Newspaper Page Text
178
without any known reason tothr Commiflion
.* rs of the Ratr, the place has been altered to
Mufcoghe, the refuffinre of the Superintcnctam,
“"'here the talk of the Indians, in answer to tlie
talk delivered by us was manufactured, and
where the CommifTtoners of Georgia, owing
to the regulations before protcftitd against, had
*0 acccfs.—The said pretended answer or talk
ol the Indians not being delivered in the usual
open manner in the square, face to face, before
the Commiflioners of Georgia and the United
States, but penned in the camps of certain
Agents or InterpteteVs, under the command of
the Sunrrintendant, and tranlinittcd not di
veCtly, but through the channel of the Com -
millioners of the United States to us, without
being certified by them, or by any attesting
witnefTes, CUiet, Agent.!, or Interpreter. And
lor this also, that in attempting to attend one
of the conferences, to which the Commiifioji
ers oi the United States had invited the Com
ini (boners of Georgia, we were infultcd by the
lloppage of our Secretary by the centincl of
the gauilon picket ; and he having our papers
‘.if were compelled to return, in obedience to
the regulations before nienl ioned.
We further proteil againfl the Commiflion
ers for not permitting 11s to propose queflions,
or deliver fentirnents, during the negociation,
on the tubjett of Our particular million, with
out being under tlv ir conlroul, and overruling
arbitrary interleirnce.
We further protest. againil the said Commis
sioners forevalive conduft towards the Hate
and her Commillioners, in offering their fervi
es to procure the land atone period, and op
enly declaring at another, in open council, that
it was not the wilh of the Commillioners of
the United States, that the Creeks should part
with the lands without their own desire.
Thirdly. We proteil again!! the iuperinten
dant of Indian allairs for not counteracting cer
tain reports introduced into the Creek Nation
that the Georgia militia were to encounter the
Indians in this place, and certain talks sent
there persuading the Indians not to relinquish
their claims, t the lauds contemplated to be
pitrchaled by the Hate, in the invitation of t.hc
Prelident and the aft mentioned aforefaid.
Fourthly. We proteH againfl the time and
place appointed for holding the treaty, both of
which we undcrßaud were recommended by
the fuperintendant to Indian affairs, on account
of the ftarcity of provisions at such a season,
and the poverty of the surrounding country
The supplies of the former fwclhng the px
fience to an enormous amount, and the latter
icing, alt ho’ the property of the fuperinten
dant, inconveniently lituated in every refpeft,
but more particularly lor our fellow citizens
to attend who have fullered from Indian de
predations-
Fifthly. We proteil againil any cclfion of
land, within the territorial limits of the Hate of
Georgia by the Creek Indians, to the United
States, wljether for the purpose of polls, tra
ding houses or otherwifr, without the content
of the Hate of Georgia, as contrary to the Bth
feftion, of the fir 11 article ol the United State's
Conllitution, which declares, “ The Congress
“ fliall have power to exercise cxclulivc leg
“ iilatjon in all calcs whatsoever, over such
“ diilrift (not exceeding ten miles square) as
may by celfion of particular Hates, and the
“ acceptance of Congress, become the lent of
“ government of the United States ; and to cx
“ crcile like authority over all places purchased
“ by the conlent of the lcgillature of the Hate,
in which the fame shall be for the crcdlion of
“ forts, magazines, arienals, dock yards, and
“ other needful buildings.” Such cclfion for
trading houses and garriions being now appli
ed lor by the Commiflioners of the United
Slates, with land adjacent tor Hock, and to
raise corn within the territorial limits of the
Hate of Georgia, and which at a future day
may militate with the rights of the Hate, and
be pronounced binding on h #, r, being now to
be concluded on at a public treaty, and perhaps
may be ratified by the treaty making power of
the United States.
Sixthly. We proteil againil the decision of
the Commillioners of the United States, given
in council to the Chief of the Creek Nation,
that the treaties of Augußa, Galphinton and
SHoulderbone, held in the year 1793, 1795 and
179 b, whiifl Georgia was a free, sovereign and
independent Hate, wuconnefted with the treaty
making power of the United States, under the
prelent conllitution, were invalid, and of
comfe that the celfion of the Talleice county
was void.
There was no federal compafl againfl such
eelTion of treaty, brtween individual Hates and
Indian tribes at the time it was made, and if
the Unimd States have a right to take a retrof
*>eftive view and lop off ceflions of part, of a
Hale, made before their authority exilled, the
United States may make different ceflions, un
til they lop off a whole ffate, and if one Hate
fticy may several Hates, the whole having been
formed by ceflions at different periods, a me
lancholy profpeft, and mote melancholy tie to
the union, for the frontier Hate of Georgia.
Wc further proteil againil the cotiflruftion
of the said Commilfioneis, as to the property
the Indians arc made liable for, under the said
treaty ot New-York, which contlruftion con
fines the demand lor property plundered from
our citizens, to a very, humble limit, even as
Trfpefls negroes, the only article agreeable to
their conftruftion contemplated thereby.
Seventhly (3 lastly. We therefore protest. a
gainst the payment or liability of payment, of
any {hare of the enormous and unaeceifiry c\-
pence attending the prelent treaty, by the Hate
of Georgia, which fofar from being condufted
in a fair, open and honorable manner, the an
"fwer ol the Indians one party thereunto, if so
it can be called, has been dictated to them in
secret council by undue affluence, and cannot
be confidcred tneir aniw<'r, and for that th”
Hate of Georgia has not had a fair and open op
portunity to contrail ior the lands, the plea ol
the Chief openly declared bv Aleck Cornel,
ami the Bird Tail King, their Speakers, now
being, that the refufal to giving up the land
was fully determined on in the Nation, and
that the Chiefs came inftrufted to abide by that
determination, which it ttue, is a fraud on the
Hate, and a trick unworthy the dignity and
honor of the United States, tranfaftrd through
their fuperintendant, to fling one half the ex
pence of a treaty to lerve their own purposes,
011 any individual Hate, which could polfihly
leap no benefit thereby ; and we do in confc
quenc*’ proteil againil any payment or liability
wi payment by the liatc of Georgia as afore
Columbian &c.
said, for or on a< conn* of the fame, urilcfs it
may be such necefiaries as the Commillioners
ol Georgia or their guard or houfehoid, may
have drawn, and lor w inch only the Hate ought
to be accountable,
TAMES HENDRICKS, ) _
JAMES JACKSON, ( Comm ’ f -
JAMES SIMMS. ) l,oners ”
By order cf the board of Cowmi/f oners,
Thomas Robzktson, Sec’ry.
CoLi.tr a in, July 1, 1796.
Si R,
THE day before the ComrAtffioners on the
part of Georgia left us, they sent us a p..per,
purporting to be a protefl againil certain pro
ceedings had in relation to the wishes or the
Hate ol Georgia, to acquire certain lands from
the Creeks, at the treaty concluded on the 29th
ult. at this place.
We read it with that attention due to men in
their lituation, and wc can attest, extravagant
as the pn.teß is, that, it is of a piece with their
whole conduft during their refidencc at this
place. The befl answer to it probably would
he drawn from the paper itfclf, by every rc
llefling mind, after a candid porufal of its con
tents. Wc feel, notwithllandrng, a delire to re
move fome imprefltons, which are intended to
he produced by it ; and this is the objeft we
have in giving your Excellency the trouble of
reading our comment. It would be fufficient
for us to refer you to our letter of this date,
the fafls therein being incontrovertible, all the
expreflions in the protefl would, of course, have
their just weight and no more. But we rnuft
enter fotnewhat into detail. Your Coinmif
lioners frequently (peaking of over ruling and
arbitrary eondufl, forget that it is only appli
cable to themselves. It rpay be necessary to
observe, tliat they have altogether mistaken the
nature of their authority, and have afTunied a
high diplomatic charafleC. This we mud iup
pofe, or othervvife, that they had willingly
flighted the terms and conditions of their ap
pointment. Such high, felf-created preten
lions, not being yielded to. on our part, is, no
doubt, the real ground ol the difeontent appa
rent throughout the whole of their perform
ance,
The regulations mentioned under the firft
head, are literally in conformity to inftruftions
lugg -Hcd, we can conceive, by the eXperien ;c
ol the pair ; and conlo’ ’ll exactly to our (:■■)< ■
of right. We were furpriied that the Commif
fioiiers of Georgia, did not themselves difeover
a ipocial interelt in thw oblervaoce of fome such
regulations, conlidering their tendency to ob
viate fome of the dilficu’aes lying in the way
ot their own objett, had it been attainable at
this treaty, as they were aware of the jealou
sies ot the Creeks in all things relating to this
Hate.
The comment on theferegulations in the pro
teH, wc do not pretend to uuderHand.
The second, in answer t.o this, which we
hope, (though againil appearances) not to be
designedly misrepresented, we have to Hate, that
the Commillioners of the United States did, on
the 171 bof June, and the Commillioners of
Georgia on the iß..h, address ihc Chiefs at the
square of Negociation in the garrilon, that af
ter the latter address, the Cqmmiffioners of the
Unit and States said to the. Indians—“ You have
this day heard the talk of our brothers, thebe
loved men of Georgia. It is a long one, and
contains many things. We reqnr.ll you will
allow youHclves ‘fufficient time to conlider
upon it. That you will conlidef upon the
fubjrift with as much copinefs and deliberation,
as it you were within your own square, or your
own councils in yonr nation. You are in per
fect lativy at this place. You may chodfe your
ground for deliberation, and fhail then be fe
ciue from all interruption.” t The Chiefs, af
ter consultations, applied to Mr. Hawkins, and
recjucßed,- that he would have them fumillvd
with a copy of the talk, delivered them by the
Commifltoffdrs ot Georgia, and all other papers
referred to in it ; they wished to have them
in their own council#, that they might undet
flaud every part, before they made up tlieir
niinds to reply. Mr. Hawkins replied to Mr.
Simms, and Col. Hendricks, who piomifed
them in half an hour.
June 19. This day the Indians applied for
the papers piomifed them yeR-’rdjy, and we
wrote to tine Commillioners of Georgia, The
Indians have requested us to furnilK them with
a copy of the talk you acldi efied to them yes
terday, that they may be able to examine ir lei
surely in their ‘councils. We have proraifed
it to them, and we have to requefl: of you to
furnifiius an authentic copy of the Ipeech. to
gether with the papers referred to therein,
which were fhc\Vn and explained to the In
dians.
Mr. Robcrtfon, the Secretary to the Com
miflioners, called onus and delivered the talk,
certified to be a true copy, and cxtraifls from
fome of the papers alluded to. He laid the
paper containing the claims againil the Indians,
was an original; that it would take three days
to copy ; that the Commiflioners did not like
to trull it in the camp ; but they would fticw
it to us, if we were desirous of perusing it.
We requeHed we might have the examination
ot it at our lodgings.
June 20. The Indians fprtat this day in
council in a square zvhich they prepared for that
purpose in their cum encampment■ Theyreqtiell
ed that three of the Interpreters should attend
them, and namcdTimothy Barnard, Alex Cor
nels and James Burges. They were ordered
accordingly.
The result of this consultation being deliver
ed to us, we gave it to the Commiflioners of
Georgia.
June 23. Extract from a note to the Com
miffioner* ol Georgia.
The Commiflioners of the United State* ex
pert to fee the Indians this morning, at their
square in the Indian encampment, at the requefl
of the Indians ; and thry will call on the Com
miflionrrs of Georgia to accompany them.
June 24. One of the Commillioners of the
United States .requelled Capt. Eaton to wait
on the Commiflioners of Georgia, and condutl
them to the Indian square of negociation. l
Extraft from a letter of the Commiflioners
of Georgia relative totlm lloppage of their Se
cretary : “ A circumt'lance grating to our
feelings, &c. which wc arc lorry lor ; asCapt
Tinfly has been so polite as to wait on us, to
aiTure us it was contrary to orders. Altho’
we are of opinion with Capt. Tinfley, and
tit A", him for his attention : wc cannot fos
bcai to express, 3cc.”
T he Commiflioners of Georgia attended and
the council opened.
The Commiflioners of the United States by
Mr. Hawkins.
Reprefcntaves of the Creek land, this paper
which I now shew you, is the paper you lent
us, in answer to the beloved men of Georgia.
We have Ihewnitthem, you are now together
face to face : I Pnall read it to you, that you
may know whether it is your talk, and your
determination. The talk was read paragraph
by paragraph, and interpreted. TheCommif
fioners enjoined it on all the Interpreters to be
particular, as they were on oath, and then put
a question to the Chiefs.
Q. Is this the talk which you made in coun
cil, and lent to the beloved men, Conimiflion
ers oi Georgia ?
A. Yes, it is the very words we spoke.
Q- By the Commiflioners of Georgia. Why
did you not. fay this face to face to us, in the
square, when we spoke to you ?
A. Ihe Chiefs would give no other reason,
than that they choolc hrR to fit down together
in council wit'll their interpreters- and reduce
their talk to writing. But that they were rea
dy to gtve it verbally When digelted at any
time, and in the square, face to lace; it the
Commiflioners choose they Ihould do so.
,Q- % the Connniili mers of Georgia. Is
this your usual cuilom, to carrv on Talks in
writing ; or do you always give them from the
voice in the public fquai” ?
A. There are no rules reduced to fyfiem ;
when they talk among themselves, it is usual to
talk face to face, and to lend heads to afli.ll the
memory. But as we had, in this inllance, a
talk to deliver to white people, and having out
linguiilers all present, we choie to lend our
answer in writing.
As to the charge of evasive eondufl, v •
might rely on the conclufiod of the charge, for
an acquital, altho ’ perhaps ; t was not intended,
M e did offer our services and continued them ;
but we had no wilh, iha” the Creeks should
part with their lands without their own consent.
By the mitnner of Hating this charge one would
iuppofe the gentlemen of Georgia had such a
wiih. We told the Commiflioners or Georgia
we were iallrufled, had the means, and were
atlpoled to further the objefls of their million.
v\ e did at one time, expefl they would come
forward and make a ler-ious offer; and that
we, with the lunos at our diferetion, Ihould
lie able to o: tarn the objefl they had in view,
by demonllrating to the Creeks, that the sum
was an equivalent for the lands, and as this ac -
commodation might have attendency to re
move all mi 1 under Handing between the par
ties. that it would Le for their inter?ll to part
with them.
Third and fourth. We refer to the utperin
tendaut to answer for hijnfelf.
Fifth. Needs no comment.
Sixt-h. This is unintelligible to us. The
Commiflioners ot the United States are Sri
opinion, that, under the old confederation,
the authority’ to make treaties was veiled in
Congress ; and as to the conßrnction relative to
the treaty of New-York, we gave the words of
the treaty, and the fame ate again inserted in
the treaty we have recently conciud"d.
1 he gentlemen Commiflioners set out with
an alunnption of powers unwarranted, and
close their million in like form. Being un
willing to pay a debt contract'd at the requefl
of the Hate they protefl againil the payment or
liability of payment of the (tat- of Georgia.
1 iie\’ charge that “ the answer of the Indians,
one party thereunto, if lo it can lie called, has
been dictated to them m ieerri council by un
due influence.” This the gentlemen in the
lame sentence, deny themselves. They fay,
“ the plea of the Chiefs openly declared by
Aleck Cornels and the Bird Tail King, their
Ipcake/ts, now being that the refufal to giving
up the lands was Jull\ determined on d-nthe
.nation, and that the Chiefs came inftructccTto
abide by that determination.”
1 o this declaration we may add from our
diary of the 25th, the following —“ The Corn
miffioners then took a retrofperth"’ view of
what had been said, recapitulated the mod
material parts and concluded, we hope you
•vill think seriously on these things, we have
come a great way to fettle your difficulties,
and wewifh you would to-morrow come and
fit down in temper and talk over your affairs
with the beloved men of Georgia. We will
hear you, and arbitrate between you Your
great father has sent us here for that purpose.
Fufatchee Mica replied,
We do not know wnat more can be said to
the Commiflioners of Georgia. IVe have, giv
en a decided answer to the requisition for land.
If Georgia has any other bufmefs to introduce,
let them mention it, that we may know what
bufmefs will come before us. If we were to
talx again, it would be the fame thing over
again. J’hc talk already given is the determ
ined voice of the whole representation, and not
one of them can be difluaded from his deter
mination.—Any proposition on the fubjefl of
land will meet the fame answer : therefore this
fubje£l is done with, and I cannot fee the pro
priety of further conference. I have already
told you that our lands were so coiffarfled,
that we hardly have ground to hunt upon, and
that the nation would not agree, at all to part
with any more land.”
Wc deem it tmnecefiary to fay any more on
this htbjcfl, but to conclude, that it is remarka
ble, throughout the protest, that every sentence
is at war with fome’ other, and the conclulions
drawn, always dcll.oy the preinifes.
With our best wishes lor the prosperity of
Georgia, we have the honor to be.
Your Excellency’s obedient servants.
(Signed) BENJAMIN HAWKINS,
GEORGE CLYMER,
ANDREW PICKENS.
His Excellency the
Governor of Georgia.
yJ
N O T I C E.
I HAVE purchased a tra£l of I.and of Mr.
John Williams, fuuated in Effingham comi
ty.” about fifty miles from Savannah, on the
Augutla road, half a mile front Savannah river,
adjoining lands ol Mr. Hudson, and others.
Any person or perions, having, any claims a
gainff the said land, are requeHed to make
their claims before the deeds are executed.
BERNARD BOYI.R,
Eor ADRIEN LESEAURES.
Savannah,May 20. n0.23.tt
Tranjlcifio* from “ l’lmpartial, 0 f the
*\th June 1796.”
Entry at Cape-Francois t of the comm'rffton
delegated to the Leeward IJlands i from
France.
22 Florel, 4th year of the Republic.
P rest den cy of Citizen Santhcnax.
Ts 11R 21 ft h loreal, the diviiion urv*
dcr command of capt. Thevenard, charg
ed to conduit to St. Domingo the corn
million delegated to the Leeward Iflamk”
by the executive direftory, arrived
within 27 leagues of the Cape, in fight
of tirange ; a French schooner, dispatch
ed from the Cape, approached it; fig,
f-als were made, and loon recognized to
oe French ; the cominiflaries were then
Uirnifhed with every particular relating
to the colony. Capt. Thevenard, after
informing the captain of the lchooner cf
•.he principal object of his million, gave
him orders to proceed to the Cape, to
announce his -arrival to the governor
general of the colony ; and, in the night,
the diiifion approached the entrance of
the road. On the 22d, a boat difpatch
cd by general La\caux reached the di
vifiun. ‘i he secretary of the governor,
and one of his aids, were charged to del
fiver the following letter to thecommif
faries.
F.ticnnc Lcteaux , Commander in Chief of
*S/. Domingo , to the citizen members of
the Colonial Directory.
HOW happy is this day, citizens,
for all good patriots : you are arrived ;
our misfortunes are terminated : you
have been expedited like the promiied
Melfiah, and in the language of aged
Simon, I was about to exclaim, “ Nunc
dimittis fervum fecundurn tmium in pace,
qui t viderunt occuli mei naves veftras.”
Welcome, our favicurs; welcome, libe
rators of the colony ; you have been
long expected ; the hearts of patriots
are already attached to you, both from
graiitudean.d zeal for our country. You
will learn, with pair , the events that
took place or the 30th Fentole. I fend
you one of my aids, and citizen Dra
peaM, secretary or the government, to
whom I lhall enlarge hereatter ; they
will tell you fome great truths, upon
which I lhall enlarge hereafter; they
will tell you of the infinite obligations
which myfelf and tl-c whites arc under
to citizens P. Leveiiies, P. Michel,
Tcuiiant, Lou verture, and others. T hey
will inform you that this colony has ne
ver been nearer its tomb : one (ingle re
source was left me, and I have employ
ed it very happily : I have done every
thing in my power: come, approve my
operations—ianftion them, and all will
go well : you will find in me officer
diipofed to putin execution every thing
which may be ordered by you ; to ie
cond is, and will be my ..miy ltudy. I
(ball expect jou to dinner tills day. I
lhaii give no order but such as proceed
irom you ; every thing will remain in
the fame state. I fend you, alio, the
good citizen, the virtuous Bechat; what
linmenie obligations are we all under to
him ; may he be ufehsi to you.
Etienne Laveaux.
The Prejident returned the following An
swer.
We have received vour affefling let
ter, dear general : we fly to your a: ;d
----ance : we will punish all traitors : we
will support the amheriiy of the mili
tary chief, and we wilt guarantee the
effect of all just promiles. At the mo
ment we anchor in the road, come on
board ; we will confer together upon
the means to be employed to check and
prevent new plots. We wait for you
with the impatience natural to fricao.s
who make a feftival of embracing the
heroes of the colony.
Santhonax.
The Profident of the C mmi hon.
At four o’clock in the afternoon the
divilion entered the road ; it anchored
near thedivifton from Bred, command
ed by citizen Thomas, which arrived the
evening before. The next day at 7in
the morning, tire coir.nnfhon in their
colthumcs (or official habits) landed, ft
was saluted by twenty three difeharges
of cannon from every ship in the road;
the salute was repeated by the forts.
Upon quitting the boat, the commiffi oll
was received Dy the governor general,
and the municipality. An immense con
courfc of citizens, of all ages and sexe s ,
crowded the paifage : T he molt
jov was painted on every countenance .
‘i hc cries of “ Long live the Republic.
long live liberty ! long live the Cotn> nt f
flan ! long live our friend Santhonax ■
proceeded from every mouth, i
streets were strewed with flowers; 3il ’
the female citizens prelected them,
decorated with them the members ot - - c
commiflion. ‘i lie members ot the c■•■ in
mifiiofi were conducted to the UUnw
No. 45.