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v. c stand na
the metes A bounds
of our sovereignty, and within the
limits therein defined and pointed
out, our State authorities claim en
tire A complete jurisdiction over s6il
and population, regardless of com
plexion.
The boundaries of Georgia hat el
been defined, recognized, and admit-!
Tod, by circumstances pf a peculiar;
hind. Her litigations in relation to
boundary andtitlc to her soil mat j
justly be considered as having been I
settled “according to law.” Her;
boundaries are not only admitted bvj
her sister States, but by this General i
Government, and every individual I
who administers any part of it, Exe
cutive or Legislative, must recollect
that the faith of this Government lias
stood pledged for twenty-eight years
past, to relieve Georgia from the
embarrassment of Indian population.
Ft is known to every member of ties;
Congress, that this pledge was no]
gratuity to Georgia. No, Sir, it was
lor and in consideration of the ttvo
entire States of Alabama and Missis-1
sippi.
•- I feel disposed to pity those tvlioi
make the weak and false plea of ina- j
bility, founded on the words “reason
able and peaceable,'’ whenever I hear
it made. Such pettyfogging quib
ble deserve the contempt of a states
man. No man is fit to he a Con
gressman who does not know that
the General Government might, ma
rty years ago, upon both reasonable
and peaceable terms, have removed
every Indian from Georgia.
Hut, Sir, upon tliis subject, this
Government has been wanting in
good faith to Georgia. It has, by
its own acts and policy, forced the
Ind ians to remain in Georgia, by the j
purchase of their lands in the adjoin
ing States, and by holding out to the
Indians strong inducements to re
main where they are, by the expen
diture of vast sums of money, spent
iiT changing the habit of the savage
for those of civilized life. All this
vf* ts in itself light and proper; it has
my hearty approbation; but it should
not hate been done at the expense
of Georgia. The Government, long
alter it was bound to extinguish the
title of the Indians to all the lands in
Georgia, has actually forced the
Cherokees from their lands in other
States, settled them upon Georgia
lands, mid aided in furnishing the
means to cioatu the Cherokee aris-
tocracy.
Sir, I blame not the Indians, I
commiserate their case. I havocon-
Bvderable acquaintance with the Che-
Fokecs, and umongst them I have
seen much to admire. To me, they
are in many respects an interesting
people. If Che wicked influence of
designing men, veiled in the garb of
philanthropy anti Christian benevo
lence, should excite the Cherokees
to a course that will end in their
Speedy destruction, I notv call upon
this Congress, and the whole Ameri
can people, not to charge the Geor
gians with this sin; but lot it he re
membered, that it is the fruit of cant
and fanaticism, emanating from the
laud of steady habits; from the boast
ed progeny of the pilgrims and puri-
tans.
Sir, my State stands charged be
fore this House, before the nation,,
and before the whole world, with
cruelty and oppression towards the
Indians. I deny the charge, and de
mand proof from those who make it.
I have labored, as one of your
Committee, day and night, in exam
ining every thing which bus any
connexion with the history of tills,
subject. Amongst other duties, we
have examined all the various laws of
the colonial and state governments
in relation to the Indians. The se
lection made and submitted, lias long
since been in t'nc hands of every gen
tleman of this House. Let the laws
of other States be compared with
those which are the subject of com
plaint, and it must then be admitted,
liy every candid man, that the States
complained of stand pre-eminent in
hi imanity, mildness, and generosity,]
towards the Indians.
Georgia, it is true, has slaves; hut
she did not make them such; she
found them upon her hands when
she became a sovereign state. She
never has, by her legislation, chang
ed the state offreedom toslavcry. If
she lias ever owned an Indian slave,
it has never come to my knowledge;
but marc than one of the oilier States
of this Union have npf only reducer,
Indians to a sLute of slavery, but
have treated them as brutes, desti
tute pf any humsji rights—depriving
them of their own modes of worship-1
ping Deity—hunting them as wild
beasts for slaughter—holding out re- j
wards for their scalps, and even giv- j
ing premiums for the raising of a ;
certain breed of dogs, called blood ]
hounds, to hunt savages, that they j
might procure their scalps, and ob
jtain the reward offered by Govern
! ment for them. Sir, compare this
j legislation with that of Georgia, and
| let the guilty he put to shame,
j Should Ihe censured for going to
jthe history of past times—a century
! or two hack; should 1 be accused of
j visiting the sins of the fathers on the
) children, permit me to say, I hold in
I my handa phnmphlet, recently pub
lished in Boston, A said to have been
written by the chief secretary of the
new sect, who is also-said to be the
author of“ William Penn;” and those
who will read this pamphlet, written
at the present day, will perceive a
; more savage, superstitious, and dia-
I bolical spirit, than was ever possess
ed by the authors of the powwow,
scalping., slave, and dog laws. I will
give you a few extracts from this
| pamphlet, which purports to he an
| article copied from the American
J Monthly Magazine, page 11.
“The Indians had better stand to
their arms and be exterminated, than
march further onwards to the Pacific,
in the faith that the coming tide of
civilized population will not sweep
them forever till they mingle in its
depths. Better thus than remain to
be trampled as the serfs of Georgia,
to have their faces ground by the
pride and oppressions of their slave
holding neighbors, to be exterminat
ed by the more poweiful, and not less
sure, though slower operation of the
vices ot the whites.”—“God forbid
that the prayers which have ascend
ed fur the Indians, and the exertions
which may bo made in their behalf, j
should fail; it would be better that
half the states in the Union were an
nihilated, and the remnant lilt pow
erful in holiness, strong in the preva
lence of virtue, than that tlie whole
nation should ho stained with guilt,
uni) sooper or later disorganized, by
the self-destroying energies of wick
edness. We would lather have a
civil war, were there no other alter
native; than avoid it by taking shel
ter in crime; for besides that, in our
faith it would he better for the uni
verse to be annihilated, than for one
jot or tittle of the law of God to be
biokcn, we l;uuw that such a shelter
would only prove (be prison bouse
of vengeau.ee and despair. We
would take iq; arms for tin- Indians, 1
in such a war, with as much confi- j
ilence of our duty, as wo would stand
with our bayonets on the shores of
the Atlantic, to repel the assaults of;
the most barbarous invader. Per- !
haps we do wrong to make even the
supposition: for it can never come to
tliis. But, let any thing come upon •
us, rather than the stain and the
curse of such perfidy as has been
contemplated. Let the vials olGod’s
wrath be poured out in plague, and
storm, anil desolation; let our navies
he scattered to the four winds of
Heaven; iet our corn ho blasted in
the fields; let our first horn he con-
sumed with the stroke of the pesti
lence; let us he visited with earth
quakes, and given as a prey to the
devouring fire; but let us not bo left
to commit so great an outrage on the
law of nations and otGod; let us not
be abandoned to the degradation of
national perjury, and, as its certain
consequences, to some signal additi
on of national woe. Let us listen to
the warning voice which comes to us
from the destruction of Israel.”
The pamphlet from which I have
read contains 72 pages, and is inter
spersed throughout with a spirit cor
responding with what I have read.
Sir, shall I express my surprise at
this, “Christian party in politics,”
who condemn ail their brethren who
will not unite with them in all their
machinery of societies and schemes
for governing public opinion in this
land of freedom; or shall I remember,
that, if the wicked one himself can
assume the form of an angel of light,
to deceive and effect his diabolical
purposes, then we need not he sur
prised to see the children walking in
the footsteps of their parents. The
fallacious matter contained in this
pamphlet unrl its senior brother,
“William Penn,” we shall find to be
the strong ground relied upon here.
Our opponents here will be found in
close union with these concert breth
ren. And here it is, Sir, for the first
lime, we find any tiling live a tangi
ble form in the opposition to Indian,
emigration, sustained and cucourag-1
led as it has been by every adminis
tration; from President Jefferson to
I Mr. Adams iudusivc; wc have nev
jer before seen a concerted and unit
ed opposition, lor has any individu- j
I aL, who lmd my preventions to the j
j first honors of tie country, heretofore
ventured to offiosc this system.
In the course of the last year, the j
numbers over die signature ot “Wil- i
liain Penn” appeared in the National
’ Intelligencer,’ and, although said to
be written by a very pious man, deep
ly merged in missionary efforts, they
evidently have much more of the
character of the politician and law
yer than tint of an humble mission- i
ary. At the proper moment for ef
fect, too, we see the distinguished
orator of (lie West, he who once fil
led the chair which you now occupy,
entering upon this subject with his
usual zsa. and ingenuity. This In
dian subject was introduced into one
of his set speeches, professedly on
the subject of African colonization-
But the two subjects aie adroitly
blended together, and were designed
as a cutting phillipic upon President
Jackson and his administration, and,
at the same time, admirably calcu
lated to organize his political co
workers in every part of the Union.
I was not surprised at his expressi
ons of deep feelings of interest for
the suffering sons of Africa and the
forest. It was to he expected from a
popular speech-maker. Put I con
fess the pious part of his address
shocked my belter feelings. If l had
been ignorant of the gentleman’s
character, I should really have con
sidered him a preacher of righteous
ness, deeply imbued with the spirit
of the t-gc!
Where do you find one solitary op
ponent of President Jackson in favor
of the measure on the table? I do
mot know am. Sir, I have tried to
prevent party considerations from
operating on this question; but our
opponents are an organized band;
they go in a solid column. The
friends of the administration are by
no means united upon many subjects
ot general policy; eacli one thinks
and acts for himself; but shall our
difference upon other subjects ope
rate -upon our judgments in making
up an opinion upon this important
-subject? Your attention lias been
called to if in forcible language of]
truth, by your venerable Chief Ma-j
gistrate. It is sustained by reason,]
experience, humanity, and every con- j
of wise policy. It is a|
measure ol great importance id the
interest, peace and harinocy of rna*
of the States; and to the poor af
! tiictcd and perishing Indians, it is a
j measure of salvation. No man liv- !
; ing entertains kinder feelings to the ]
Indians than Andrew Jackson. If]
any President of the United States]
has deseryed the appellation of friend i
land father to the Indians, it is him
who is now at the helm. Having
been the instrument of the Govern-}
ment to chastise them in times that j
are gone by, so far as to bring them I
to a knowledge of their true conditi- ]
on and duty, he is the better qualified j
to sympathise with them in all their ]
afflictions. Ho not only is, but has
long been their truo friend and bene-!
factor. This opposition is not to the!
policy proposed, but to the man who
recommends it. I therefore trust
his friends will not he found in the
ranks of the I trust in God,
more are they who arc for us, than
those who are aguinst us. The op
position reminds me of Jonah’s gourd,
which sprung up in a night and per
ished in a day. It could bear the
light and heat of but a single day,
because there was a canker at the
root. The present opposition can
not stand before the light of truth,
reason and sound policy—it will soon
pass away.
Upon this question, our political
opponents have availed themselves
of the aid of enthusiastic religionists,
to pull down the administration of
President Jackson. Sir, pure reli
gion will aid and strengthen any
cause; but the undefiled religion of
the cross is a separate and distinct
t iling, in its nature* and principles,
from the noisy cant of these preten
ders, who have cost this Government,
since the commencement of the pres-!
ent session of Congress, considerably i
upwards of SIOO,OOO, by their vari'-l
ous intcnneddlings with the political j
concerns of the country. Who com-!
pose this “Christian party in poli
-ties,” here and elsewhere? Are
they those individuals who arc most
[ distinguished'for morality and virtue?
I will leave these questions to he an
swered by others, and puss oil to
some further notice of the Boston
pamphlet, from which wc shall, no
doubt, have tunny quotations before
we get through this discussion;
It is the statements found in these
pamphlets and magazines, which arc
relied on as truth, that have induced
so many worthy people at u distance
to espouse the cause of Indian sover
eignty, as assumed by the Cherokees.
The general condition of the Chfcro
kces, in these publications, is repre
sented as being quite as comfortable
and prosperous —yes, Sir, and as en
lightened too, ns the white populati
on in most of the States. Compare
the pictures drawn by these pamphlet
writers and memorialists oi the con
cert school, in which they have paint
ed Georgia on the one side and the
Cherokee sovereignty on the other.
From these publications, not only
the stranger in a foreign land, but
the honest laboring people of New
England, who stay at home, ana
would mind their own business it let
alone hv these canting fanatics, veri
ly believe t hat the Georgians arc the
worst of all savages; that they can
neither read nor write; that they are
infidels, deists, and atheists; and that
they never hear a gospel sermon,
except from a New England mission
ary. Upon the other hand, they are
taught to believe that the Cherokee
Indians are the most prosperous, en
lightened, and religious nation of
people upon earth—except, indeed,
the nation of New England. These
Boston writers are not a people who
work for nothing & find themselves.
No, Sir, I entertain no doubt but they
aieWell paid for all “their labors ol
love” in the cause of Cherokee sov
ereignty.
The Cherokees receive large an
mities from this Government; they
have a rich treasuary, and their nor
thern allies understand giving a sav
ing direction to their financial dis
bursements. These Northern intru
ders are numerous and influential a
inongst the Cherokees. One religi
ous Board to the North, (of whom
“VV’illiam Penn” is chief Secretary)
furnishes the Southern tribes of Indi
ans with upwards of twenty station
ary missionaries, besides superinten
dants, mechanics, Ac. Ac. chiefly
composed of our Northern friends.
No doubt, Sir, but President Ross
himself, with all his official subordi-
I nates, lias long since found it expe
| client to yield the chief control of the
! purse and the jyress, (which you know
i arc said to be the strength of nations)
to his more skilful mi.! eagle-eyed
friends and allies. But for these an
nuities, wc should not have been en
cumbered, throughout the session,
! with memorials from Maine to Steu
! benville, in Ohio. These self-inter
jesteil reporters of the state and con-
I ditiou of the Cherokee Indians, tell
I yon they are already a civilized and
| christianized people. Abounding in
the necessary comforts of domestic
and agricultural life, their civil, poli
j tical, and religious advancement, is
I ostentatiously compared with the
j whites in some of the States; and
! for proof of their statements, they
} refer you to their hireling letter wri
ters, and their magazines and news-
I papers; and the statements drawn
j from *hese sources arc relied on by
i a certain portion of the community,
in and out of this House in prefer
ence to any testimony, whatever
may he the merit of the source from
which it emanates. Now, Sir, I
will tell you how fur these state
ments are to he relied upon. I have
carefully und repeatedly examined
all these magazine and pamphlet
publications!. They contain a great
deal of truth, hut not the wndls tru .t!.,
and nothing else but the truth.—
These publications remind tne of a
long exploring tour which I made to
the West, near twenty years ago.
On my return home, my friends and
neighbors called in to hear the news
from the Western country. I de
scribed to thorn the rich and fertile
lands of the Mississippi, its bountiful
productions, Ac. and before I had
got through with the good tilings,
they said, “it is enough; let us
all remove to the good country.”
But when I told them ol the evil
things, and gave them the whole
| truth, they changed their hasty opi-
J nions, and concluded it would he best
I to remain in their beloved Georgia,
j Sir, the application of this story
I sy—every gentleman can make it
for himself. But I promised to in
form you how far the magazine state
ments were entitled to credit; but
before I begin, I will refer you to
my list of witnesses. They may he :
found amoogst the Senators and Re
prosehtntives of the present Coil*
grbss, from States bordering on the
Cherokee country. I could multiply
testimony to heur me out in all that
I have or shall say on this subject;
but, in law wc consider every word
established by the corroborating tes
timony of two or three witnesses. I
admit, that we find in the Cherokee
country, many families .eiijoying_all;
the common consorts of civil und do*
mcsticlife, and possessing the neces
sary means to secure these enjoy-”
incuts. 3loreovcr, we find a rniai-.
her of schools and houses built for rc- ;
ligious worship; Many of these
comfortable families, too; are com
posed of natives born in the Chero
kee country. But the principal part
of these enjoyments are confined to
t lie blood of the white tnan, either in’
whole or in part. But few, very few
of the t eal Indians participate large
ly in these blessings. A large por
tion of the full blooded Cherokees
still remain a poor degraded race of
human beings. As to the proportion
that aro comfortable, or otherwise, I
carinot speak from my own personal
knowledge with any degree of cer
tainty ; but, from what I have seen,
I can readily conclude, that but a ve
ry small portion of the real Indians
are in a state of improvement, whilst
their lords and rulers are w hire men,
and descendants of white men, en*
joying the fat of the land, and enjoy
ing exclusively the Government an
nuities, upon which they foster, feed,
and clothe the most violent and dan
gerous enemies of our civil institu
tions.
While the smaltest intrusion (as it is called) by
the frontier citizens of Georgia, on iho lands ot'- :
cupied by the Chtrokcos, excites the fiery indig- ■
nation of the fanatics, from one end of the chain
ol concert and coalition to the other, do we not ‘
find ..11 annual increase of intruders', Irom these
philanthropic ranks, flocking in upon tho poor.
Cherokees, like the caterpillars and locusts oft- ‘■
pvpl, leaving a barren waste behind them? Yes,:
Sir, these are the intridrrs who devour the sub
stance Which oftiglit belongs to the poor perish,
ing part of the Cherokees, They divide the spoil
w ith the Cherokee rulers, und leave the common’
Indians to struggle w ith want and tnisiiy, without
hO[W of bettering their condition by any change
but that of joining their brctlicru West of the Mis.
fissippi.
The inhumanity of Georgia so much complain,
ed of, is nothing more nor less than the extension
of her law s und jurisdiction over this mingled imfl
misguided population, who are found within her
acknowledged limits. And what, 1 would ask, Is
to be found in nil tliis, that is so very alarming*
Sir, l have, ndervored to tear the mask from this
subject, that the character and complexion of this
opposilion might be sceu and known. The abso.
lute rulers of the Cherrokcc country. like other
men love office, distinction, mid pow cr. Thry are
enjoying great and peculiar benefits They do
not like Ihe idea of becoming private citizens.
It is with great leluctance they yield up their,
stewardship. T hey know they” have not been
faithful to the interest of Ihe poor degraded in.
dians. I bey know not the great mass of their
people have been left (o suffer in want and i s no
rm,..:, whilst they have spent their substance iu
fanning foreign ainnne.;: with an enthusiastic,
selfish, and money-loving people. These men
w hen incorporated into the polical family ofGeor
gia, cannot calculate on becoming at once the
Kandolphs of the Siate. And if they join the
Western Cherrokees, they cannot carry with
them their present assumed sovereignty and rule.
They will there find equals in many of their pio- £
neer brethern. The Cadmus of the Cherokees,
George Guess, and many others, are ulrcady
there. Yes, Sir, these Western Cherokees are ia
the full enjoyment of all the blessings of their emi
grating enterprise, and there is but one opinion a
mong them as totlieir relative comfort, and pros
pect of future blessings. All the various emi
grants to the Wcstsolar agree as to Authorize’
the assurance, that no inducement could be affer
cd to them strong enough to bring them bark a
gain. The Cherokees and Creeks are charmed
w ith their country, and to tile many things w hich
attach to their comfort in it. The Xrw England
farmers, who have emigrated to the fertile val
leys ofti.c West, would as soon consent to return
to the barren sand and sterile rocks of their n ‘
tive land, as n Western Cherokee or Creek wotdd
return to the sepulchre of his forefathers.
Pages may be filled w ith the sublimated canl ‘
of the day, and in (S ailing over the departure of
the Cherrokees from ths bones of their forefath
ers. But if the heads of these pretended mour.
ners were waters, and their eyes were a fountain
oftears and they were to spend days and years
in weeping over the departure of Ilie Cherokee*
from Georgia, yet they w ill go. The tide of emi
gration, w ith the Indians as well as the whites, df-
Tccts its course Westwardly.
From the Macon Telegraph,
Mr, Editor-. —WUv rlar.S y ou cal i
JV..C attention of the people to tho
subject of Reduction .- Vpu kttow
the opposition that exists against thav,
measure, and the necessity there is
for exertion among its friends. The
friends of Economy, of good order,
of despatch, should all be enlisted ns
we trust they will he in favor of Re
duction. Our Legislature is two
crowded: both brunches arc quite
too full; the members are in each o
thers way: there is no system incur
Legislation, and there can be mom.,
until the number of Legislators is
reduced. • Was you ever in the State
House, Mr. Editor, during the ses.
sion? Did you ever sec more unor
ganised bodies than the Senate and
House of Representatives? All bu
siness is obstructed, delayed, or post
poncdini the hist of the session, and
then is rushed through ‘like water
through a mill sluice. Reduce the
number, and more order would ho
■ ohsrvcd—-economy and despatch
would he attended to. Why
somebody take up the subject ?
JEFFEH^Qfy