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V
seen, and see daily, tbe rapid advances
of inti Indians in the arts of civiliza
tion, as wml us in inurais and religion,
and are well assured that nothing hut
a continuance of the present means 01
instruction is necessary to make them,
as respectable, intelligent and happy,
as a nation of whiles. Among the
Ciiorokees, where the most efficient
elforts have been made, the improve
ments are truly surprising. In eigh
teen years. ending 1823, their popula
tion increased (including those who
emigrated to the Arkansas) more than
7jJ ); or 60 per cent: which varies
very little from the common rate ot
increase among the white inhabitants
of the Southern States. In the same
year there were in the Nation, 79,-
812 domestic animals, 762 looms, 2,-
486 spinning-wheels, 172 wagons, 2,-
946 ploughs, 10 saw-mills, 31 grist
mills, 62 blacksmith's shops, 8 cotton-
gins, 18 sellouts, 9 turnpikes, 18 fer
ries, and 20*)ublio roads; being a vast
increase above the returns of .1809,
in almost every particular. A well-
otganized system of government has
been established—a Legislature—a
Judiciary—a public treasury—a print
ing-press—and aw excellent newspa
per.' In all their legislative Acts,
and in all their public documents, a
spirit of moderation, prudence and
wisdom, prevails, which might well
be imitated by some ol the neighbor-
in States. The late Message of
John Ross and George Lowrey,* who
have bean elected Principal Chiefs
for the term of four years, -‘is cer
tainly quite a sound, sensible, business
like paper, (says the National Jour
nal,) treating of topics nearly allied to
the best interests of the Nation, and
creditable to its enlightened authors.”
Their laws too, if we may judge from
what we have seen, are superior to
the wisdom of Lycurgus or Solon.
We may call them ‘-savages” and
“heathen,” if we please; but neither
our Legislatures nor our laws, exhibit
more of the influence ot Christianity
than their own. We have the best
reason for s iviug, that ol the National
Com nireo, comprising sixteen mem
bers, and the National Council, com
prising twentyffour members, and of
oilier persons holding responsible offi
ces in the government - eight are hope
fully pious. One of the Judges of ihe
Supreme Court is a teacher or ej;-
liorter under tbe American Board; and
a member of the National Council is
also an Elder in tbe Mission Church
at Brainerd.
It is such a people,—prosperous
contented and happy,—rapidly im
proving in agriculture, manufactures,
education and religion,—that the hu
mane and enlightened government ol
the United Slates propose to drive
into the wilderness. We say ctrine,
because we know that the Cherokees,
as a body, will never submit to the
proposed arrangement, except by
compulsion. They have declared a-
gain and again, by the most solemn
Acts of which they are capable, that
they “will never selI another loot of
their land;” and they are repeating
this declaration, practically, every
dav. What is the result of all the
efforts which have been made, of late,
to persuade them to remove? The
we believe is still in force, “and to be
come lierusmen unu cultivators insU uu ol
hunters, the United Stales will Hum
time to time luriush gratuitously the
said Nation with uselul implements ol
husbandry, &c.” but now it happens
that the remnant of lands, wluJli re
mains to them, is wanted by the Geor
gians. and therefore it is quite ijniua-
leriai what course ol liie they pursue,
provided only they vacate their lauds,
or coniine themselves to a mefe patch,
which shall not he sufficient lot 4 Go
vernor Troup to lay his linger upon.
On tiiis point the language of the joint
Committee- of the Georgia Legislature
on the state of the Republic, in their
Report ol December 5, 1827, is quite
to tbe purpose. They complain ihat
tlitr United States have managed “60
to add to the comforts of the Chero
kees, and so to instruct tlum in the
business of husbandry, as to attach them
so firmly to their country and to their
homes, as almost 1 to destroy the last
ray of hope that they will ^*ver con
sent to part with the Georgia lands.”
This is honed: and considering the
quarter from which it conics, furnish
es a valuable comment upon some of
ihe statements in the subjoined ex
tract from the report of the Secreta
ry of War:
It may, perhaps, be fairly doubted
whether the $iU,0d0 appropriation
lindependently of us tendency to pre
vent emigration) produces', under the
circumstances in which it is ex
pended, any useful results. These
schools, it is true, impart lo a certain
number of Indian youths so much in
formation, and so far change then
habits, as to inspire, them with all tilt-
passions and desires, and particularly
the passion lor accumulating in>.-i Actu
al wealth, peculiar lo a state oi e
zation; and then these half educ
men are turned loose amon^
pective tribes, without any dono;
means ol satisfying the fleshes
wants which have been thus ariiliiiat-
ly created. The lands of the tlibu
being common and unalienable, they
have no motive to cultivate and im
prove them. There is no floating
wealth to attract their ambition, ai\u
tire only and usual means ot giutifyi.g
their cupidity for money, is, by em
ploying the advantages acquired bj
their education to appiopriate lotncnl-
selves more than tlKurjust share/of
the large contributions annually myile
by the government: and in ibis wly,
they, with some tew honorable excep
tions, rentier, not only Iheinselves, hut
the very arts they have acquired, ob
noxious lo the nation at large.
We beg to know if education is the
mother oi crime; and whether there
are no objects to attract the attention
of educated men, besides ‘-floating
wealth/” We ask if Catharine Brown,
who lias left a memorial which will
endure longer than the warrior s hon
ors,—if John Arch, who iabored while
life continued, in teaching his brethren
the way to heaven, and now sings ui
glory,—if David Brainerd, [David
Brown,] who is engaged in translating
the Scriptures into Cherokee,—
out and examined, we venture te say
they will oe tumid lo :esuli not from
cnucittiou, but the wanioi it; not from
Inc iimuence ot Christianity, but from
principles and habits which it is the
constant effort of the missionaries to
eradicate.
T[ie plan which it is proposed to
pursue in reference lo the Indians, is
Ulus developed:
Let such of the emigrating Indians
as choose it, continue, as heretofore,
to devote themselves lo the chase, in
a country where their toils will be
amply rewarded. Let those who arc
willing to cultivate the arts of civili
zation be formed into a colony, con
sisting of distinct tribes or communi
ties, but placed contiguous to each
other, and connected by general laws,
which shall reach the whole. Let
the lands ue apportioned among fami
lies and individuals in severally, to be
held by the same tenures by which we
hold ours, with perhaps some tempo
rary and wholesome restraints on the
power of alienation. Assist them in
loaning and administering a code of
laws adapted to a state of civilization.
Let the $10,000 appropriation be ap
plied, within the new colony exclu
sively, to the same objects for which
it is now expended; and add to it, from
lime to time, so much of our other an
nual contributions as can be thus ap-
their res-
iblc
ili-
teu
aid
plied without a violation of public
uitb
In regard to such Indians as shall
still remain within the States, and re-
luse lo emigrate, lyt an arrangement
ue made with tiie proper authorities
of die respective States in which they
me situated, for partitioning out to
Incut, in severally, as much of their
respective reservations ,.s shall be
amply sufficient for agricultural pur
poses. Set apart a tract, proportion
ed m size to Hie number of Indians,
to remain in common, as a refuge and
provision for s’ueli as any by impiov-
i .enoe vvisie their private pioperly;
and subject them all to the municipal
laws ol the Slates in which they re
side. Let the remainder of the res
ervation be paid for by those who,
old the paramount right, at such pri
ces as shall be deemed, in r
to the uses which Indians ar
reader shall be answered by a letter
which we have before us, dated
Cherokee Nation, Oct. 4, 1828.
The prospects of the Cherokees
yr Are never more flattering than they
are at present, if we except what is
doing by tbe United States and Geor
gia to remove them beyond tbe Mis
sissippi, in order to place them in a
station more eligible for civilization.—
A few have been enrolled for emigra
tion, 1 understand; say three or four
families, of perhaps eight or ten indi
viduals. It is thought by some, that
this effort of the Government will be
productive of good rather than harm,
as it will give the Cherokees an op
portunity of showing, by their rejec
tion of all terms which may be offer
ed. that their resolution is fixed, never
voluntarily to dispose of the land of their
fathers.
The project of removing the Cher
okees is at present the more remarka
ble, because it has been the profess
ed object of the government, in all its
dealings with and for the Indians, to
te »eh them knowledge and the arts of
ciyilized life. “That the Cherokee
Nation may be fed to a greater degre*
of civilization,” says a Treaty which
i “William Hipks and John Ross were
th* two principal Chiefs who submitted the
M "S'-aze to the General Council—John
M^age
Ross and George Lowrey were elected
principal Chiefs for the ensu'-g four tears.
1 Ra.CH.Pu.
are only “half educated?” and wheth
er they have been “turned loose among
their tribe without any honorable
means of satisfying their desires and
wants?” Their “desires and wants”
are, and have been, the best interests
of their brethren and the world; and
here they have found an object vast
enough to absorb all their thoughts and
all their efforts, even though they
were a thousand times greater than
they are. We ask if the surprising
improvements in agriculture, manu
factures and the arts, above alluded t o,
are not “useful! ’—if the public press
is not a “useful” engine?—if the for
mation of Christian churches is not
‘useful?’—and but for the remarks of
the Secretary of War, we would ask
if the establishment of schools is not
“useful?” Really, it is a shame, in
this enlightened age and country, to
see a State paper pleading for popu
lar ignorance.
If it be true, as intimated by the
Secretary, that any -who have the
power, have also the disposition, “to
appropriate to themselves more than
their just share of the large contribu
tions annually made by the Govern
ment,’’ one would suppose that the e-
vil must be remedied, not by with
drawing all moral influence from a
mong them, but by increasing and per
petuating it. It is plain, however
from the nature of the case, that this
severe charge can have no application
to the children in the schools. It can
only be true of certain adults, men of
influence: and if the casus are sought
present they are prosperous beyond
example, and m the language oi the
Superintendent of Indian Affairs,
“may be considered a eivilized peo
ple.” There is not a family in the
nation which can be said lo subsist on
the products ef the wilderness.—
Through the invention of a most inge
nious alphabet by Mr. Guess, a native
Cherokee, reading is common in eve
ry part of the tribe. Rejoicing in Ibis
new order of things, they have become
•‘attached to their country and their
homes,” and only ask lo be let alone,
that they may be happy. It is under
these circumstances, that the govern
ment of the United States with Geor
gia at its head, invites them to go
‘40 days journey into the wilderness. 1
They refuse. It then attempts lo
withdraw a part of the tribe, and pro
poses, in the language of Governor 1
Forsyth, to “grant” to those that re
main, a portion ot' their own lands in
specialty; and as it is forseen that
these lands will soon fall into the pos
session of the whites, it kindly reserves
.mother tract “to remain in common,
as a refuge and .provision for such as
by improvidence waste their private
iroperty.” The residue, which we
will suppose to be a large part, it com
pels them to sell, and gives it over to
Georgia. By this master-stroke of
policy, it deprived them, in a few
yea is, of all their territory except the
■ontmon lands,—and here, like the In
dians of New England, they will soon
1 windie away and degenerate, till they
become but a name and a shadow.
To conclude—ifGeorgia has claims
ipon the United States for lands which
the United States have not the right
to dispose of; and if, at the same time,
l»ey would avoid the dee]) disgrace of
wresting them by violence; what hind
irs that the value of Ihe lands should be
paid to Georgia fiom the Gen. Treas’y
md the lan s themselves remain to
heir rightful possessors, the Chero
kees? Already the Cherokees have
ceded to the United States, within the
limits of Georgia, 15,444,000 acres;
why should they not he permitted to
retain their 6,156.000. without moles
tation? Were they all to remove be-*
women and children, who had regiy**
their names as emigrants, but quite a nu
ber of these had finally declined to go.
ECF* Those of our friends who may
to subscribe for the Cherokee Ph®*.
are requested to forward us their name!
before the commencement of our secoj
volume.
ICP The reader will perceive manyjJ
pographical errors in the last Phanix.J
Those’ errors were occasioned by the
sence of the Editor.
6(18,1
Knoxville, TennesseiJ
Dec. 31, 1828.
Mn. E. Boitdinott, Editor,
Sir, I enclose you for publicatio
Col. Montgomery’s letter to me, m
reply to tbe communication from f
Gen. Coi n il, also my answer therel
to, and his j-eply. If convenient, yoJ
will have them published in lh»l
Cherokee as well as in the English!
language, that the request enjoined!
on me, to notify the Cherokees gcn>|
e.rally and individually of his design,!
may be coiliplifed with as far as is|
possible; and that the people inajl
see and judge for themselves, whe
ther any thing in secret is afloat or wl e-{
therthe recuiting business is, or bail
been, managed in a fair, candid and I
open manner, by those w hose duty it I
is or has been toconduct.it.—I aa|
Sir your Obt. Servt.
'JOHN ROSS.
Cherokee Agency;,
November 24, 1828.
Sir, on yesterday I received tin?
Communication from the General
Council, which will be forwarded t#
the War Department by the next
mail, accompanied by a notification of
the intended visit of tbe Delegation.
There are some parts of that com
munication on which my duty requires
me to make a remark or. two and
particularly tbe part9 which relate to
Capt. Rogers and the sub-agent.
1. It is not material with ine whe
ther Capt. Rogers is from Arkansan-
or from \sia, he is the Agent of liio
United States Government % & entitled
reference I yond the Mississippi, or even beyond I , *’°f ec G on , and it tbe Council
e aecus-| the Rocky Mountains, the tide of era- W >H not be responsible for
turned to make of lands, reasonable;
out ihe proceeds to be applied for the
jenetit of those of the tribe v\ho emi
grate, after their establishment in the
olony, or to be divided between those
who emigrate and those who remain
is justic'e may require.
But what if none of them choose to
emigrate? Will it still be said, ‘Par
tition out to them, in severally, as
mucli of their reservations as shall be
amply sufficient for agricultural purpos-
csT YV hat then becomes of the faith
of Treaties? and paiticularly of that
Treaty, formed at liolslon in 1791,
wnlch declares, (art. 7 th,) that
The United States solemnly
GUARANTEE TO THE CHEROKEE Na-
TI ON ALL THEIR LANDS NOT YET Ct
dud.” The agreement with Georgia
in 1820, was not perhaps inconsistent
with this Treaty; for it only obligate!'
the United States to extinguish the In
diah title to lands in Georgia, “as soon
as it could be done peaceably and on rea
sonable terms. ’ But now the question
comes in up in a tangible shape:
Will the government of the United States,
in direct violation of the solemn compact,
wrest from the (’herokees their remaining
territory, for the gratification for a bid
lying constituent? This question, so
deeply involving the character of our
Republic, will probably be decided
before the close of the present Cong
ress: and a million lingers will point
at us, and .a million tongues hiss at us,
if it is decided in favor of oppression
and injustice.
But apart from all apprehensions of
danger in respect to their lands, the
poor Indians have another calamity to
fear. In the late Message of Govern
or Forsyth, of Georgia, it is ret om
mended to extend all the laws of the
State over them—to subject them to the
operation of those la ws—and lo secure to
them immediately all civil rights! The
same doctrine is echoed by the Secre
tary of War. and more than intimated
in the President’s Message. One of
these rights is, that “No Indian, and
no descendant of an Indian, not under
standing the English language, shall be
deemed a competent w itness in any
Court of Juslice created by the Con
stitution and laws of the State.” And
from the known disposition of Georgia,
there ctyi be«o doubt but that other
rights, equally valuable, will be forced
upon them. On the whole we do not
believe a fitter svstem can be devised,
for the extinction of the tribe. At
ignition would suon overtake them,
and the question would have to be de
ified at last, whether the original
proprietors of this whole Continent
shall be allowed a resting-place in a-
ny part of it.
CHEROKEES OF GEORGIA.
The sentiments of the Secretary of
War, respecting the Indian tribes,
will be rear! with surprise and grief
by all the frienfi^^f this injured race.
That the faith nation plighted
in treaties, sh^B be disregarded,
because we ar^P e stronger party,
will be tbe grief of the mere patriot;
that the w eak should be opressed will
le the grief of the humane; that the
efforts io civilize and christianize the
savage should be cheeked, if not en
tirely prevented, will be the grief of
the Christian. Whether we look at
the promises of our government, for
tbe past, or at the feelings of the mass
of our citizens, and of good men in o-
ther lands, for the present, or at the
decisions of future generations, we can
see nothing to encourage the plans
proposed in the following extracts from
the report of the Secretary.
Con. Cbs.
NEW ISC HOT A:
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 14, 1830.
Our readers are informed that a change
of printers has taken place in our office.—
Mr. Jno. F. Wheeler, whose name wdl
now in future be attached to the paper, has
been appointod principal printer, for the
present year.
conscquc.il-'
ces, I must. - Permit me then, Sir,
through you, to notify the Cherokees j
generally, and individually, that the
most effectual measures will be takea
to bring to justice for any offence com
mitted on Capt. Rogers or any other
officer or agent of the Government in
this Nation, and if the means adopted
in the case of Spears should fail, more-
efficient ones will be resorted to.
2. As to the duties in which the
Sub-Agent and interpreter are en
gaged, it is sufficient to say that the
Government requires them. But that
no dishonorable steps have or will be
taken to induce any of the Cherokees
to enrol, and I wish I could say that
none had or would be taken to pre
vent it—The Cherokees are free
men, they have the right of locomo
tion, and ought to be permitted to ex-
(M’cisn their own judgment, and if
Government makes it their interest to
move, tliey ought to accede to it.
This observation is made in conse
quence of having been repeatedly told:
by Cherokees, that they would enrol,,
hut they were afraid of the big men
at New Town, of personal abuse &c.
I must therefore add, that those \vh«
have or may enrol for emigration are
also entitled to the protection of the
United States, and will receive it.
Very Respectfully your Obedient
Servant.
H. MONTGOMERY.
Mr. John Ross, Principal Chief
of the Cherokee Nation.
TO THE PUBLIC.
The undersigned lias been appointed prin
cipal printer for the present year. He res
pectfully informs the patrons of this paper,
that no pains shall be spared by him, for the
faithful execution of his work to the best of
his abilities.
JNO. F. WHEELER.
In a late number we inserted an extract
of a letter from a respectable Gentleman,
stating that the Sub-Agen^and the United
States’ Interpreter were unsuccessful in
their enroling expedition, and that they had
not met with the first one who would agree
to emigrate. The meaning of the writer
was net that the Agent was entirely frus
trated, but that the particular expedition
mentioned was unsuccessful. We were
told, a few weeks ago, upon good authority,
that there were ab*at «ighly porsens, mar,
Cherokee Agency,
December 24, 1828.
Sir, Your letter of the 24th Novem
ber last, in reply to the communica
tion from General Council, was re
ceived on the 18th, Instant. In an
swer to that part of the communica
tion relative to the.affair of Rogers
and Spears, you remark that, “it ifc.
not material with you whether Capt,
Rogers is from Arkansas or from Asia,
he is the Agent of the United State#^|
Government,” and that the most effect
tual measures will he taken to bring
to justice for any offence committee!
on Captain Rogers, and if the mea
sures adopted in the ease of Spears
should fail, more efficient ones will 6c
resorted to.”
I do not know that it is of any cou- (
sequence to the nation where Mr.
Rogers is from, but if he is an office^ ’
of the Government, and has bpenromfv
missioned by the President t* tram*..