Cherokee phoenix. (New Echota [Ga.]) 1828-1829, January 21, 1829, Image 2

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more. Two centuries ago, the smoke el their wig wains ami the ures oi inei councils rose m every valley iioiu Hudson s Bay to ihe farthest Fiorina, from tin* Ocean to ike Mississippi and the Lukes. The shouts ol victory and the war-dance, rung through the mouii- tai.is and the glades. The lithe ar row and uie deadly tomahawk whis tled through the lorest; and the hun ter s trace and the dark encampment slariied the wild beasts in their lairs. The warriors stood forth in their glo ry. The young listened to the songs of oilier days. The mothers played with their infants, and gazed on the see.le with warm hopes of (lie future. T ie aged sat down; but they wept n They should soon be at rest in 1 * r regions, where the Great Spir it dwelt, in a home prepared lor the brave beyond the skies. Braver men never lived; truer men never drew a bow. They had courage, and forti tude, anti sngat ity, and perseverance, beyond uioaj. of the human race! i hey shrunk from no dangors, and they leaf ed no hardships. “If they had the vices of savage life, they had the \irtuts also. They were true to their homes. It they forgave no injury, neither did they ior- get kindness, if their vengeance w as terrible, their fidelity and generosity was unconquerwhle also. Their love, like their hate, stopped not on lies side of the grave, but where are the villages, and warriors, and youth';—; The sachems and the tribes' The hunters aiul their families'? They have perished. They are consumed. The wasting pestilence lias not alone done the miglny work. No—nor fam ine, nor war. There has been a migh tier power, a moral canker, which hath eaten into their heart-cores—a plague which the touch ot the white man communicated—a poison which betrays them into a fingering ruin.— The w inds of the Atlantic fan not a single region which they may notv call their own. Already the last feeble remnants of the race are preparing for their journey beyond the Mississip pi. I see them leave thei miserable homes, the aged, the helpless, the wo- men, and the warriors, ••few' and faint, yet fearless still.” The ashes are eoid on their native hearths. The smoke no longer curls round their low cabins. They move with a slow un steady step. .The white man is upon their heels, for terror or despatch; ’jut they heed him not. They turn to take a Inst look of their deserted villages- They east a last glance up on the graves of their fathers. 1 hey shed no tears; they utter no cries; they heave no groans. There is some thing in then* hearts which passeth speech. There is something in their looks, not of vengeance or submission; but of hard necessity, which stifles both; which elioaks all utterance; which hath no aim or method. It ia courage absorbed in despair. . They linger but for a moment. Their look is rimvard. They have passed the fa tal stream. It shall never he repass ed by them—no, never. Vet there lies not between us and them an im passable gulf. They know and feel that there is for them still one remove farther, not distant, nor unseen. It is the general burial ground of their race. “Reason as we may, it is impossi ble not to read in such a fate, much that we know not how to interpret; much of provocation to cruel deeds and deep, resentments; much apology for wrong 1 and perfidy; much of pity, mingled With indignation; much ..of doubt and misgiving as to the past; much of painful recollection; much of dark foreboding.” A late number of the National In telligencer contains an aec ount of an interview of the Winnebago Chiefs with the President of the United States. The deputation preceded by an interpreter, in full feather and paint, filed into the apartment, and stalking One by one to the President, grasped his hand with rude cordiality. Noth ing daunted by his presence, or the gaze of his attendants, they next moved in silence to seats assigned them. Refreshments were passed round; and it was somewhat whimsical to see Mad eira sipped from cut glass by these stern featured visiters, who were accustomed to lap water from the funning brook, or quaff whiskey from the horn of a slaughtered elk; and to observe with what avidity they fed on macaroon and other choice con- ftectionary, whose tastes had seldom been better regaled than with the recivi.ig entrails ol ueurs aiul otters. Business succeeded. An old duel slept lorlli into the centre of the room, with a long uncouth pine in Ins hand, which, alter a briet ceremonial not precisely intelligible, tie brought near tlie President and waved over his head. It was Lite t aluiuet of peace. Holding U then before him, and point ing to it, he began a harangue m stow guttural tones, accompanied w ith mu li earnest gesture. He spoke in s.iort paragraphs, an Indian of half- nluod reporting them ill t rench, and a second interpreter conveying the En glish: “Father: 1 am gladito see jmu. I hold out this pipe,. and 1 late your Hand, in friendship. “Father: A cloud has bten be tween us. It was thick and black. I thought often it would never be re moved. llut 1 now see your face.— ll looks upon uie pleasantly. “Falhe.*, a long way streteled be tween us. There were those who told me it was blocked up. They said the Red men could not pals it.— I attempted it. it is like tilt plain path which conducts to the Great spirit. • Father, when I came in sight of your home, it looked white and beau- tiiul. My heart rejoiced. % I thought now 1 should talk with you.* “Father, the Great Spirit give to his children, the VVinnebagoes, ayleas- ant plant. It is good to smoke, l save it here.”—touching with his finger the bowl of the pipe.—1 give it you in peace. “Father, I am as old as you. liy heart is true. They told me yjui heart was black. It is not so. Vc salute in friendship. “Father, 1 s, y no more. My tjdk is little. I am a chief among my iio- ple. But one is heie .who will spiak to yon soon, and tell you belter our thoughts.” The address being ended, a younf, VY innebago advanced in obedience t| a signal from the old warrior, am lighted the pipe with lire struck tiop a flint. The pipe w as then presenlm to the President, the chief still hold ing Us stem. He inhaled a few pui|s and as the smoke curled gently up wards, the savage group gazed vvi/ti intentness and uttered a low munnur of satisfaction. The chief then bald ed the Calumet to all the spectators in order, and lasiiy to each of his tribe. It was next made over in form to the President to he retained, who, re questing the Indian toiay one hand up on it again, while he pledged him with the other, proceeded to dictate to the interpreters his reply. “ Say to this Chief, I rejoice to see him. He and his brethren are wel come to me and my children. “Tell him, it has grieved me that a cloud has been between us; hut I am pleased equally with him that it has been dissipated. It is dispersed like the fumes of the pipe we have sinok- *ed. May it never close down upon us more! “Sav-I am glad that he and his com panions meet me on this propitious day. Bid him look to the face of the heavens. No cloud is there. The sun shines brightly upon us. The great Spirit looks down and smiles up on our meeting. “Say—I hope the same sun will light his path in peace to the abodes of his fathers. When he is gone, 1 will look upon this pipe with pleasure; and should 1 hoar ever after that in place of pacific, any hostile disposi tions break forth among his nation to wards my brethren . and children, I will say it. is impossible. For I have the word of a Winnebago, which mast be true, that bis people pledge their amity with mine, and left this pipe in token of sincerity. “Say—I yesterday beheld with sat isfaction the sports of himself and his associates, as they practised their an cient w ar dance upon the green be neath my windows But a higher pleasure I now experience—and one the memory of which will endure—in cordially greeting him within these .vails, and reciprocating assurances of plighted concord.” Each of these periods, as soon as in terpreted, drew forth a hoarse plaudit from the savage auditors. Once, it swelled to a deafening howl, in ac knowledgement of the compliment paid to the inviolate integrity of their word. But I weary your patience, Gen tlemen. and am admonished, by the length of this communication not to in trench deeper upon your columns. We will drop tile curtain, therefore for .lie present, & dismiss what remains ul the spectacle to another opportunity. A Looker on in Washington. Cherokee Improvements.—'1 he act ing Governor of this Territory, we undo stand, has recently received in structions from the becretary of YY ar relative to the disposition to be made of the tenements and improvements of' the ClicrokeCs, in the tract ol country recently ceded to the United States, which will cause considera ble disappointment to many persons who have made arrangements ter occupying'a number ol’them, as soon as they shall be vacated by the re moval of the Cherokees. Those in structions, we are informed, direct, that improvements which shall be ap praised, agreeably to the treaty, at £>2U0, or upw ards, shall be rented or leased out from year to year, until the lands shall be surveyed and sold by government. This disposition ot the improvements, we are inclined to believe, will not be much liked, by several persons, who have been at considerable expense to purchase the possession of some of the most valua file of them from the Indians, and who will now fee compelled to pay an ad ditional sura to the government, or re linquish what they have already paid to the Indians. To obviate all diffi culties on this score, we hope the government will lose no.time in sur veying and bringing these lands into market, and thereby afford an oppor tunity to all who are really desirious of securing the improvements made by the Cherokees, of obtaining a legal possession of and title to them. Jlrk. Gaz. TALK. The indian chief. Red Jacket, than whom Amenca cannot boast of a more inted native genius, delivered a talk o the citizens of Canandaigua, through his interpreter, Capt. Johnson, last Friday evening. We understand it was nobly done for a head whitened with (he frosts of more than eighty toin- lers. — Canandaigua Phoenix. ~NEW F.CHOTA: tVISDNESDAV, JAN. 31, 1*29. Some of our friends who exchange papers with us have lately informed us that they do not receive the Phoenix. We th.nk it due to such, and to ourselves, to say that) there has been heretofore a remissness ;n this matter, but that proper attention will iufuturc he paid to those who favor us with their valuable papers. Mr. William Horn has been compelled to close his School for want of sufficient n umber of scholars. He has taught tw® months. On last Friday evening we at tended and heard a number of his Scholars exercised in parsing, and repeating the English Grammar, who had received in struction, according to anew plan, in the short time of twenty four cveninga. For the time they were engaged in learning it, we thought some of them did remarkably well. For expedition,we consider Mr. Horn’s plan superior to the common meth od. Mr. Horn intends to go from here to Huntsville, Alabama. We recommend hnn as a man of steady and moral habits. “Vigil” might reasonably entertain one cheering consideration, and that is, the gradual diminution of such practices as described by him in his communication.— If lie had visited this Nation thirty years a- go, and witnessed the practices oftlie in habitants in their full extent, his tears would have (lowed more freely, and the consideration of their wretchedness would have been without a redeeming thought.-- At that period the Cherokees resided in villages, in each of which was a “Town- house, the head quarter of frivolity. Here were assembled almost every night (we are told, we speak from hearsay 7 for we were horn under an era of reformation,) men and women, old and young, to dance (heir bear dance, buffalo dance, eagle dance, green-corn dance &.e. &.c. Stc. and when the lay appeared, instead of going to their farms, and labouring for the support of their families, the young and middle aged oftlie males were seen to leave their hous es, their faces fantastically painted, and (heir heads decorated with feathers, and step oil with a merry whoop, which indicat ed that they were real men nh«)ficeds, to a ball play, or a meeting of similar nature. Such in a word was the life of a Cherokee in those days during spring &, summer sea sons. In the fall and winter seasons they were gone to follow the chase, which occu pation enabled them to purchase of the traders a few article* of clothing, sufficient to last perhaps until the next hunting time., From the soil they derived a scanty supply ol corn,barely enough to furnish them with gah-no-ha-nah L* z »' e >] an( l this vvas obtained by the labor of women and grey headed men, for custom would have it that it was disgraceful lor a young man to be seen with a hoe in his hand, except on par ticular occasions. In those days of ignorance and heathen ism, prejudices against the customs of the whites were inveterate, so much so that white men, who came among the Chero kees, had to throw away their costume and adopt the leggings. In a moral and intel lectual point of view the scerf^ry was dark •&. gloomy, nevertheless it has not been im penetrable. The introduction oflight and .intelligence has struck a mortal blow to the superstitious practices of the Cherokees and by the aid of fhal light, a new order ol things is introduced, and it is to be hoped will now eradicate the vestiges of older days. A circumstance lately happened in Chic- kaniauga District, a full account of which is related in a Cherokee letter published in another part of our paper. It appears tha. three persons went in quest of squirrels with bows and arrow s. . While they were in pursuit of one, a boy of about nine years of age was accidently shot. The arrow, after being shot into the air, in its de scent struck the top of his head, and pene trated his scull three inches. The boy sui- viven but three days and died. Arrows are niw very seldom used by the Chero kees. It is not recollected that a similar accident ever happened when they were more common. A woman in High Tower was a few weeks since dread ully burnt,—Her clothes cought tire while in a state ef in toxication and the greater part of them were consumed before they could be ex tinguished. Her recovery w as considered hopeless. Another victim to intemper ance. About the same time, and in the same neighboihood, an attempt w as made, by one Joseph Crittentou to kill another per son while riding in the night, side liy side. He lired his gun and wounded the unsus pecting person in the arm. MIrABiLb. diGTUH! On an eveiling not tong suue, I set out, and utter riding a lew mites, 1 arrived at a place, s.lected tor an Indian dance. Tins was not only a new, but a curious scene to uie, as it was the iirsl i nad seen. At uiy ar rival, 1 saw a number of the liatives of both sexes, gathered arrouud two large tires, which they had built a few paces from the dancing ground. It w 7 as i now not long till one of an eideriy ap pearance, gave a sbort address to tbe surrounding company; the intention of which 1 could not easily guess; but having an interpreter <1 hand, 1 learnt that it vvas the manager giving the orders of procedure. Immediately after which, a lighted torch was placed in the eeutre ot the dancing ground, & aroused oy this they all followed their leader, singing and dancing, as they marched in a kind of circus. They also had a peculiar kind of music, made by a parcel of small gravels being put into some tarrapin sheila, which some of the females wore on their legs. These, it may be re lied upon, made no little racket. I could not, However, help noticing a parcel of kegs which were collected together not far from one of the fires, over which a watchman was placed to prohibit them from intoxication, un til after the dance; when I expected there would be a general weh'ome to the kegs. But during the little while I stayed', 1 vvas no little surpris ed to see so much order preserved- Another circumstance, however, e- qually drew my attention, which was a number of the aged, who were un able to partake in the dance, sitting round, and looking on, with as much concern, ns if it had been a matter of the utmost importance. That apart of the human family, who are equally interested in the blood of a Saviour, should be given to a savage life, whilst another is enjoying the comforts of re ligion and the pleasures of refinement, is. to a reflecting uaind, a matter of no small interest. Is it not a pity, that so many may yet be found, in this enlight ened day, & that too in a land of boast ed liberty, who have not even been taught the first principlesof morality? “Othatmy head were waters andmine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night,” for the savage children of the forest! But perhaps it may ho asked, why I I should be found at a place of thi* description? To this I would ans.ver, that it was, not mere curiosity, nor was it to partake of their vices; but, a desire to obtain a knowledge of the manners and customs, of those unfor tunate children of nature. For what purpose did the traveller visft the fa mous idol of Juggernaut, and that to* when thousands of pilgrims were of fering up their sacrifices. Was it t* partake of their crimes by paying ad orations to that idol also? or was it t* obtain some useful information, by which future generations might h« profited? .1 presume the latter was his chief object. VIGIL. “MISSISSIPPI GUARDS” AN* “YVORM FLIES.” Extract of a letter to the Editor of the Sat urday Evening Post, dated Columbus,. (Miss.) Nov. 16, 1828. in looking over the pages of the last No. of the Evening Post, (Oct. 25,) iny attention was particularly arrest ed by a piece headed “Mississipi Guards.” As the subject of it is l* me, as well a? a number of my f’tllow- citizens, entirely novel, pains have been taken to make particular enqui ry on tbe subject, but can learn noth ing of this famous fly. I have resided nearly seven years in this State, and the greater of the time in Columbus, which town is situated upon a sand knowl—such an one as these “guards’* are said to select for their stations— and have, until now, been a stranger to the existence of such insects. I can assure you that, for the last yea is men tioned, they must either shifted quart ers or have been entirely negligent of their duty. If the first,- it could not- have been for want ot employment, for m no state are to be found more of that troublesome insect (the horse fly, in all iis va iois species,) than here,. They particularly abound in the Choc taw nation of Indians, adjoining us.-t We have, however, been plagued du ring tbe Iasi summer, aud even to tl)» present time, though several severe frosts have intervened, with a fly that \ seems to look upon the horse fly „ only as its pioneer, to commence a work for the other to complete. 1 The fly alluded to is, perhaps, twice the size ofa common house fly—noth ing remarkable m its appearance—its body of a greyish cast from the neck or joint of the head, to a little be yond the wings—say to where the bo dy divides—the after part is of a changeable bluish green, and covered with very fine black furze; its legs are also so covered. Upon opening one one of them, I found it tilled with lit tle worms or mitts: through them it causes destruction in many instances among the cattle, aud several in stances are known in this vicinity of iheir depositing them in the humair species. From observation and infor mation, this (ly appears at hand \v,he» the horse fly draws his proboscis from the horse, cow, or whatever it attacks, and that moment its follower darts up on the fresh blood and deposits its worms, and in Itfss than forty-eight hours, millions apparently can be dis covered by the naked eye in the- wound—if let alone they destroy the animal. It is worthy of remark that these insects do not interfere with any other than a fresh wound, and one that' is merely sufficient to bring the blood to the surface invites their attention. Numbers of cows, hogs, and sheep, have been destroyed by them, in spit© of exertions used to prevent the in crease of the worm. Calomel, mix ed with sugar, has been found to b© the most effectual experiment upon them. Though they wallow sometime in this before it purges them from the wound. I have been unable to .obtain any satisfactory information relative to the origin of this worm fly, as it is now called, but have been informed they arc found in South America in large quantities; and a friend who has lately returned from the province of Texas, states that they have, for a year or two, been very troublesome there. Is there not a probability that as droves of mules come from those parts, that those troublesome insects may have followed them? I should b© pleased,if, through the channel ofyour usefijl paper, some information might be obtained on this subject.—I am in* dined to think that the said fly has confined itself pretty much to the south, ot least I have heard from no other quarter of their depredations. Once more to the “Guards.” I should he pleased if they would return to us, for during their season there is much for them to do. You will excuse my troubling you; a desire to obtain useful informati*©