Newspaper Page Text
»i>», Hie evil spirit, who would ta*t.
g on pleasure in *eourgmg them se-
v ely, and thun permit them to pass
ou. They thought that their god re
ail) undo all things to grow, and gov-
«.• v i me world. But the individuals
of v ■ o n I made inquiries, believe
fq.it the Indians generally consulted,
in a m».e devout and nimble manner,
tneir^ household gods, than they did
their great' deity himself.f These
h > seuold gods were generally images
nn le of wood, and sometimes the
representations -of things which had
given to them ntlioially, in answer to
their dreams. One of these images
was eieeted a number of years ago
at the Allegany reservation. It was
m-defroma large pine log, and was
14 feet in neighl. The native dances
were generally performed around this
image while it l isted.
Tnere was a set of men among this
people, who were styled prophets.—
Tney professed to hold intercourse
with spiritual beings, and with their
god himself. Among these, was the
great Allegany prophet, who' several
years ago lived at the Allegany reserv
ation. This mm had obtained, by bis
proficiency in the arts of enchantment,
a great ascendency over the religious
prejudices of the people. The last
year of his life he prophesied that he
should die at such a time; and be did
actually die about the time predicted,
a latural death, as the Indians sup
pose. This fact appears very unac
countable to the Indians even now.
T’my say, they hope he was a good
man. though ignorant, and that per
haps he has gone to heaven.
* I'lig missionary who died several years
Ago, at Oneida Castle.
' t It cannot probably be well ascertained
that the worship paid to these images did
Ti-fl commence subsequently to the inter
course of th p Roman Catholics, and did not
- have its origin in' the ceremonies of that
Church.—JSd.
CANADA MISSIONS.
Extract of a letter from the Rev. JVm.
Case elated York, U. C. Feb. II,
1829.
To-day we returned from lake Sin-
coe, where we have held meetings
with about 300 Indians lor tour days.
The communion was administered to
a great number, two were expelled
for intemperance, and nineteen were
baptised and received into society
From the Grand River & Credit. VVe
have within ten days past, .sent out to
different bodies 11 native labourers.
n trn ily, three to the Buy Quinty Mo
hawks, two to the Oueidas. and one
to assist brother Messmore on the
Grand River mission. From the
Credit we have seat two to a^body of
Indians oil the Lake Huron on the
north, and one in the Monceytown.—
The work of grace among the VIo-
ha.vks is great, both at Grand River
a id at the Bay Quinty. A letter
received from the latter place says,
‘Nothing now remains for a general a-
wakening but laborers who can speak
anl pray in their own tongue.’ So a-
thirst are both the Mohawk and Mis-
sissaugahs for the scriptures and
liymn3 in their tongue, that they eve
ry where inquire when they can ob
tain them.
‘'The work in this country is great
and marvellous. Hundreds are giv
ing themselves up to the Lord, and
calling for our instruction, and we now
need thousands for improving our re
ligious and civil condition. I can tell
you much when I come to New York.
‘•Please t.oinform the Dorcas So
ciety, that their kind donations were
f .ad here, (via Black Rock,) and are
forwarded to Grape Island. They
will not think their labour in vain
when they kno v that there are 350
Lillian children at the different schools,
Goveu'y of whom are now reading in
tli-* Testament, many of them orphans
and they hid fair to be good members
ofso'icty. At the Credit alone are
a!> i it twenty widows who ore hard at
work to support their children while
at s hooj. Twety-six of the children
from the Credit mission attended the
anniversary at New York last evening
Chr. Mv. and Jour
From the Pandect.
Extract of a letter from the Rev. C' r rus B
ington, m’ssionary among *he Choctaw
tribe of Indians, to Mr. C. Kemper, dat
ed
\uxhcna, Dec. 28. 1823.
My dear Brother Kemne**:
# * # # * “While ! was
4i'k, my brethren held a four* days
meeting for the benefit of the Choc
taws. They f om a great ffs-
4anc». The Spirit of the Lord was
present, as wo hope. Many were »-
...ihfiL'il a id continue so. About I^
poisons sai on the anxious seat. Da
vid Folsom, tue Chief, took an active
part. Before the meeting commenc
ed, Jie wrote me a note expressing a
nope that I would be able to attend
and do s im.-ibing ‘for the glory of
God.’ He also remarked, I would
be willing to preach two sermons a day-
da ring the meeting.’ He is a great
speaker. His heart became much
affecteil during the meeting. He en
treated all who tell themselves to be
lost, to sit on a bench by ihemselves.
Several came forward, and he went
and sat down with them. One of bis
brothers has since said, I do not know
what was the matter with David that
day; for when he began to talk our
hearts bounced and bounded.’ One
man who bad never heard the gospel
before, was much allccted, lay awake
all Saturday night, ami in the morning
went to Folsom and told him his feel
ings, who related them to the mission
aries. When the meeting closed, the
man wept, went home to his family
and talked to bis friends, who did all
they could to persuade him to ‘throw
away’ vvhat he had heard. But he
said -how can I? It is in me; it hangs
to my heart; and my heart goes sfter
God, and how can I throw away the
Gospel?’ He remained at home some
days called his family together, talk
ed to them (ill lie wept, and then start
ed off for Folsom’s to hear more.
You remember Sampson. His fa
ther s family is one of our most inter
esting families. His father and a bro
ther were, as I am told much affect
ed. One of his sisters spt on the,anx
ious seat, and is a very interesting
young woman. While the anxious
were seated, old Tanupinehufa was
requested to tell them how he had
found mercy, &c. So he arose and
talked to them in a very simple but
affec ing manner. He told them when
he first heard the gospel he thought
of it, and tried to pray: hut his heart
got into a knot,’ &c. At the meeling
he was asked some questions; among
others; whether his heart was ever
cold, and felt unwilling to pray. He
replied. ‘I am a red man: I do not
know much. I do not know how white
nen think. But l pray,l love to prayr-
pray in the morning and at noon—I
pray at night; if I wake up I pray then,
and when I am in the field at work
and sit down to rest, I pray—And I
arn happy.’ And from all 1 knew of
T Will not say what is burning in my
mind for Red Jacket is alone in the,
wo.id, and would go to his grave in
pence. But let them wait—let them
wait a little, till I have mingled in;
hones with my tribe; for the grein
Spirit gave me the women and chi!
di eu of ihe Senecas, that I should
take care of them, and how shall 1
dare to appear before Ilim, and tell
that 1 have given up their lands to the
stranger.
It is useless now to regret the
treatment the Indians have received;
it is mere sophistry to argue about
the necessity- which compels us; to
dall them cumberers of the ground;
drones which should be driven out of
the swarming hive; and to dwell upon
the precedents of other nations found
ed on the destruction of the aboii-
gines.
The fact is. we have land enough;
and if we had not, we should have
no right as men and as Christians to
wrest it from them. We might as
well seize upon our neighbor’s wealth,
upon the plea that we could spend il
more judiciously than he.-Mass. Jou:.
Within a few weeks we have seen a
sort of a public notice given in some of
the Georgia papers, that the govern
ment of that state were expected to
do think he
my return 1
told the truth,
have had much
him. He often
Since
conversation with
calls to see me.
I now hope to be able to attend a
two days’ meeting at Mr. Cushman’s,
on the first Sabbath of January.—
There are several in that neighbour
hood Who are serious. David Folsom s
father and two of his sister we hope
are pious. Anna Horner has.married
a half brother of David. She told him
that he must love God first and then
love her. He is quite serious, as I
am told. Anna is the same that her
letters indicated. You can hardly
judg“ how glad we have been in meet
ing; and when she told me how she
wept when I was sick, it touched
me, and still makes the tears start as
l think of her. It is a privilege to be
a missionary among the chosen vessels
of mercy.
RED JACKET.
This celebrated Indian is to deliver
a lecture at Julien Hall this evening,
and we hope that benevolence as well
as curiosity will lead many to hear
him. Say vvhat we will of this de
coded race, they are a deeply in
jured, and deeply interesting people.
The world may smile and call it ro
mance; but to us their broken tribes
and fallen chieftains are as impressive
as the mouldering pillars and temples
of worlds long since departed. They
are the moral deserts, the intellectual
ruins of our land; and we envy not
the philosophic mind which sees no
melancholy grandeur in their decay.
“When we fought by the side of
o >r white brethren, in Canada,” say*
Red Jacket, “they said the chain of
friendship should he made brighter &
stronger; and that the lands of the red
men should be secured to them. But
scarcely were the tomahawks of my
tribe dry, when they said to us. ‘Give
us more of your land—you must go to
"Jreen Bay, and leave thejiand of
your fathers to us.’ They are com
ing upon us like a torrent.*’ Here
the ojd chief paused a moment, and
added in a tone of deep and tmiohing
-sadness—“Well, if it must be so
there ie no resisting the great Spirit
lake measures to get in their posses 1 -
sion a large tract of the Cherokee
Lands, held by them up to the pres
ent time, on the plea of their having
belonged to the Creeks, who have
emigrated. We give the following
brief view of the subject; partly foi
the purpose of showing how differently
a case of the kind may appear, when
both parties interested are allowed a
hearing, and partly for the purpose of
giving Ihe public an opportunity to
form a correct opinion in relation to
this particular attempt to deprive a
feeble, defenceless, and much injured
people, of some more of those posses
sions which, it would seem, it is the
determination of our countrymen, they
shall never hold in peace.
Georgia now claims all lands south
of a line drawn from Suwanna old town
to Six s, on the High Tower, and down
that river to the chartered line of
Georgia and Alabama, under pretence
that it was once the boundary between
the Cherokees and Creeks, and that
the new boundary has never been ac
knowledged by the United States;
On their part, the Cherokees al
lege, as appears in their “Phoenix,'
that the line claimed by Georgia was
never agreed upon or acknowledged by
the two nations of Indians. The
Creeks at one time claimed to that
line, but the Cherokees also claimed
to a line far south of it; ajld the only
boundary ever agreed upon between
them was fixed, in a spirit of com
promise, half way between the two
claims. This line, which extends
from the Buzzard Roost to the mouth
of Will’s Creek, has always since been
egarded as the frotitier, and has been
so regarded by the United States go-
ernittent. It is explicitly acknoul-
ed, and in terms which admit of no
mistake qr doubt, in the second arti
cle of the late treaty of Washingtop.
The surveyor of the United States,
Mr. Wright, was also instructed to
follow that line in his surveys.
But, as the editor of the Phoenix re
marks, even supposing that land was
owned by the Creeks. Georgia has no
claim to it; for the late treaty, which
nullifies the treaty of the Indian
Springs, does not yield it to that state.
One of the Georgia papers states that
a deputation has been sent to Wash
ington, by the Cherokees, to oppose
the claim. The Phoenix says, the
deputation were gone before the claim
was preferred.. Now when, with facts
like these before us, we hear of white
men already beginning to encroach up
on those lands, and to endeavor to drive
off the inhabitants, we cannot but de
sire to see a humane interference for
the protection of the right but defence
less side.—JV*.“ Y. Mv.
lieved the Cherokees wil] abandon,
n many cases, much valuable, improv
ed and desirable properly. Property;
.vhen .left by them it was-supposed
would go to decay, or he entered and
taken possession of by the first who
might enter it. That it is desirable
property, is shown by the tenor oi
Col. Sevier’s letter; aiid if so, it does
appear to ine that the only proper
ouise to take in regard to it, is the
one which has been adopted, viz: to
offer it for rent to the highest bidders,
until disposed of by Congress, llil
is valuable, it will be bid lor; if not,
it will not be. If it bring any thing,
then the sum realized from them
will go so far towards lessening the
expense of the late Treaty; if it shall
bring nothing, then the Execu
tive will have done its duty. This
course is proper also to the citizens
of Arkansas. It places all of them on
the same level. Whereas, if the
property were left unprotected, then
the fleetest of foot, or horse or the
nearest neighbor, would engross all
(lie advantages < f improvements; at
the same time none having any right
<o it. . It belongs to the United
States, when abandoned by the In
dians by purchase.
The steps taken, ought, therefore,
to he satisfactory to them.
1 see no good reason for withdraw
ing the order, but submit the subject,
with these few remarks, respectfully,
to you.
THO. L. M’KENNEY.
To the Hon. P. B. Porteh,
Secretary of War.
juries, is already but too prevalent
muiig them. > ■ f"
Permit me to say to you, in conclu-
sion, that your order will not be obey-
tid.., That you will iiud .yourself Una
ble to enforce it. To ,p,Invent col
lisions, then—to make the government
more respected—to promote the
peace and quiet of my neighbors—I
hope sincerely you will revoke your
order immediately and unconditionally*
With great - respect, 1 have^tlilr
honor to be, your obedient servant.
A. H. SEVIER.
President Jackson's Inaugural Jld*
dress.—Though we must acknowledge
ourselves disappointed in the perusal
of this address, wo iv.ere happy to seo
the pledge lie has publicly given to
pursue a just and liberal policy towards;
the Indian tribes; We hope it will’
not prove a mere promise, it is an in
teresting crisis with our Indian bretlW
ren-^-in fart one of life and death, and
the government have a fair opportune
ty to allay their painful apprehensions/
and protect them in their just inherit^
anc*.—Ch. J\lir.
NEW ECIIOTAs
WEDNESDAY,. APRIL 15, 1829.
From the Arkansas Gazette.
CHEROKEE IMPROVEMENTS.
The following correspondence, in
relation to the order recently issued
by the War Department, fnMe^sins
out the unprovement8 in the country
acquired from the Cherokees. by the
late Treaty, has been enclosed to us
by Mr. Sevier for publication.
Department of War,
i Office of Indian Affairs, 26th Jan. 1829.
Sir In-responding to the reference
to me of Col Sevier’s letter of this
date, 1 have to state, that it is be-
On the receipt of the preceding
letter, Mr. Sevier addressed the fol
lowing: letter to Gen. P. B. Porter,
Secretary of War.
Washington, Feb. 10th, 1829.
Sir—I had the honor to receive,
last evening, the letter of Col. M Ken
noy,'to yourself, dated 28th of Jan.
a:.d which 1 presume, is intended by
you as an answer to my letter to you of
that date, on the subject of the gov
ernment’s leasing out to our citizens
the improvements lately acquired ol
the" Cherokees. The coiulusion to
which you and the Colonel have ar
rived, are very different from what 1
expected. Had these improvements
been a matter of contention between
the Indians an my constituents, I
should have been at no loss to have
known where to have found the Col
onel. But, as the Indians have no in
terest in these improvements', 1 ex
pected the invariable practice of the
government since its organization—
its uniform permission of settlements
upon the public lands’ where the In
dian titles had been extinguished—
would have been extended to the cit
izens of Arkansas. Bui it seems
that I was mistaken—tliat new, unusu
al, and oppressive rules are to he a-
dopted and enforced alone against
them. Of all the citizens of the Unit
ed States..they, alone, present Ihe on
ly instance of being sacrificed, time
after time, by Indian treaties—by In
dian negotiations. As well might’you
order off, and exact rent from, those
occupying at present, the improve
ments acquired from the QuapawS.—
As well might you order off, of exact
rent from, those oeupying elsewhere
any of the’ public lands. They all
stand, sir, precisely upon the same
footing. At this very moment many
of nay-constituents are in possession tff
the improvements recently acquired
from the Cherokees. They refuse
to move off or pay rent. They have,
in my opinion, come to a correct
conclusion, and havo»done as I would
have done. What step, sir will you
take? will you institute actions of
trasspass against them? The gov,
eminent have tried already a few hun
dred actions of that kind in Arkansas:
and, unless indisposed to profit by ex
perience, the government, I should
think, w’ould not he over-anxious to re
peat the experiment. Examine the
hooks of your Treasury; and you find
you have spent some ten or twenty
thousand dollars to prevent the de
struction of the public timber. The
proper course for the government to
pursue, is to survey their lands and
sell them. Until that step is pursu
ed, fruitless will be all your attempts
to prevent settlements on the public
lands, unless you guard every im
provement—and hedge around with
your armed regulars every vacant
spot of land. Are you disposed to
pursue this course? I presume not
It would cost more than the land is
worth; and tend, in a great deeiee.
to increase the feelings of diseon*pnt
which,, in consequence of repeated in-
We notice with much pleasure the inters
est taken, in different parts of the United
States, in the cause of temperance, and thtf
happy results of vigorous efforts to stem the
torrent of vice9 produced by the use of arJ
der.t spirits. We hope that the feeling om
this subject so strongly expressed in other'
parts, mav reach the citizens of this nation..
Certainly we are not out of the reach of
the great enemy. Perhaps of all men, thd
Indians have been most subject to it. Tli«f
patriot and the Christian has therefore eve
ry reason to exert his utmost efforts, and ie
do what he can to encourage the cause of
temperance-in this nation. Let him begin
with himself, abstain, entirely too, from ii*
toxicating liquors St set a good example, in
thij respect, before his family, & neighbors*
Th“ country is in a sad condition when in^
temperance is encouraged directly and in
directly, by all classes of people, including
ev"n professors of religion. ,
We are happy to sav that few individu
als ar; beginning to pay proper attention
to this important subject. In this country
as well as in others, whiskey is considered
a necessary guest in companies at hohse-
raisings and log-rollings. Even Christians
are ^guilty of following . this mischir voub
practice. A neighbor of ours, whose name
we will not now give to the public, has set
an admirable example—at bis late log-roll- ,
ing he dispensed wijh whiskey entirely. He
informs us that his company appeared to be
well satisfied at the absence of the old guest j
and that labour was performed with* ease
and becoming order. We are authorized
to say that this good example will be fol
lowed by others.
VYe are requested to state that some day
during the sitting of'the Circuit Court iu
Coosestaytec, an election will be held for a
Sheriff of this District; and that John A,.
Bell and |£llis S.Harlen are candid-:
ates. '
We are glad to present to our readers th©
letter of the inhabitants of Aquohee Dis
trict on the subject of emigration, as it con
tradicts the assertion made by many, that
the common people of this country are un
der the sway of the chiefs, who prevent
their emigration to the west, from seif h
motives* Till* assertion made &, repeated
by Wofford, McKenney, Mitchelkand oth
ers, we have in several instances, in our
paper, stated to be unfounded, y.*t, we be
lieve, we have not had the fortune of ga!W
ing credit. For why is a military force
recommended to defend the icill of the peo
ple? What we have stated in regard t®,
the supposed despotism of the chiefs, w^
know to be facts, whether the world will
believe us or not. The editor of this pa- .
per can have no interest in deceiving hia
readers, for he'is not a chief nor does he
expect ever to be. In the present case thm
people will speak for themselves.:
[Translation.]
To Mr. Emas Boddinott. .
Beloved Brother:—We, (who aw
ihis day assembled at the Town Hdnse
Hiwassee, Aquohee District, being neithrp
chiefs nor white men; but common citizens
of the country,) wish to speak, that our
brethren may hear.
We have listened, with attention, to the
proposals of our white brethren, on th^
subject of emigration, towards the setting
cun; to a good laud, free from the troubles*,
which perplex us here. We have con
sidered the plan; and we do not approve
of it.
Our Creator gave us the lands we now
possess, long before the memory of man.
Here he kindled our fires and fixed our
homes: and among these healthful moun--,
*ains and clear wate’s, our minds are at-
jieace^ If we liave the inheritance, wliicfc-