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CHEROKEE HYMNS.
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INDIAN EMIGRATION.
Speech of Mr. Woods.
[Concluded.]
I mast claim the indulgence of gen
tlemen for a moment, while ,1 refer to
tiie documents now ini my hand, for
the purpose of bolding up to their rep
rotation, and the reprobation, the
practice of our government in its in
tercou.rse with the Indians. It is
time, sir, to arrest this policy, if ever
ii is done. Procastination in our de
cision will put it out of our power to
remedy the evil. Look, sir, through
this diplomacy. Look at the practice
Which is here avowed, or but too
slightly concealed, and ask yourself—
ask the American People—whether
they will, for one moment longer, tol
erate this vile t eachery? We have
arrived at a point from which we can
not go forward in this course, without
the most glaring light to the nation,
and tothe world. Sir, need I turn to
the irresistible evidence which these
oppressed People have given of their
unwillingness to leave the country in
which they live—the homes of their
ancestors; and the masterly arguments
by which they have defended their
rights, and covered,our agents and
commissioners with disgrace, by ex
posing our insincerity and injustice?
Read,. Sir, the Choctaws and Chicka-
saws to our Commissioners, in 1826,
who had-in their hands “the large a-
mount of means as an auxiliary aid,”
and answer whether there is nothing
in these negotiations deserving the
reprobation of the American People.
If 6ne set of Commissioners have not
money enough, they are followed by
ethers with more. Agents are em
ployed, Jfnd sent to prepare the minds
of the Indians for the operations of the
Commissioners. They* are sent from
house to house, to-buy off' the allegi
ance of these sons of the forest, who
are induced'; by your arts and money,,
to sell-their countrymen and brethren;
Sif, we have been told by the gen
tleman at the head of the Indian- bu
reau, who has lately vjsited several
of the tribesj that hie was- “aware of
“the settled dislike of these People
**to any thing in the shape of a direct
“proposition for their country, and
“that re* ent negotiations, though con-
“dyycted by three distinguished citi
“zens, chosen no less on account of in-
i<((>UibfAni»A than for, their
genee, than for their admitted
“knowledge of the Tqdtan character.
“had totally failed, and that the Iargi
“amount; of means" placed at their dis
placed at their dis-
as tin auxiliary aid!, had been
“equally inoperative.” Yet, Sir, this
gentleman is sent' as a special agent
to these very nations, to effect, in
some way, the Very same object I
which the Commissioners, with all !
cheir intelligence and great knowledge
of the Indian character, and the aux
iliary aid in their hands, had. totally
failed to accomplish. Sir, what does
this mean? Is this the open, frank,
and manly policy of a gregt and mag
nanimous nation, towards these weak,
scattered, and dependent tribes? Oh
no, sir; I repeat it, our policy towards
the Indians has been marked by fraud,
and insincerity, and treaiherff and
baseness. * :> j,.’.’V)/:/ •' t
The Commissioners who were sent
to treat with the Chickasaws and
Choctaws, and proposed directly to
purchase their country, and to giye
them, West of the Mississippi, acre
for acre, were met by a prompt, deci
ded, and manly negative to all their
propositions, not only from the Chiefs,
but by the Indian People, to Whom
they appealed. But if, by the man
agement of our Agents, the Chiefs and
leading men can be prevailed on, by
any means, to sell their Country and
Nation, retaining to themselves, with
in the States, reservations, our ob-
ject and wishes would be effected.
Such a conditional agreement, it ap
pears, has been made with one of the
Nations. But with all the diplomatic
skill and ingenuity of this gentleman,
noway, not even a solitary avenue
could be found, by which he could
approach the Choctaws, with any
proposition* for the sale of their coun
try. Yet, from motives of pure and
disinterested friendship-, he proposed
to enable six of their Chiefs to take a
tour of pleasure, and at the expense
of the United States, with a suite of
our Agents at their heels, to travel by
the way of the Missouri, and the
Northwestern Territory, to see, their
friends and brothers in the Arkansas,
Territory! “The Chiefs” and repre
sentatives of the Nation “were bound
“to reject openly any proposition to
“sell-their Country, or bring upon
“themselves the rebuke, if not the
“chastisement of the Nation.” Yet,
sir, “under cover of this pretext,
“ground is to be broken!!” We are
by this appropriation unblushingly to
sanction, the secret agreement or un
derstanding, by which the. Chiefs,
“Under cover of this pretext,”, .ai-fe
to take measures for selling to us their
country. Look, sir, at the report of
the Commissioners, sent during last
year, to the Cherokees and Choctaws,
one of whom was formerly a member
of this House, and at the head of the
Committee on Indian affairs, [Mr.
Coeke.] • Tfye proposition was openly
made these Nations to sell ,only a
small part of their country, and every
possible argument used to induce them
to do so; but out Commissioners met
a prompt and decided refusal from the
Indians: These Nations are hot “gov
“erned by a few white men and half
breeds,’ 5 of whose intelligence and in
fluence we have heard great com
plaint, by the friends of this project,
but by the Indian-JPeople themselves,
who exercise the elective franchise,
and have turned out nnd disgraced the
Chiefs whom we had corrupted by
our Agents and base instruments.^—
Yes, sir, we have been told by the
proper representatives of the Indian
People, that they will not sell their
country—their homes—the graves of
their fathers. Yet, in spite of all
this, gentlemen urge us to adopt this
system, and appropriate one hundred
thousand dollars (the sum asked by
the amendment now offered by the
gentleman from Soutli Carolina) to
purchase the country of these very
Nations. To me the hold-and daring
course of violence, which openly a-
vows its object, is preferable far pref
erable, to the false, deceitful, insid
ious policy, by which we degrade the
Indians and disgrace ourselves. We
have even heard loud complaints be
cause one of these Nations has formed
a Government & written Constitution
for themselves upon free and liberal
principles- This Constitution is itself
a full triumphant refutation of the
assertion that these Indians are in a
Wretched and degraded situation, and
can be saved by removing them, ft
proves that, if we do justice, and
cease to oppress them, they will he
a free and happy People.
While the Indians in the most posi
tive manner, refused to sell their coun
try, and spurned all the bind, humane,
and disinterested propositions which
have been made to them, and have,
“strange ns it appeared” to our
Commissioners, refused even to look
at the proffered “last home,” though
we propose to pay them well for their
trouble, there is one plan which they
to sanction and a-
I Which experience has pro-
! the only one which will save
emtVom extinction. The Indians
have not refused to permit you to es
tablish schools in their country, to ed
ucate their children. They have riot
refused .to permit you to send farmers
and mechanics among them, to teach
them husbandry and 'the mechanical
arts. They have sanctioned and ap
proved of the system commenced by
the annual appropriation of $10,000
for these objects. \ This is, in my opin
ion the only correct system which we
can pursue. The sums expended un
der the act of 1811, for the civiliza
tion of the Indians, jhave been produc
tive of more bentficial effects than
the whole sum of $250,000 paid to
them in annuities. The expenditure ’
of this small sum ii more honorable to
tire nation than five times, the amount
paid for the suppot of your Military
Academy, and mar y other objects of
appropriations. Sir, by this expen
diture more than one thousand two
hundred Indian children are taught
whatever is valuable, or .necessary
to be learned by,4he commop classes
in society. Th£y are taught to read
and write, io/plow and reap, and all
the branGhes/of business nccessar-y„for
the prosperity of a new country.—■
The females are taught all the domes
tic duties which belong to their station.
The advantages derived from this
small appropriation have been much
enhanced by the “auxiliary aid’^or
the Missionary Establishments exist
ing in the Indian oouptry. By a prop
er increase of this fund, and “with
“proper and vigorous efforts, under
“the system, of education which has
“been adopted, and which ought to be
“put into extensive and active opera
tion, the Indians may receive an ed
ucation equal to that of the laboring
“portion of out own commnnity.”
(Docs. of 1821—2, vo[. 4, Doc. 69.)
This, Sir, is the sytem adopted,;
and put into active operation, (s6 far
as the limited appropriation would ad
mit,) by the gentleman then at the head
of the War Department [Mr. Cal
houn.] It is the* system in which 1
most cordially concur. I am willing
to appropriate whatever sum may be
necessary to. give complete success
tothe benevolent and liberal views
and wishes of the American People, in
behalf of the original lords of this
Continent. Two’or three years ago,
jthe Committee on Indian Affairs, were
directed to inquire into the expedien
cy of repealing the law. making the an
nual appropriation to which I have
alluded. And what, sir, was the re
port on the subject presented, I be
iieve, by my friend and colleague
[Mr. M Lean] who is noW at the
head of that committee? In that re
port, we are told that “it requires but
“little research to convince every
“candid mind, that the prospect of ci
vilizing the Indians was never so
“promising as at this time; never
“were means for the accomplishment
“of this object so judiciously -devised,
“and faithfully applied, as provided in
“the above act, and the aids which it
“has encouraged.” The committee
are assured “that the continuation of
the appropriation* seconded by the
“liberal and increasing aids which
“are afforded by volutary con
tribution) will, gradually and
“most effectually, extend the be-
“nefit of'the law to the remotest
“tribes wh6. inhabit our extensive do
main.” The progress-of this work
“may be raofp rapid than any person,
“can now venture to Anticipate. No
“one will be |old enough to denounce
“him as a visionary enthusiast who,
“under such ajispices, will look with
‘‘great confidence to the entire accom-
“plishment of jhe object.” This, Sir,
is the deliberate opinion of the com
mittee, expressed with great force and
propriety, after a full examination of
the subject, jit is to me an irresisti
ble argument against the scheme now
proposed. ( ,
Mr. Chairman, I wish to turn the
attention of Ihe Committee to the ex-
expense which will attend this mea
sure. If adopted, whether successful
or not, the expense must be incurred.
This experiment is to be made at the
hazard of huipan life. The happi
ness, nay, Sir/ the existence of one
hundred thousand People, depends up
on the doubtful success of this untried
project. But, if all ihe arguments
and reasons opposed tothe scheme and
its practicability can be successfully
answered, still it may be proper to ex
amine the subject in relation to its de
mands upon the Treasury, and our dis
position to meet these demands. I
'h&i
'
m
.:.y.
will present to the Committee the es
timates which are made by ihe trieud
and advocates of this scheme,' & vvil
then ask gentlemen whether they ax
is wild
Ing the <ffruitS
humanity, by
are en
ion
Wide
ands
ence
ulat on of misery and sufferr
el. Sir, I draw no
I cannot portray,
these^People^ now
sisippi, ^where we
w
distre
sed
upon the*
Op to examine it. »
1 ingAoff
in justice to o
violation of other r
gre^ W^dv j thy . „
him a clear title, in fee, for your
and you‘should obstinately rofu
sell your land to me, what ami
Have l a right to turn you off yoi
land; and out of your house; and ? i
seize upon your.property? No, Sir;
I become responsible to my neighbor
for the damage he may have sustain- 1
I will forfeit the penalty of my ol
gation; but jour title remains good—
1 am ready to pay Georgia the penalty
of our obligation, if we have violated
it. But I will not do.flagrant injustice
tothe Indians, even to gratify a sove
reign State.- rj. 1 ' - ,
The estimate now presented to us of
the expense of removing the Chicka
saw Nation of 4000 persons, amounts
to nearly half a million. This embra
ces the sum proposed to be paid for
their houses, farms, shops, horses,
and other articles of personal property;
and if we calculate that the farms,
houses, & property, of other tribes, is
as valuable, in proportion to jtheir
numbers, as that of the Chickasaws,
it will require more than six millions
of dollars for this part of the expense.
The estimate made for the Subsis
tence of the -emigrating Creeks, is
twenty cents per day, or $73 per an- 1
num for each individual. The a-
mount of this item of the expense
would be about four millions of dol
lars. Thus we have the sum of more
thrni ten millions of dollars as a com
mencement; without including “con
tingencies;” and the whole expense of
supporting the Government to be crea
ted in this new territory; and the ar
my to be sustained lor its defence;—
without adding the sum necessary for
the establishment of schpols.and other
means of education: This is not iffy
calculation. It is furnished to us by
the Indian Bureau; by the friends of
this scheme—as the foundation or da
ta upon which we are to-make this ap-
S nation. I refer genilfemen; who
to examine this subject in detail,
to the report of the Commissicmers
sent to treat with the Chickasaws and
Choctaws in 1826, printed by the
Senate, pages 13 and 14'; and to the
documents accompanying the Presi
dent’s message, page 177; also, to do
cument 44, page G. I ask in behalf
•of the Indians only for a pittance, of
these enormous sums, lobe expended
in establishing schools among the In
dians, in teaching them the pursuits of
agriculture and the mechanical arts,
and in establishing proper regulations
for their government, and for the dis
tribution and security of their propbr*
ty. Sir, in the language of the late
Secretary of War, let “the system
“which has been adopted, be put
“into extensive and active operation,”
arid the result will be infinitely more
honorable to us; the prosperity and
happiness of the Indians will be more
effectually promoted and secured;
than by any new invention for their
benefit. . , >
Before we carry the eighty thou
sand Indians, now on this side of the
Mississippi, over that river, 4 a conjure
gentlemen to look at the situation of
the two hundred thousand which are
already there. 1 ask the friends Of
this measure tb prove the correctness
of their theory, by organizing these
tribes under their new system of Gov
ernment, by teaching them to respect
your laws, and by learning them to
pursue the occupations, and adopt the
laws and habits of civilized man. Let
gentlemen do this, and come with tjie
evidence of their success, and I will
then believe in their theory; I will then;
vo/e for this measure. But, ^ir,
while I know and have the evidence
before me, to prove that the most pow
erful of the Indian nations, now West
of the Mississippi, living upon the ve
ry territory to which these are to bp
removed, are still more miserable
and destitute than the most degraded
of those for whose benefit gentlemen
are urging us to adopt this measure, I
will'not consent to drive the eighty*
thousand now among us, enjoying the
comforts of their homes and native
land, into the country, where they
can meet*nothing but death, either by
most
Dn-
^.year
I PPJHp|@^iamin^ : -of'‘
“vvhich mV,iiy die. for want of food, and
“during which the living Child is often
“buried with the dead mother, be-
“cause none can spare it as much,
“food as would sustain it thro’ its
.< dieltvlvThis; description
oux, AJsaeeV;. and
“djtpliQs toxhe . ^ ^ JPH
“many others; hut I 'mention these,
“because they are powerful tribes,
Hnnft livp nA<ii' h Aim qnJ mv
‘and live. near our borders;* and my
“official station enables me to know
“the exact truth. It is in vqin to
“talk to people in this situation about
“learning and religion. They want a
“regular supply; and, until this is obr
“tained, the operations off the mind
“niust take the instinct of mere ani-.
“mals, and be confined to warding off
“hunger and cold.”
I have now, Mr. Chairman, in a
disconnected and imperfect manner,
urged the reasons which induce me.to
oppose this measure. I have endeav
ored to prove that the evils to which
the Indians are now exposed would be
increased by their removal; and that
we may, by justice on our part, and
the establishment of a liberal policy
towards them, secure their prosper
ity. I have not failed, Sir, to ex
press, iri decided terms, my opinion of
the conduct which our Government
and its Agents has pursued towards
these people. I have shewn, that the
execution of this scheme, if at all
practicable, would involve us in a
moat prodigal expenditure of millions
of the public treasury; and I have
proved the wretchedness and want of
the Indians already inhabiting the
country West of the Mississippi.^—
Firmly convinced of the correctness
of the views and arguments which I
have presented to the Committee, I
cannot vote for this measure; I cannot
agree to send the remnant of our In
dians to share the fate of those beyond
the Mississippi.- Sir, let us rather do
them justice; let us allow them a part,
not of Svhat Ave have already taken
from them—-no, Sir, hut of. the little
they have yet left. Our interests, the
appeals of the States, the “settled po
licy,’’of the Government, may be urg
ed in favor of the measure here, but
not at the bar of justice, qr before tlrn
wprld. if we sanction this measure ,
the blood of these People,; reduced
by us to the condition of wretchedness
and horror, in which “the living child
More Troup-imi.--Governor For-5
jjtlr, the successor of Governor
Troup, has isufid a proclamation call
ing upon the constituted powers of the
state of Georgia to resist the opera
tions of the Cherokee Indians, who
have made themselves a constitution
of government , and have thence as
sumed an attitude of independence.—
Twcofooso.-/. ’ i '
Extraordinary Calamity.—The fam
ily of Mr. Nathaniel Underhill, 4n the
interior of this cohnty, consisting of
eight persons, all arose one day last
week, in a state of mental derange
ment, and, from the last accounts,
still continue so. The case is wor
thy of the most scrutinizing investiga-'
lion of the medical faculty.—Dutchess
- True American. \ ' , ;
Slander.—A case of slander, Cap
tain A. Pullen vs\ John Donaldson,
Was lately tried in Georgia» The
The defendant having announced^his ‘
inability to pay so large a sum, the'
ck, off $90001eaving Mr. f
1000 to pay for slandering L
m- ‘ r
' gLiilUJUL 1
EROKEE ALPHABET^
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