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PISfENfiX,
ftTjTOCKd.
AND INDIANS’ ADVOCATE#
PRINTED UNDER TltK PATRONAGE, AND FOR THE UENEFIT OF THE CHEROKEE NATION, AND DEVOTED TO THE CATJfcE OF INDIANS.
E. BOUDINOTT, Editor.
NEW ECHOTA, WEDNESDAY MAY -27, 1829.
VOiL. 8/
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AOENTS FOR '1 HE CHEROKEE
PHCEN1X.
The following persons are authorized to
receive subscriptions and payments for the
Cherokee Phoenix.
Messrs. Peirce fie Williams, No. 20
Market St. Boston, Mass.
•0s?RU5 M. Tracy, Agent of the A. B.
t\ V, M. N-^York.
Rev, f). EmiY, Cananda’gua, N. Y.
Thomas Hastings, Utica, N. Y. ..
Pollard fit Converse, Richmond, Va.
Rev. Jame$ Campbell, Beaufort, S. C
William Moultrie Reid; Charleston,
15 0
Col. George Smith, S f atesville, W. T.
Willfam M. Combs, Nashville Ten.
Rev. B snnet Roberts—Powal Me.
Mr. Titos. R. Gold, (an itinerant Gen-
tlcrnikn.)
Jeremiah Avstil, Mobile Ala.
Rev. Cyp.us Kinosbury, Mayhew, Choc
taw Nat'en.
Capt. William Robertson, Augusta,
Georgia.
3ElEIiI^ZOU8*
F/oni the Western Luminary.
DEATH BED SCENE OF A MOR
AL MAN.
Mr. Sldllmm.—On the—day of
this inst. I witnessed the death-bed
scene of Mr. , my neighbor for
near 3 0 years. He svas wliat is usu
ally termed a Moral Man. lie lived
respected in bis neighborhood; was
liuuiuno, affectionate and honest.—
His word was as good as his bond to
all who knew him. Ho was indus
trious and economical, and his circum
stances, comfortable; his family c red
itable. He was temperate? and char
itable; he was friendly to religion;
his wife and daughter were professors,
And he frequently had preaching at
his house, lie was naturally a man
6f benevolent feelings, and Jus conduct
itvaS in union with his feelings, no
fiian more yi'illing than he was, either
With his personal attention or his
j>urse. (And the writer of this essay
is free to acknowledge himself his
debtor, in both these respects.) lie
loaned his money at legdl interest,
When 10, 12 or 23 per cent, was giv
en in hie neighborhood.
He was in friendship with all who
Une\v him; he discharged the duties
t>f father, brother, husband and nejgh-
•bor, with uniformity; and his conduct
Was of such a character as to put ma
ny professors of religion in the back
ground. He never made a profession
of religion; but gave his assent and
consent to all the leading truths of
Christianity, He was, in fact, “Al
most a Christian.” I was with him
during his last days; and although I
have witnessed many death-bed
scenes, this was of a different 1 charac
ter from any I ever witnessed before.
I have thrown the prominent occur
rences of that day intt) a narrative —
, On the—day of , Mr. de
parted this life. On the morning of
.hat day I visited him. He was in
the possession of his senses, hut evid
ently near eternity. Ho knew in",
and when I asked him ‘hmv he did
this morning,’ he answered, ‘S , I
shall die, and I am not prepared to
die.’ This declaration excited my
feelings, and a pause ensued. 'In a
few moments the subject was a-
gain mentioned by him in the saint
words, ‘1 am not prepared to die.’—
Believing, from Ins manner, that ho
wished to converse with me on the
subject of religion. I endeavored to
comfort him, by presenting some of ,
the gracious promises and doctrines
of the gospel to him in my feeble and
plain manner, lie appeared to ob
tain no comfort. His wife (a pious
woman) requested prayer. He lis
tened with profound attention, after
the conclusion of prayer he remark
ed, ‘I cannot pray: my Saviour has
left me, and I cannot pray.’ After a
solemn pause, his affectionate wife,
leaning on the side of bis bed—com
menced a conversation with him on
the subject of religion. Her language
and manner was impressive. She
dwelt on the gracious promistsand
doctrines of salvation by Jesus Christ
and feelingly and affectionately urged
the necessity of bis immediately em
bracing the proffered mercy. lie
listened to her with the most solemn
attention. To myself, and I believe
to all the company, it was loud
preaching. After a short pause, be
threw bis arm around her neck, in the
most affectionate manner, and in a
clear voice utterred the following
sentence: “Ah! my dear, for nearly
thirty years have you thus affection
ately urged me to attend to this mat
ter, but I have put it off, and still
put it off; and now I have sinned a-
way my day of grace, and I am given,
up.” Turning his face to the wall,
he added, “my Saviour has given me
up.” Mule with astonishment, the
company gazed on each other, until a
g' oan of anguish burst from the heart
of his wife, and.was re-echoed by all
present. 1 remained with him; and
after some time renewed my endeav
ors to comfort him. I told him that Sa
tan, the grand enemy, would endeav
or to persuade us that our Saviour
had left us. But the Saviour was al
ways present, and that the sly sug
gestions of Satan ought not to be be
lieved. His reply was, .“ray Saviour
has left me.”
His Physicians came, and all that
friendship and medical skill could ad
vise, was tried to save him. lie
grew worse. About 1 i o’clock the
physicians left him. Between 2 and
3 o’clock he had an interval of com
posure, when bis wife urged him to
pray. He calmly replied, “I can-
I not pray.” She asked him if singing
j would discompose him. lie replied,
u not’at all,” & twice repeated “Fare
well vain world,” “Farewell vain
world,” without concluding the line.
His wife added, “I am going home:”
(the hymn beginning with that line
was sung.) Ilis wife then asked him
if he could not pray now. He said
he would. Every breath was sus
pended, and in his usual tone of voice
(when in health) he uttered the fol
lowing words: “Hod Almighty, have
mercy on a poor sinner, just about to
plunge headlong into Hell.’’ He
paused.. His wife, kneeling by his
bed-side, asked him if be coqld pray
no more. He answered “I cannot
say another word.” Another hymn
was sung, in which the words occur
red, “I hope to praise him after
death.” His wife then asked him if
be did not hope to praise his gracious
Saviour after death? He shook bis
head, and looking his wife affection
ately in the face, answered, “I cannot
say I do.” In a little time, a violent
spasm seized him, which evinced the
rapid approach of his dissolution.~-
After perhaps an hour’s struggle with
the grim monster, he revived a little
mil bid his family and neighbors fare
well. A weeping relative begged me
to converse once more with him a-
bout bis eternal prospects. I did so,
but still got answers all agreeing to one
point; he bad no hope & was unwilling
to die. A pious neighbor came in a
few moments after I had ceased to
converse with him, and asked him
some questions on the same subject,
and lie gave similar answers. Alter
sun-set I left him, and about 12 o’
clock at night be died.
Some months ago, the Rev. Janies
Armstrong preached at Harmony,
near the Wabash. When a Doctor,
at that place, a professed de;st or in
fidel, called on his associates to ac
company him, while he attacked the
Methodist, as he said.—At first he
asked Mr Armstrong if he followed
preaching to save souls? He answered
in the affirmative. He then asked
Mr Armstrong if he ever saw a soul?
No. If he ever heard a soul? No. If
he ever tasted a soul? No. If lie
ever smelt a soul? No. If he ever
felt a soul? Yes, thank God, said
Mr Armstrong. Well said the doe-
(or, there are four of the five senses
against one to evidence that there is
no soul. Mr Armstrong then asked
the gentleman if he was a doctor of
medicine? and he also answerd in
the affirmative. He then asked the
doctor if lie ever saw a pain? No.
If lie ever heard a pain? No. If he
ever tasted a pain? No. If he ever
smelt a pain?—No. If he ever felt
a pain? Yes. Mr Armstrong then
said there are also four senses against
one to evidence that there is no pain,
and yet, Sir, you know there is pain,
and I know there i9 a soul; The Dr.
appeared confounded, and walked
off.
INDIANS.
To the Editors of the Georgia Journal.
Gentlemen—The Literary Cadet
and Statesman, published in Pi evi
dence, Rhode Island, has the following
article:
“The Georgians, not content with
the grip which they have put upon the
land of the exiled Creeks, are now a-
bout seizing the possessions of^the
Cherokees. Georgia now claims all
lands south of a line drawn from Su-
awana Old Town to Six s, on the
High-tower, and down that River to
the chartered line of Georgia and Ala
bama, under the pretence that it was
once the boundary between the Chero
kees and Creeks, and that the new
boundary has never been acknowledg
ed by the United Slates. On the oth
er hand, the Cherokees allege that the
line claimed by Georgia, vyas 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; and the only boundary
ever agreed upon between them, ivas
fixed, in a Spirit of compromise, half
way between the two claims.”
“It would be policy in the Georgi
ans to rest contented with what they
have. Justice may not be further out-,
raged with impunity, even in the case'
of the poor Indian, and they who have
trampled upon Indians rights and Indi
an hospitality, may at last find an cud
to their encroachments.”
Now all the material allegations in
the above extract, are nothiug more or
less than downright misrepresentations
and false assertions. The line never
has been in dispute between the
Creeks and Cherokees within the
memory of the oldest inhabitants of the
country, white or red, nor has there
ever been a compromise. But the
line has always boen known to run as
Georgia now contends, from the Su-
awana Old Town, on the Chattahoo
chee, by the Hightower trail, to Six’s,
until the Creek Chief McIntosh, hav
ing married a Cherokee wife, influenc
ed bis tribe to permit the Cherokees
to run a line fuither south. And such
is the notoriety of these facts, that
even the Cherokees do not pretend to
deny them; and so sensible are they of
the right of Geoigia, that they have
not the faintest hope of holding the
land in question, ami are quietly mov
ing off them. Indeed I do not believe
even the officious intermeddliug of our
eastern step brothers can inspire them
to a contention. But such is the spir
it of jealousy with which the mass oi
the New England people look on any
prospect of our acquiring strength,
anJ such (lie unblushing effrontery with
wlii h they disseminate misrepresenta
tions, that they never lose an opportu
nity of reviling us, and detracting from
on- just claims, without regarding
whether they effect (heir object
th ough the medium of fact or fiction
One word for their warning. We
know our rights, and we will protect
thern; and should Rhode Island be so
foolishly quixotic as to volunteer her
self in resisting them, we will make
her feel her own intrusion in matters
which concern her not. She may
kn>iv we give as little heed to her
tlueat as we know she should receive
credence for her slanders.
HENRY.
“Now all the material allegations” of
Hinry, “are nothing more ov less than
downright misrepresentations and false as*
sertions.” The line has heen ir, dispute lie.
tween the Cherokees and Creeks, within
the memory ofhun'reds ofthe inhabitants of
th is country. This fact is knewn not only
by the Cherokees, hut by many whites.-
The arrangement, was made j>reet«*ly n 0
we stated in a former number. Is it not
surprising that no and liberal man
can speak in favour of oppressed Indians,
w.ihout arousing the warlike spirit of
Georgia? withoutb"ingcharged with mi*,
representations and falsehood? If an edi
tor of a newspauer undertakes to defend the
rights of the Indians, “lie is ignorant of the
nature of Indians,” is the erv, a? though i<
was their nature to be scandalized, misre.
presented, and abused. Is it agreeable to
their nature to have their rights trampled
upon by a horde of robbers and vagabond 1 '!
(we mean our intruders}*and. to have every
avenue, of justice closed arraimt them? V* r e
can give HenrV a very satisfactory answer
why some ofthe Cherokees have £wed
from the frontier into the Interior ofthe na.
tion—it is because they wish to avoid per
sonal collisions with their neighbours, and
to save what litDe property they possess.—
It is a notorious fact, that many, who, pre.
vious to the settlement of Carrol county,
were in dpeent circumstances, have lately
moved in with shattered possessions, fine
of these, we will mention his name, Rich
ard Scott, declares, that he has lost not less
than 150 head of cattle, which were forci
bly taken away by some ofthe citizens of
the aforesaid county. He was unable to
recot er them on personal application. This
is not a solitary instance;
Queries.--Why have the politicians and
writers in Georg'a, of late become (we will
not say “foolishly”) “Quixotic?” Have
they ever evinced themselves a brave peo
ple? How did Georgia distinguish herself
in the late war, particularly in the Creek
war? Is it becoming for a great, magnani
mous, and brave state to evince such a war
like spirit as is manifested by Georgia?
From the Missionary Herald.
CHOCTAWS.
Extracts from a letter of Mr. Kingsbury,
dated January 28, 1820.
In the last number of tins work, p.
121, some paragraphs from a com
munication of Mr. Kingsbury were in
serted, showing that the attention of
the Choctaws bail been arrested by
the preaching of the Gospel, and giv
ing ground to hope that many had ex
perienced its converting influences.—
Additional extracts from the same
communication will be insereted here,
showing what advances the Choctaws
have made in morals, and in acquiring
the comforts and conforming to the
practices of civilized society. A few
brief stat^nents on this subject were
given in the number tor February^
p. li 1.
Tiio introductory remarks, u; cut
the manner in which both the fikrxs
ind opposers of missions arc ini iir. J
to regard what is said concerning in*
dtan improvement, are deserving
special 'attention.
Improvement in morals.
1 here is a propensity both among
.he friends and the tippoceis of nis
Bions, to judge the elici ts of the Gos
pel and of the progicst of improve*
mcni among the Indians ly a Lise'
standard. Instead of comparing these
who have been instructed and whc.se
condition has been meliorated, wiilt
what they formerly were, they aid
compared with what is found in civil*
ized and Christian lands. Hence it
is. that the nulent friends cl’ missions;
while reading missionary journals
written with perfect accuracy, ,o:in
ideas ol an enlightened and imp rot tij*
statu of society far bey end what is re*
alizcd by the missionaries. Hence it isy
also, that opposers of missions, judging
altogether from external appearancetf*
are quite disgusted with the Uncouth*
manners and i nsec ully costume of
these natives ofthe forest, whose* pie*
ty ol heart, and whose propriety of
deportment, under all the circi m%
stances of their situation, would coin*'
inand the respect of every discrimin*
atingand unprejudiced mind.
To form a correct estimate of whnii
the Gospel with its meliorating end’
civili/ing alie (fonts, has acccmplishr
oil for the Indians, we must comparer
the present slate of those who have iff
some degicu been brought under it2
influence with their former condition.-
Judging by this standard, it buy b<f
fairly doubted whether the first eight
years hove witnessed, in any pcilioi)
of the civilized w orld, a greater im
provement than hr.s been realized
in the civil, moral, and religious state
ofthe Choctaws. I would not intim*
ate that all the happy changes that
have taken place in this, nation have '
been the dirret result of rnissiomw
ly labors. Edtightened elm fs have*
taken the lead in (he work of iefciill
ation, and it is through the ir influence*
that some of the most important
changes have heen made. But we
believe those chiefs esteem i* no Vss
a privilege than a duty, to i. y theif
honors at the foot ofthe cross, r<ni to
ascribe whatever of good they h.ve
clone for their people, to the enlighN
ening and sanctifying influence of the
Gospel.
I will now give a few particulars*
in proof of what is stated td ove, rer
spouting the progress of improvement
among the Choctaws. Eight years
ago habitual intemperance prevailed*
from one end of the land to the oilier*
In the space of two months, ten In*
dians in this district alone, lost their 1
lives by whiskey. At this time in*
temperance within the nnlion is hard*
ly known. In July last I attended tl-e
distribution ofthe annuity to two dis-
(nets, on which occasion there were
from 4,000 to 5,000 Indians—men*
women, and children. They weie to
gether four days, and not an intoxica.t*
ed one was seen, until after the bu
siness was closed. Some w hiskey had
been secreted at a distance from tie
place, and as the law prohibiting the
introduction of it into that part of the?
nation was not to go into effect until
15 clpys from that time, some after
leaving the place, obtained it, and
became intoxicated. The Choctaws
have not all lost their appetite for
whiskey, nor is it to be supposed that
a majority of them are restrained from
intemperance by the forre of moral
principle: hut so sensij||e had thev be
come of (lie destructive effects of this
vice, that a low, prohlbing entirely
the introduction of whiskey into thd
nation as an article of traffic, wt-4
proposed by the chiefs, nnd obtained
an almost universal support in a gen*
eral councillor the warriors. In this
part of the nation, this law bps beet|
sustained for more than two year?,