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GW V •; J«T.0F(Kd.
CHEROKEE PHflENIX, MB INDIANS’ ADVOCATE.
==£
P1UNTED UNDER THE PATRONAGE, AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CHEROKEE NATION, AND DEv'oTED TO THE CAUSE OF INDIANS.—E. B CUBING XT, JKDiTGIC.
VOL. If.
NEW ECIIOTA, WEDNESDAY JULY 22,1829.
NO. 18.
PRINTED WEEKLY BY
JOHN F. IVHEELER, j
At $2 50 if paid in advance, $3 in six
months, or S3 50 if paid at the end of the
year.
To subscribers who can read only the
Cherokee language th > price will be $2,00
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year.
Every subscription will be considered as
continued unless subscribers give notice to
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new year,and all arrearages paid.
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, am’ thirty-seven and a half cents for
each continuance; longer ones in propor-
tion.
££3** All letters addressed to the Editor,
post paid, will receive due attention.
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AGENTS FOR THE CHEROKEE
PHOENIX.
The following persons are authorized to
receive subscriptions and payments for the
Cherokee Phoenix.
Messrs. Peirce &. Williams, No. 20
Market St. Boston, Mass.
George M. Tracy, Agent of the A. B.
C. F. M. New York.
Rev. A. D. Eddy, 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.
Rev. Cyrus Kingsbury, Mayhew, Choc
taw Nation.
Capt. William Robertson, Augusta,
Georgia.
Col. James Turk, Bellefonte, Ala.
ZUBUGIOUS.
TIIE KARENS IN BURMAH.
The Karens, a remarkable people in
the interior of the Borman province^
are described below. The letter, as
it will be seen, is from one of our mis
sionaries in India, addressed to the
Rev. Dr. Sharp, Boston.—We are
kindly permitted to copy it.— Colum-
bian Star.
Tavoy, Sept. 9, 1828.
Re&. and Dear Brother:—I have
lately been visited by a company of
Ka tens, in whose history I trust you
will feel an interest. The Karens
arc a race of wild people, inhabiting
the interior, dwelling on mountains
land in valleys, at a distance from cities,
ond living in the most rflral and simple
stylo. They « have no written lan*
guage, no schools, no religion, no tem
ples, no object of worship, no priests,
none who even profess to know the
way of truth. As were the fathers,
so are the children: on the same pa
ternal estate, in the same style, with
the same dress and manners, the same
darkness and ignorance, and conse
quently the sapie vice. I am not
however aware that the Karens are
more vicious than their former oppress
ors the Burmans. Among my visiters
were one or two who appeared some
what above the common level of their
countrymen. One of them could
read as well as speak Burman. One
was a chief and one a pretended sor
cerer. The chief was an interesting
young man of thirty. His countenance
and air bespoke something noble.—
But 0 ’tis a sad thing to see power
ful intellects immured in chains of
perpetual ignorance. This chief as
pired after knowledge, but the key of
knowledge had been denied him. He
had been taught thatman’s great g°°d
consisted in eating, drinking, sleepi n Si
chewing betel, and conversation. But
his soul was not satisfied. He panted
for higher enjoyments. “Give us
books in our own language, and we
will all learn to read. We want to
know the true God. We have been
living in total darkness. The Karen’s
mind is like his native jungle.” The
(Ires of this man’s intellect, which
prejudice and a national degradation
had buried up and smothered, but
could not extinguish, demanded vent.
It could no longer lie like the unpol
ished marble in the quarry. “0,”
said I, “what a mournful thing is this.”
The generous soul, if nurtured with
useful knowledge, might have been
allied to angels; but it has been
taught to seek a happiness mere
ly sensual, and but little higher than
that of brutes. ^
The sorcerer was also a superior
man. Some 12 years since a Mussul
man joger had visited his village, and
imprinted on him the mark of the false
prophet. “Take this book,” said the
joger, “and worship it. It will se
cure you from evil, and in the rtext
state you will be a man, and not a
brute. ‘Touch not, taste not, handle
not’ the things forbidden in the koran,
and all will be well.” After a few
words of admonition concerning what
was to be eaten, and what to be re
jected, he exhibited a lew of his jug
gling tricks, and Initiated the simple
Karen into the nefarious rites of the
orjler offakcers, and left him in his
native darkness, coupled with foreign
wickedness. But this contact of
wickedness with darkness elicited
some scintillations of native, latent
light. Ambition was lired. To know
the contents of this book has been for
12 years the Karen’s highest aim.—
The thought that he had been so much
distinguished above his fellow coun
trymen as to receive a book—a reve
lation., forsooth, from some “unknown
God,” raised him, in his own estima
tion, into a superior order of beings,
and he became a conjurer! Like Si
mon, he has given out that lie is some
great one, and to him many have giv
en heed. Though ignorant of the
contents of the venerated book, not
knowing even in what language it was
written, he has assumed the charac
ter of a teacher and expounder of the
sacred volume. He has persuaded
several of his countrymen to join him
in the new religion, and to pay superi
or worship to the book. A pitched
basket of reeds in which that book,
wrapped in successive folds of muslin,
was deposited, has been to them what
the ark of the covenant was to the
Jews—an object of profound venera
tion. “A teacher will come, who
will explain to us this book,” has been
their grand article of belief; and as
soon as they heard of our arrival, they
sent a deputation to wait upon me,
and learn my doctrine. “Let the
sorcerer come and sliow ine his book,
and I will tell him whether it is good
or not. Meanwhile pay no religious
veneration to it. Take these books
which contain a revelation from the
true God in a language which some of
you understand, and learn from them
the way to obtain eternal life. Wor
ship not these hooks, but the God who
gave them.” Such was my reply to
the deputation. According to my ad
vice, the sorcerer, with his train, af
ter a journey of three days, reached
my house two days since, bringing the
pitched basket of reeds with its vene
rated contents. They hastened into
my presence, and the sorcerer, a se
rious well looking man of fifty, stood
up before me, while all his train seat
ed themselves around us. “What is
your business, and what is your wish?”
“Your lordship’s humble servant has
come to lay a certain book before
your lordship’s feet, that your lord-
ship may loek at it, unfold its mean
ing, and inform your lordship’s humble
servants whether it is true or false,
good or bad. Your lordship’s servant
has heard the Christian Scriptures
read, and believes them. .He is con
cerned to know whether this book
contains the Christian doctrine.” I
felt that it was a critical moment.—
Expectation was raised to the highest
pitch. Several had previously en
gaged that they should consider my
decision respecting the book as final.
A most profound silence prevailed
throughout the hall. “Show me the
book.” The olcLsorcercr stood forth
with the basket at his feet. He un
covered the basket and unwrapped
the precious deposit, and creeping
forward, presented to me an old, tat
tered, worn-out volume. It was no
other than the “Book of Common
Prayer,” with the Psalms, printed at
Oxford. “ ’Tis a good book,” said I;
“it teaches that there is a God in
heaven whom aloi.Te we should worship.
Y<pi have been ignorantly worshipping
this book. That is not good. I will
tsaeb you to worship the God whom
the book reveals.” Every Karen
countenance was alternately lighted
up with smiles of joy, and casP'down
with inward conviction of having erred
in worshipping a book instead of the
God it reveals. I took the book of
Psalms in Burman, and read such pas
sages as seemed appropriate, and hav
ing given a brief and easy explanation,
engaged in prayer. I then added,
“Your venerated book teaches no such
doctrine as you say the joger taught
you. Renounce his false instructions,
and attend to the doctrine which your
book contains.” The people listen
ed attentively to our instructions till a
late hour in the evening, when I left
them to take some repose. They
stayed with me two days, and would
have staid longer, but our Karen
Christian, whom I generally use as in
terpreter when conversing with Ka
rens, had gone out into the wilderness
with the intention of making known the
gospel to his benighted countrymen.—
During their stay they listened con
tinually to our instructions, attended
our worship, and seemed pleased with
our doctrine and worship. Just be
fore leaving us, after they had taken
leave of me this morning, the old con-
j jurer put on his joger dress, and in
j the midst of his former disciples made
! some show of his former grandeur.—
j There was surely something imposing
in his appearance. But 1 could not
I regard it in a favourable light, and
! desired one of the native Christians to
' go and tell him again that if he would
be a Christian he must lay aside all his
■ former practices and airs. I listened
to hear the native Christian, who dealt
with the old man in a very plain and
faithful manner. “If,” said the old
man, “this dress is not pleasing to
God, I am ready to send it afloat on
yonder river.” He then “disrobed”
himself and put on bij common dress,
and presented to bis reprover a large
cudgel which had been a badge of his
authority for many years. On leav
ing, they said, “We will no longer
worship any but the true God and iiis
SonJesus Christ.” During their stay
they expressed a strong desire to re
ceive a written language ond books.
They said all the Karens would then
learn to read, and would come to the
knowledge of God. I pitied them
from my very heart. Having suffer
ed cruel oppression from their Bur
man masters, they are averse to eve
ry thing Burman, and wish for a writ
ten language which the Burman can
not understand.
Prom an extensive acquaintance
with the Karens of this province I
judge that as a people they are pleas
ed with their new rulers, the English,
and have no prejudices against the
Christian religion. They seem to be
expecting and wishing for a religion
of some kind, and it appears to me
that the present is the time to intro
duce letters and the gospel among
them. There are more than two
thousand Karens in this province, and
Karen villages are dispersed all over
the wildernesses of Burmah, Pega,
Arracon, and Siam. Is it not exceed
ingly desirable that at least one mis
sionary should be sent unto them im
mediately? Snell a missionary should
be acquainted with the modern im
provements for ibrnJing a written lan
guage, and should be prepared to en
dure much privation and hardship
from which soiie of his brethren may
be exempted He will find that
that without alife of self denial and
toil he can accomplish but little
among these Ample uncultivated for
esters. Tin Karen _Christian will
form no inconsiderable aid, if he has
one to direct his labors; but he is not
competent to the work alone. The
two Karei boys now in the school,
and othe/s who propose soon to enter,
will, ifeonverted to the gospel, be in
due time powerful assistants. Let us
Pray that God may prepare them for
thegreat work. bo not all 4 these*things
seem like so many intimations that
something should be done immediate
ly for this people?
Tours in our dear Redeemer,
GEO. jf). BOARDMAN.
INDIANS if""
THE CHEROKEES.
It will be seen from a subsequent
paragraph, that another slice has been
cu! off from the territory of the Cher-
okees by their neighbors the Georgi
ans, comprising 1824 square miles, or
1,107,300 acres. It is only a few
months since the unfortunate discove
ry was made that the Georgians bad
any right to this land: but the hint be
ing once given, there was no difficulty
in making out the proof; for according
to the laws of Georgia, no Indian or
descendant of an Indian can give testi
mony in a Court of Justice, and of
course the evidence was wholly cx-
parte.
The new line, it is said, runs direct
ly through the estate of John Ross,
the Principal Chief of the Nation,
who, at the time of the survey, wad
absent on some public business. Mr.
Montgomery, the U. S. Agent, enter
ed a formal protest against the survey,
1. Because the Cherokees positively
and unequivocally denied that any such
boundary ever did exist between them
and the Creeks. 2. Because the evi
dence taken by Georgia was wholly
cx-parlc. 3. Because the dividing
line between the Cherokees and Creeks
was definitely settled, and the line run
between them several years before
the treaty of the Indian Springs, under
which the State of Georgia claims.—
4. Because it was tiie province of the
General Government to run all boun
dary lines claimed under Indian Trea
ties, and not of individual States. To
all this Col. Wales replied, that lie
was acting under the authority of the
State of Georgia, and was bound to
fulfil his instructions.
Whatever the Georgians may think
of such conduct, we venture to say
the decision of posterity will be, that
it was oppressive, cruel, and unjust.
Even in the dominions of the Sultan,
men are not often proceeded against,
without being permitted to be heard
in their own defence; but here, in this
boasted land of liberty, a State lias
the impudence to act as advocate,
judge and jury in its own case, and
declare a verdict in it3 own favor,
without Igranting even an audience to
the victims of its oppression. Such
proceedings, we confess, awaken our
indignation, and lead us almost to wish
that the Cherokees had the power to
vindicate their rights and chastise
their persecutors. Had Jefferson liv
ed to see this day, he might have said
in reference to such proceedings, as
he did on contemplating the horrors of
slavery, “I tremble when 1 think God
is just!”—Jour, of Com.
From the Lancaster (Mass.) Gazette.
We have inserted on our first page
two interesting and important docu
ments touching the lelation of our go
vernment with the Indians. The first
of these documents is an Indian talk
of President Jackson to the Creeks,
demanding a surrender ol the murder
ers of one of the w'hites, and recom
mending to them a removal to the
westward of the Mississippi. # The
other document is a letter from the
Secretary of War to the Cherokee
Delegation, in answer to a complaint
recently made by tliefn of encroach
ments upon their rights by the State
ol Georgia. The Indians insist upon
being an independent State, and deny
the riglit’ot Georgia to claim jurisdic
tion over them, and extend over them
her Legislative enactments. The
Secretary of War informs them, how
ever, that the government of the Unit
ed States cannot deny to Georgia the
light which she claims; and proposes
to them as the only remedy for theit*
troubles, to remove beyond the Missis
sippi, where they will receive protec
tion us an independent government.—
It is desirable that the unhappy trou
bles of the remnant of the Indians of
this country should be terminated: but
it is very* evident that Georgia will
never manifest a more accommodating
spirit than she lias done, and that the
Indians will never find any mercy at
her hands. It may be their policy,
there lore, where they cannot obtain
justice, to seek peace in a place more
remote from their tormenters. Our
Indians have been oppressed, and
crowded, step by step, from the terri
tory of their fathers, till they hav&*
dwindled from a powerful to an insig
nificant race, and been reduced from
the possession of an immense territo
ry to a spot barely sufficient to lay
the bones of the small number of them
that remain, “like the lone column of
a fallen temple, exhibiting the sad
relics ot their former strength.”—
They command our sympathy, and
much is due from our government to
alleviate the distresses of their declin
ing race.
The folio wing eloquent appeal is a
recent talk of an aged Chief of the
Creek nation to Gen. Jackson. Its
language goes to the heart:—
“sBtot’ier! The red people were
very numerous. They covered the
land like the trees of the foiest. from
the big waters of the east to the great
sea, where rests the setting sun. Ti e
white,people came—they drove them
from forest to forest, from river to
liver—the bones of our fathers strew
ed the path of their wandering. Bro
ther, you are now strong: we melt a-
way like the snow of spring before the
rising sun. Whither must we now
go? Must wo leave the home of our
fathers, aud go to a strange land be
yond the great river of the West?—
That land is dark it desolate—we shall
have no pleasure in it. Pleasant are
the fields Of our youth—We love the
woods where our fathers led us to the
chase—Their bones lie by the running
stream, where we sported in the days
of our childhood—When we are gone,
strangers will dig them up—The
Great Spirit made us all—you have
land enough—Leave us then the fields
of our youth, and the woods where our
fathers led us to the chase--Permit
us to remain in peace under the shade
of our own trees—Let us watch over
the graves of our fathers bv the streams
of our childhood—May the Great
Spirit move the heart of our father,
the President, that lie may open his
ear to the voice of children, for they
are sorrowful.”
Chtrokee Improvements.—We under
stand, that the Appraisers appointed
by the Secretory of War, have com
pleted the valuation of the improve
ments belonging to the Cherokee In
dians, in die country recently ceded
by that nation to the United States,
under the late treaty. The total
value of all the improvements, ngree-
bly to their appraisement, we are in
formed, is between $43,000 and $44,-
000—which is $t>,000 or $7,000
more than the appropriation by Con
gress for that object. The principal
part of the Cherokees have already
removed to the country t-o which theY