Newspaper Page Text
f*
cwy
CHEROKEE
PHOJNIX.
VOL. I.
NEW ECHOTA, WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 1828.
NO. 29.
EDITED BY ELIAS BOUDINOTT.
PRINTED WEEKLY BY
ISAAC H. HARRIS,
FOR THE CHEROKEE NATION.
At $2 50 if paid in advance, $3 in six
months, or $3 50 if paid at the end of tfie
year.
To subscribers who can read only the
Cherokee language the price will be $2,00
iki advance, or $2,50 to be paid within the
year.
Every subscription will be considered as
continued unless subscribers give notice to
the contrary before the commencement of a
new year.
Any person procuring six subscribers,
and becoming responsible for,the payment,
shall receive a seventh gratis.
Advertisements will be inserted at seven
ty-five cents per square for the first inser
tion, and thirtyrsevqn and a half cents for
each continuance; longer ones in propor
tion.
i CP All letters addressed to the Editor,
post paid, will receive due attention.
OWy Iif Jt D IiSiJEC*GJT.
V0ALX6t>.I T.'Mfl* V-V* JIirfBAU I-4ot>.I.
bsjie juicstuioey kta d^p o’ojb.j
fc-4<».l, TGTZ TEiMO-J'’ D0.J>S>c®I-cri).J.
TCTZ tfLP Tdao«A TB D0J»5M)I‘0®a, KT
d?4 o’ojb.i F4<>5)Ji. djj>%<*>ez tb yw
D0J*«)P'<»a, 0-yjlT D^P O^ejEU
ewyz o»a,R aht5iia<»y, wp*v» d?-o
OP0JBU I»4i»a TCTZ TEiSSOMr 5 DO"
JJSxHfriSUL KTJIZ D£P ytv (fill O’SUB.A"
IMR DOJiScSH-oi).*.
AGENTS FOR THE CHEROKEE
PHCENIX.
The following persons are authorized to
receive subscriptions and payments for the
Cherokee Phoenix.
Henry Hill, Esq. Treasurer of the A
B. C. F. M. Boston, Mass.
George M. Tracy, Agent of the A. B
C. F. M. New York.
Rev. A. D. Edhy, Canandaigua, N. Y.
Thomas Hastings, Utica, N. Y.
Pollard & Converse, Richmond, Va.
Rev. James Campbell, Beaufort, S. C.
William Moultrie Reid, Charleston,
S. C.
Col. George Smith, Statesville, W. T.
William M. Combs, Nashville Ten.
Rev. Bennet Roberts—Powal Me.
Mr. Thos. R. Gold, (an itinerant Gen
tleman.)
Jeremiah Austil, Mobile Ala.
[continued.]
WASHINGTON AND THE CHERO-
KEES.
My Children of the Cherokee Nation!
attend!—In a former interview soon
after your arrival, esteeming you the
representation of your whole nation,
I received you with open arms gnd an
hearty welcome. I then referred you
to communicate freely all you had to
say to General Knox the Secretary of
War, and I am glad to learn that you
have fully disclosed all the things
which you had in your hearts to say;
and he has reported the same to me.
I am highly satisfied with the confi
dence you repose in me, and in the
United States as your friends and pro
tectors.
We shall indeed rejoice in being the
instruments of the Great Master of
Breath, to impart to you and your
whole Nation, all the happiness of
which your situati«i will admit. To
teach you to cultivate the earth and
to raise your own bread as we do ours
—to raise cattle—to teach your chil
dren such arts as shall be useful to
them, and to lead you by degrees from
one information to another, in order
not only to better your situation on this
earth, but by enabling your minds to
form a more perfect judgment of the
great works of nature, to lead you ‘to
a more exalted view of the Great Fa
ther of the Universe.
Rest therefore upon the United
States, as your great security against
nil injury.
But in order to receive the. good de
signed for you, it will be your duty
.upon all occasions to be peaceable—
to be kind to the whites—and above
all, not to indulge resentment upon a-
ny supposed injury, but rather apply
to the United States or their Agent
for redress.
My Children*--Yon have mentioned
something about your past grievances.
We too have had causes of complaint
on our parts, but we are desirous of
burying deep under ground all past
evils.
We will now consider the treaty
made at Holstein, near the mouth of
French Broad, on the second day of
July last, as llie bond of our union.—
Adhere to that treaty on your part, as
we shall do on ours.
You have asked whether we have
authorized Governor Blount to make
that treaty, he being a Carolinian? In
answer to your question we tell you
now that Governor Blount is the Agent
of the United States, and that he will
always speak truly to you, and you
must depend upon what he shall say
to you on our behalf. Respect him
therefore and love him for my sake,
and 1 will answer that he shall conduct
himself as your friend.
When he shall send lo you that he
is ready to run the lines according to
the treaty, attend to what he shall
say and repair to him immediately.
It is very important to you as well
as the whites that the boundary should
be known so that no bad people tres
pass in future on your gsounds.
My Children—Attend to me now,
for I shall reply direnly to the objects
which you have communicated as the
cause ofj our journey.
You ask, firstly, that you should
have a greater sum each year for
your lands than was stipulated in the
treaty of Holstein.
Governor Blount told you truly that
he could not give more than one thou
sand dollars yearly for the lands you
relinquished; because lie was limited
to that sum.
But my Children, as you have re
quested five hundred dollars more, and
as the United States and myself are
desirous of affording you every proof
of our friendship, we comply with
your request; and you shall according
ly, receive suitable goods to the a-
mount of one thousand five hundred
dollars, yearly.
lou ask, secondly, that you should
take with you goods to the amount of
one year’s allowance. This request is
also granted, and you shall have the
goods accordingly.
\ou ask, thirdly, that the white
people who have settled to the south-'
ward ol the new line which divides
the waters ol the Tennessee from
those running into Little River, should,
be removed.
I answer that the people shall be
removed as soon as the line is run.
You ask, fourthly, that a person
shall be sent, to reside in your nation
who shall he your Counsellor and pro
tector, in behalf of the United States.
I shall also comply with your re
quest in this instance, and I nave ac
cordingly appointed this Gentleman,
Leonard Shaw ipresenting him at the
same time,) to return with you and
reside in the Nation. He is a man of
knowledge, and is desirous of being
serviceable 4© you in teaching; you and
your children useful arts. Is he ac
ceptable to you? and will you protect
and comfort him and follow his ad
vice?
You have asked, fifthly, that wo
shall make no settlements at the Mus
cle Shoals on the Tennessee.
Be assured my Children, we shall
not make any settlements at that place,
which we understand to be the hunt
ing grounds of several of the southern
Nations, without their consent. It is
however proper that you'should agree
among yourselves about your own
boundaries, so that there be no dispute
in future on that account.
It is proper also that you should un
derstand that the United States have
stipulated by treaty with the Chicka-
saws, to establish a post at the Occo-
chappo or Bear’s Creek below the
Muscle Shoals. This 'ground the
Chickas&ws stated as solely belonging
to them. They asserted this at tne
treaty of Hopewell, when a considera
ble part of your Nation was present,
and it was not denied on-your part.
And lastly it is proper that you
should know, that the *bject of the
United States, is not to mike a settle
ment there for the purpoie of hunting
or clearing your lands, bit to prevent
bad white people from diing it, and
that you may obtain goodscheaply un
der the protection of the United
States. It. is the Genera! Government
who will be present there and not a
disorderly set of people. But notwith
standing that these are tie objects of
the United States, yet a trading post
will not be established there if it be
disagreeable to the red people. Con
sult therefore among yourselves and
with your neighbours, when you get
back to your nation, and let me know
your wishes on this subject.
You have asked, sixthly, for two In
terpreters, who shall be sworn to com
municate all things faithfully which
shall pass between the United States
and your Nation; and you have point
ed out James Carey, vho is present,
as a proper person for «e Interpreter,
and after your return you will let
Governor Blount know whom your
Nation will choose for tie other.
In conformity therefore to your re
quest, I appoint Jamei Carey one In
terpreter and leave it to the Nation
to nominate the other.
I have ordered that you should be
well clothed yourselvei; and that you
should also earry home some clothing
for your families besides other person
al presents of Medals a»d Rifles, which
you have received.
I have besides ordered personal
presents of a similar nature to be pro
vided and sent by Mr. Shaw to be de
livered in the name of the United
States to the Little Turkey, the
Badger, the Dragging Canoe, John
Watts, Katakiskee, the Hanging Maw,
the Breath, the Boots, the Black Fox,
the Thigh, the Glass, and Dick of the
look out Mountain who I learn are the
principal Chiefs of your Nation.
You will understand that all these
presents are in addition to the annual
allowance to your Nation, which al
lowance is the public property, and to
be distributed in the most fair manner
upon your arrival at home in the pres
ence of the Little Turkey and your
other great Chiefs. And I am sorry
you have been detained here so long,
but the Great Spirit above having cov
ered the waters with ice and the
ground with snow our vessels nor wag
gons could not pass, nor could your
goods be transported, this you have
seen and will be able to declare to
your people.
You haveijmentioned one Bowles,
who has caused disturbances among
the Creeks—my Children, believe
what I say to you concerning that man
—he is an impostor and a deceiver and
means no good either to the white or
red people and therefore ought not to
be suffered to reside among the In
dians.
My Children—You may be told
when you get back to your Nation, if
you ligve not, heard it already, that
battle has been fought between the
white people, and the hostile Indians
living at the Miama Towns and on the
Wabash north west of the Ohio, and
such others as they could draw to their
aid; and that our people were beaten
with considerable loss; and you may
be told too by some of these Indians,
who probably may visit your nation,
that this dispute has arisen from at
tempts of ours to take away their
lands.
That a battle has been fought; that
we have lost many men and were oblig
ed to retreat at that time is true. But
that the dispute is about land is false.
We neither claim nor do we want to
possess any land beyond the boundary,
which has been established between
us and those Nations of Indians whose
right itjwas to fix it, and who did it by
three different treaties. All we have
asked and all we require is that our
frontier people may live undisturbed
in their persons and properties; and
these dispositions have been commu
nicated to them in various messages I
and by every means in our power, be
fore we marched any forces against
them, and even after they had at dif
ferent times between the close of the
war with Great Britain and the march
of the troops under General Harmen
killed wounded and carried into cap
tivity, one thousand live hundred of
our people and more than two thou
sand of our Horses.
This iny Children is the truth, you
have it from my own mouth; and I will
not deceive you. But hearken fur
ther to my words—though we were
unsuccessful in the last battle from
causes which are not necessary to
mention, yet if these unfriendly Indi
ans do not now come forward and
make peaee with this country on the
terms I have mentioned and which are
the terms of equity and justice, the
for.ee that will be sent against them in
future will be able to cut them off
from the face of the earth.
Losing an hundred a thousand or
even ten thousand men would not be
missed in this country. But such a
loss would destroy the whole of these
Indian Nations which are at war with
us.
Look through the streets of Phila
delphia, and behold the number of
people! and what are these when
compared with the whole number in
the United States? Why not more
than one leaf is to the whole number
of those which grow on a tree. Had
you travelled to this place by land, in
stead of coming by water, you would
have been an eye witness of the truth
of this observation, and even then you
would not have seen half the extent of
the United States which are now join
ed together and will act as one man,
and all must resent what is done to a
part. I mention these matters to you
my Children and friends, that all bad
Indians may be acquainted with it and
know what must be the consequence
of waging an unjust war against the
United States, or injuring the proper
ty.of any of its citizens.
My Children—There are several
other matters, which General Knox
the Secretary of War will speak about
to you in my behalf and which you
must attend to.
But I shall subscribe my name to
this talk which shall be written in
your book, in order to be preserved a-
mong you as a witness of our transac
tions together, and to which you may
have recourse in future.
This book you will sacredly pre
serve and not suffer any thing to be
written therein, but in tile presence
of the United States or their Agent
who is Governor Blount, and under
him Mr. Shaw.
In this book the treaty between the
United States and the Cherokees will
be written together with your speech
es here, and this answer thereto.
Besides this manner of recording
our proceedings, I confirm all I have
said to you in your own method, by a
White Belt as the emblem of the puri
ty of our hearts towards you.
I shall also in answer to the Messa
ges and Belts brought by you, send
particular Messages and Belts by Mr.
Shaw to the Creeks, the Choctaws
and the Chickasaws—I consider their
interest and the interest of the United
States as the same, and shall accord
ingly treat them as our firm friends and
children.
Given under my hand at the city of
Philadelphia this third of February in
the year of our Lord one thousand se
veil hundred and ninety two.'
GO. WASHINGTON.
From the National Gazette.
Extract from the second volume of Dr.
Goodman's American Natural History.
THE BEAVER.
The general-aspect of the Beaver
at first view would remind one of a
large rat, and seen at a little distance,
it might be readily mistaken for the
common rnusk-rat. But the greater
size of the beaver, the thickness and
breadth of its head, and its horizontal
ly flattened, broad and scaly tail, ren
der it impossible to mistake it for any
other creature when closely examin
ed. In its movements, both on shore
and in the water, it also closely re
sembles the musk-rat, having the same
quick step, and swimming with great
er vigor aud celerity, either on the
surface, or in the depths of the wa
ter.
In a state of captivity or insultation,
the beaver is a quiet or rather stupid
animal, about as much intelligence as
a tamed badger or any other quadrup
ed which can learn to distinguish its
feeder, come when called, or grow
familiar with the inmates of the house
where it is kept. It is only i/fȣ state
of nature that the beaver displays any
of those singular modes of acting
which have sp long rendered the spe
cies celebrated: these may be sum
med up in a statement of the manner
in which they secure a sufficient depth
of water to prevent it from being fro
zen to the bottom, and their mode of
constructing the huts in which they
they pass the winter.
They are not particular in the site
they select for the establishment of
their dwellings hut if in a lake or
pond, where a dam is not required,
they are careful to build where the
water is sufficiently deep. In stand
ing water, however, they have not
the advantage afforded by a current
for the transportation of their supplies
of wood, which, when they build on a
running stream, is always cut higher
up than the place of their residence,
and floated down.
The materials used for the construc
tion of their dams are the trunks and
branches of small birch, mulberry,
willow, poplar, &c. They begin to
cut down their timber for building
early in the summer, but their edi
fices are not commenced unlil about
the middle or latter part of August,
and are not completed until the be
ginning of the cold season. The
strength of their teeth and their per
severance in this work may be fairly
estimated by the size of the trees
they cut down. Dr. Best informs us
that he has seen a mulberry tree,
eight inches in diameter, which had
been gnawed down by the beaver.—
We were shown, while on the banks
of the Little Miami river, several
stumps of trees, which had evidently
been felled by these animals, of at
least five or six inches in diameter.—
These are cut in such a manner as to
fall into the water, and then floated
towards the site of the dam or dwel
lings. Small shrubs, &c. cut at a
distance from the water, they drag
with their teeth to the stream, and
then launch and tow them to the place
of deposit. At a short distance above
a beaver dam the number of trees
which have been cut down appears
truly surprising, and the regularity of
the stumps which are left, might lead
persons unacquainted with the habits
of our animal to believe that the clear-*
ing was the result of industry.
The fighre of the dam varies accor
ding, to circumstances. Should the
current be very gentle, the dam is
carried nearly straight across; but
when the stream is swiftly flowing, it
is uniformly made with a considerable
curve, having the convex part opposed
to the current. Along with the trunks
and branches of trees they intermin
gle mud and stones, to give greater
security, and when dams have been
long disturbed and frequently repair
ed, they acquire great solidity, and
their power of resisting the pressure
of water and icc is greatly increased
by the willow, birch, &c. occasional
ly taking root, and eventually growing
up into something of a regular hedge.
The materials used in constructing
the dams are secured solely by the
resting of the branches, &c. against
the bottom, and the subsequent accu
mulation of mud, and stones, by the
force of the stream or by the indus
try of the beavers. In various parts
of the western country, where beavers
are entirely unknown except by tradi
tion, the dams constructed by their