed of Indians, properly so de
nominated, who, like their brethren
of the red race every where else, ex
hibit the same characteristic traits of
unconquerable indolence, improvi
dence, and inordinate love of ardent
spirits. They arc the tenantk of the
wretched huts and villages in the re
cesses of the mountains and else
where, remote from .the highways
and the neighborhood of the wealthy
and prosperous.
In regard to'the annuities, avc have stat
ed in a previous number of the Phopiix,
that they are not divided among the peo
ple as in ancient time, but paid into the
treasury of (lie nation and kept as a public
fund forth" support of (lie government and
The report gives a distressing aceounnt ! •'
of the wretchedness of the third c'ass, t f
which the committee say there ere nine
teen cut of twenty; As no one in this na
tion knows of such a class, it would be. an
act of benevolence if the Hon. gentlemen
who liayc discovered them in ‘tlic recesses
of t!i mountains,’ibr we must suppose they
have visited them, would kindly fliow u,s
where they are, that they may be ihvited
to experience with us the benefits of the
“new institutions.”
Some portion of the Indians form
ing this class, arc less desponding in >
and d
to c;;(]..r> Rnd
• he . bsei vjq-.ue
is.cm:; .-ti nits
: 11 such antici-
sivo, if the ab
mess
Clerk of the Council ivas of “pure hlood.’G } 1:i “ ' lSl
condition ot tbo mess lias btrn
\ ( iied from the public view, the, p : -
ous fraud may bo excused, if not jus-
Hied In accounting for the errors
which so generally prevail, upon (bis
subject, it should not lie overlooked,
that missionary teachers, to he use
ful to any portion of the tribe, must
necessarily, in some degree, become
parties to the views and interests of
those in power. A different course
would, without doubt, render their
si 1 nation neither agreeable nor use
ful.
I In what way can (!r political fraud,
which tin? Ibumrable Committee a» - e at
tempting to palm on a lh'n\"g and gen
erous public, be even excused? Ceitainly
we cannot exercise a* much charity fo>
them as they have for these mission aider—
intell'/renco, bis-
tbeir temper, find exhibit a greater
degree of energy than the others, in
obtaining the means of subsistence;
but still, this class of Cherokees, as a
whole, are believed to approach near
er loti state of absolute destitution
than any other Indians of the South, *men of whose integrity,
except perhaps the Florida Indians. : inUM ' PStc ' 1 I»«nevol?nce, s«*5f denial, and
and a part of the Choctaws. The | wnse of jp stirp ,l, ey must be most
same causes which have contributed ! ff 1,,,ss *y ignorant. They i.-u.t be ignor-
to elevate the character and increase ; iinl oFtilir* principles whirl: have impelled
the comforts of the mixed race, have ' these worthy men to take their lives in
tended to diminish the means of sub-1 their hands, forsake tlvir country,
sisteneu among the Indians of purer j friends, and near relatives, whli the hope
that the poor Indian, tossed about as the
blood. Victims'alike to the arts of
the worthless white men from vx it li
on t, nnclto the crafty'policy of their
own rulers within, they have become
a naked, miserable, and degraded
face. Among the Greeks, what
property they have, is more general
ly distributed, and (lie spirit of their
warriors ptiM exerts a feeble control
over the conduct of their chiefs.—
The Ciiickasaws find some resource
in the large annuities; hut Ihc less
provident portion of the Cherokees
often find themselves reduced <0 the
convenience of politicians require,
may be brought, through their instrument
ality, to ja“te the sweets cf civilized lif",
and tlie hope of a happy existence in the
world to come. They cart}'* as commis
sioned to preach the gospel to the “poor”
and the degraded, and they have accord
ingly pursued ih'p ignorant Indian to the
“-cresses of (lie mountains,” where tlie
committee or their mercenary informants
have never been, and partaken cf his home
ly fare. There they have preached to
him (lie words of eternal life, and with
necessity of inlying upon wild fruits, , whal success may be learnt fromtlie fact
birds, and lish, for the support ol tliat a. larger portion, of the members of
life. The moral condition of this . •
, , the Moravian, Methodist, I’reslnterian
class does not appear to compensate 1
in any degree for llmir deficiency in ! « Dti Baptist churches here, are of, what
the means of mero animal existence. | < ,ie ‘•ommittee would call, the third class
We have not introduced (be above ex- Cherokees. I lie majority cd the ch b
ot!\er public objects.. Do the committee j tract for the purpose of making comments , urrri at tbo missionary boarding sybools
ness to missionary efforts, and to
iv !■;}, from personal experience ami oil
s''.'avion, to Hie incorrectness of the insitf 1 -
uai "i? ol the Committee, that missionary
vaef.-rs associate with the wealthy &. nes*
loot ihe poor, n ordrrto “render their silffli
ations agreeable &. useful;” and that thov
therefore, in describing the condition T
i !m pern le,leave out of view the lift ter ‘'lass',
anti only introduce (be former, of wt. ..!*
tl;Kr- are only one in twenty and in this
ivat p.active a “pious fraud.” Nothing
can be more fal<so than this. If avp have
i any pailialion to make for the committee, it
must be this,r— as the testimony of »! (SC
mipsionaiies is no trilling barrier in th^
way of their accomplishing a politiciH
fraud on the world, that testimony must
tie superseded some how, and we must; in
charity, suppose they had no other "wav to
do it; but what they have actually done..
After despatching the missionaries the
chiefs of the nation ai c the next objects of
misrepresentation. The committee broadd
ly state th incentives, which in tlieir hr.a'-
giniition, induce the Cherokee chiefs, to
oppose the policy of removal, in the i'oUctvj
ingjwotds.
It is obvious that H16 new Gove me
party among (he Cherokees are.
influenced by the most powerful iiw
cent ives to human act ion, in is' ing
to maintain their present position.—
Every consideration of present affln-.
ence, of the means of fntilrc acquisi
tion, and pfrsonal consequence, urge
them naturally : ud powerfully (0 tiict
cuiployipent ol all their resources,,
whether of wealth, or of their politi
cal relations with their own people,,
to cfleet the permanency cf the in
stitutions already established, or mod*
itated, in the country which they?
now occupy.
Tlic committee are ceriainly gifted iu
dissecting and finalizing tlie Cherokees,
and giving appropriate names to each in-,
gredient—“Fine blood,” “mixed blood,*'-■
“mixed Ctieiokecs,’! “first class,” “;ec-r
ond class,” “third class,” “new govern-.
inent partj” &r. The aspersions ea<=t on
tlic motives of the chiefs are too palpable
to i f.'d any comment; it may be proper;
meiely to observe that not a shadow o(‘
authority is given in supnorf cf what the
committee have lucre said.
M hen it is known that they are a-.-
hie to employ much talent and nd*
dress in (lie conduct of their affairs,
it is not surprising that, besides the
influence they have established among
the Cherokees, fearing (ho conse
quence of standing alone against the
policy of the United Slates, they have
sent theiremissaries among the Creeks
and acquired a manifest influence ii>
their councils, upon the question of
emigration.
We are compelled to declare this a do.
liberate falsehood wherever k originated.
What emissaries hav e (he Cheiokees sent
to the Creeks, and when did they send
them? We wish the Committee had been
more partign’ r. We know of two men,
only who have gone among the Creeks^
and to he a ljtlie more particular tb^
the Committee, we will mention th^g