Newspaper Page Text
• . .* • * * * * /
CHEROKEE PHOG3T1X AND INDIANS’ ADVOCATE.
F.om the New York Observer.
EW MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
Messrs, Editors—1 have perused
ithiu a lew days a pamphlet entitled
Document* and Proceedings relating
0 the Formation and Progress of a
oard in the city of New York, for
be emigration, preservation, and im*
1 ovement of ths Aborigines of Amer-
•n ” There s.cfriB to be something
singular both in the origin and rharac-
ter or this Board, if one may judge
from this pamphlet in connexion with
certain reports; and I hope you will
allow me to present the following in*
aj dries respecting it;
1. Is there an understanding with
the National Executive, that this
Board is to be supplied with its funds
by the Goivirnmciit?
2. Is there also an understanding,
that, when this Board shall have gone
into operation, no missionaries or
preiohers or any Society employing
them, can share in the appropriation
heretofore made by the Government
for the moral improvement of the In-
di ms, until such teachers or Society
*!>n|| have obtained in some form, the
approbation of this Board?
3. Is it in conformity with these
views, that we are to understand the
declaration of the Government A-
gent, when he says in his letter to the
present Secretary of the hoard, l I
h v> no doubt hut such an Associa
tion would receive all the Govern
ment assistance, that it might be in
the power ofthe Executive to afford? ’
Or. indeed, could any thing short of
aich nn understanding justify the
Board in declaring, ns they do in
iheir Constitution. “This board en
rages to afford to all the emigrant.
Indim*, all the necessary instruction
in the arts of life and duties of reli
gion?’’
4 Docs it consist with the impar-
t tali tv an! good poll v of the Govern
ment, to in ke any^Board the sole al
moner of tneir bounty, in the np-
f i..Intent of whi« h. by it Constitu
te... the (Jove, mnent lias no control?
5. By the Constitution, “the niting
members of this Assoiialion shall nil
fXiccd thirty in number.” Hie
n met of twenty-nine arc published as
belonging Iq it. But of these twenty
Hi io. twenty-two belone 1o one dent*
mm tiou, tl<e reformed Dutch Church
0 the remainder, four are Presby-
t ■ inns, one is a Covenanter, another
|s a Moravian, and the oilier is an
Episcopalian. Besides these, no oth
er denomination in our country, how
ever numerous, as lie Methodists.
Baptists, &c. are represented in the
Bon’1. Is it according to the liberal
prim iples of our Government, that
Pres >yteriaus and Episcopalians.
It tptists and Methodists, and i ll otlie
denominations, should be compelled
to abtain the sanction of a board so
constituted, before they can share in
the bounty of Government, t.o aid
iheir benevolent labors among the
Indians? I anj persuaded, that the
great body of the highly respectable
Ih rumination, a few of whose mem
bers have taken this business so en
tirely into (heir own hands would be
giuong the tint to discard such a prin
ciple
6 The title of the Association is.
**The Indian Board for the Emigra
tion &C.” The emigration of the
Pidiaus then, is their first declared
object. Indeed it would appear from
lh- letter of the Government Agent,
that the “ontie cneigies” p(
tin- Board are to be “applied towards
changing the location of the Indians
jjo.v within our Stales; andalso their
gelation to political and civil and reli-
gii i> rights” But how are they to
effect or promote this emigration?
Noi by compulsion, for that it dis
claimed on all hands; not by contrib
uting funds, for ways and means, it
w ould seem are coining from another
quarter. We presume the Board in
tend to act by moral suasion in the ef
fort* n»i>dc to i<iduce the Indians to
•migrate. This leads to another in
quiry:
D'H*. this claim to be a Missionary
Board? They so describe them
selves, when they engage to furnish
‘•all necestary instruction in the arts
01 life and the duties of religion.”—
Hero then is a Missionary Board, the
fiitf b isiofeis of whose missionaries is
not to preach “Christ and him cruci
fied.” but to preach emigration. Is
Jf •*common thing to put such a mes
sage into the mouth of n m’ssio iary.
When he is sent to the perishing pa
gans?
?8. What are we fo make of this
article in the ro®s!ituti<*i: “The
i* pledged' to oe-aperale with
ih* Federal Government of the Uni
ted States, in its operations on Indian
affairs; and at no time to contravene
its laws?” A Christian Board volun
teering a formal pledge, to the Feder
al Government, “at no time to con
travene its laws,” is something new,
and with such an assurance from this
Indian Board, it is hoped the Govern
ment will feel itself safe. But an
Unconditional pledge to “co-operate
with the Federal Government of tin
United States in its operations ou In
dian affairs,” without reserving the
right to judge whether such opera
tions may be right or wrong, wise or
unwise, is very like a surrender of
conscience; and an admission of in
fallibility scarcely becoming Protest
ant Christians. We have heard much
said of late, about alliances between
Church and State, when, as 1 believe
neither Church nor State had ever
thought of such a measure. But is
not somethingjof this sort here distinct
ly avowed by an organized Bonrd?
and, at the same time, wc are given
to understand from these “documents
and pioccedings,” that all is in ac
cordance with the wishes of the Uni
ted States Government, and has uow
received an official sanction through
the Secretary of War!
Should these interrogatories be
answered. I may perhaps trouble you
with some other on the Subject.
An Enquirer.
Vie Indians.—The situation of the
Indians of this country, is melancholy
in the extreme. Wo know the ne
cessity for strict laws in their govern
ment, and we are well aware of their
inevitable fate. But who can read
the letter of the Creeks to the peo
ple of Georgia and Alabama, unmoved?
Who con help thinking we are doing
hardly and cruelly by them? The
poor, despised remnant of a noble race
on^e the owners of the soil, address
their white brethren in the language
of remonstrance; they appeal td our
justice and magnanimity. “Friends
a.id brothers," say they, “we appeal
to your feelings of justice and magna
nimity, for a co-operation in our cause’
Can we he deaf to such a call?
“Poor Indians! where are they
now? ’ exclaimed the eloquent author
of the British Spy, when surveying
t'iie scene ol the heroic condurt of
Pocahontas. Ilis question comes with
tenfold force at this time.
“We have extinguished,” says an
other tine writer, “their council tires,
and ploughed up the hones of their
fathers. Their population has dim
inished with lamentable rapidity
Those tribes that remain, like the
lone column of a falling temple, exhi
bit hut the tad relics of their former
strength; and many others live only
in the names which have reached us
through the earlier accounts of trav
ellers and historians ”—And yet, with
this picture of desolation before us,
we are pressing them heavier & hea
vier—sinking them deeper and deep
er into misery and degradation! W hen
we look at the subject, although we
see some.grounds for the course pur
sued towards them, we arc tempted
to exclaim—Perish the policy, which
makes the Indian an outcast, a vaga
bond, and a stranger, in his own land!
Alexandria Gazelle.
AMERICAN INDIANS.
We would recommend to the care
ful |>erusai of our readers the num
bers, which are appearing on the last
page of the Luminary, over the sig
nature William Penn. An important
crisis is at hand with the Aborigines
of this country now pent up between
Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.
The tenure of their land is becoming
precarious not from defect of title,
but from the encroachments and su
perior force of their civilized and
Christian neighbors. A question on
this point is soon to be settled, which
will affect the dearest rights and in
terests if not the existence of those
nat ions as well as (lie character and
honor of our own country. The sub
ject should be examined and under
stood- The writer in the National
Intelligencer, whose pieces we are
inserting in our pages, evinces a de
termination to go to the hoftom of the
matter, and ability and candour to
treat it as it should be treated. Eve
ry one, who lakes an interest in the
legislative proceedings of his country,
and in the just and honourable treat
ment of the original proprietors o r
this whole continent, should read these
pieces of William Perm)
WmUm Luminary
From the Georgian.
Extract aj a letter from Arkansas, nigh-
borhood of Cantonement Gibson, ■d«-
gust 10.
“It may be pleasiug to lefirn the
passing events of (bis remote section
of the Country, and there is none so
much affecting the views of our gov-’
eminent, and the interests of the Un
ion, as the marching of a Cherokee
force, 76 men strong, against the
Pawnees of the Red River or Texas.
“The Chiefs opposed every possi
ble obstacle to tne organization and
marching the force; but as there is no
power vested in them by their laws,
to prevent such occurrences, all their
efforts were of none effect. Col.
Arbuckle, the commanding officer at
Cautonement Gibson, used all his
personal influence in die character of
remonstrance, equally in
effectual. His orders were not of
such character, as to authorise the ap-
plication of effectual means; though
the crisis would m«st certainly have
justified it beyond all question of po-
Her and justice. The vigilance and
ability of Col. Arbuckle, prevented
a Single Creek from joining the Par
ty, though they had heeu most pres-
singly solicited, by the leaders of the
Cberokees and had attended some
dances on the occasion.
“The Clermont band of Osages,
reside about 75 milt s from here, u-
bout 50 N. W. by W. of Fort or
Cautonement Gibson. About the 4th
inst. a war partv from that band
marched against the Pawnees of a-
bout 100 warriors; and some gentle
men directly from the Village on the
7lh inst., say that a war party of 150.
was to leave there to support the
advance on the 8th, but. owing to an
incursion of the TawDees to the
Village, ami their success lit stealing
about 80 Osage Hoiti-s it has be
come a chace, and, in all probability,
they will be enabled td reclaim the
Horses, (an Osage can run on foot
100 miles in 14 hours ) Improbable
•s this may seem. I assure You it is
true —Some danger is apprenended.
if the Chcrokers and Osages should
meet a distance from home, that
they will make war. The Chero-
kees greatly dislike the Osages; and
say. that “Cherokee blood, yet smokes
on the ground” A degree of turbu
lence of feeling exists here, that I
had not anticipated and it w ill he no
disadvantage 1o strengthen Fort Gib
son. and give pretty full powers to the
commanding Colonel, and I will war
rant, that he will keep peace. But
if the comm; nrling officer has no pow
er fo arrest the evils, and this should
become the seat of war, you may
rest ossured. that the Cherokee*.
Creeks. Choctaws and Chit lasers
would just as soon he exterminated by
thpir white F: tber. as to lie barbar
ously murdered by their ted brothers
the Pawnees or any olher ofthe red
f mily. “These considerations in
duced every exertion to stop the
Chernhees. and keep extingnished
even the sound of war.”
saw ffigiacoffAt
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14,18»7
W<* have reen published a letter of the
Secretary of War to the Secretary of the
Indian Board in New York, in which Mr.
Eaton says, that nothing of a compulsory
course to remove the Indians, has ever
been thought of by the President. It may
be So, though we very well remember, that
Col. McKcnnev, speaking the language of
an agent of the Government, did once re
commend, and the State of Georgia ha>
threatened force. For oUr own part, w.
never thought that the United States in
her Federal capacity would come out a-
gainst the Indians in military array & sav,
you must remove. She dare not do suqh a
thing in the face of an enlightened world.
But let the candid reader consider the pol
icy, and the effects of this policy on the
poor Indians, and then say that the United
States are guiltlem. It is her unjust meas
ures that we complain of, and which; te
our minds, partake of the nature of force.
We presume our readers have not forgot
ten the late Creek controversy. Two
Commissionere ofthe United States, Col.
D. G. Campbell, and Maj. J. Merewrthrr
succeeded, after a previous failure, to
make a fraudulent treaty with a small par
ty of disaffected Creeks, which treaty was
afterwards ratified. The Creek nation
hereupon made a protest, and was'made
fully apparent by them, and by the Gov
ernment's agents that the treaty was ob
tained in a fraudulent manner, entered into
Iw persons unaui bonded on the part of th
kCreek nation ..The illegality of the treaty
was put beyond a question by its subse
quent abrogation. But mark the conduct
of (no Government. What was her lan
guage to the poor Creeks who had gone to
the house of their father to ask that
common justice may be done towards
them by restoring the lands tiken away
from them, by undeifanded measures?—
“We know that the treaty is illegal} it has
b'cei obtained by unfair meahsj la our own
agents hsVe told us, ind thit it ought to be
annulled, but rememberth- Georgians Itave
already surveyed the land and they will
soon be settled upon hy and we cannot re
move them. We Ictto* you have justice
on your side, but the del cate situation of
the Government renders her unable to an
nul the treaty, unless you cede and relin
quish that part of your country claimed by
the State of Georgia. To su h language
as this what could the Creeps, a poor, weak
» ,u., WU.U W r. v.a |«u t) u.u ur B ie„ irscK. tie attempts to ess
and defenceless people answer? They ^ab^sh the position j "the perishing center'j I
forrdtd tn vifelH. anri rnnaannentlv mienrrm te% iAm Yft *- ... ■* f
rim.
Art. v. This Board is (»•'** ige<l t»
co-sperale with the Federfl Govern#’
ment of the United States, io its ope*
rations on Indian affairs; and at o*
time to oontravene its lawt.
What the operation,of the Government
are oa Indian affairs, may be partly learutf**
ed from the foregoing remarks.
Among the twenty nin#gentlemen wh4 •
signed the constitution, we notice the fok
low ing clergymen of high standing, most of
whom, if not all we Relieve are minister*
of the Dutch Reformed Church t Alex amt
der McLeod, Philip Millidoler, Jacob
Brodhead, Cornelius D. Westbrook, Cor*,
nelius C. Cuyler and Thomas De Witt.T»l
Hon. Stephen Van Rensselaer is the Pre#g /
ident of the Board.
We have merely glanced over the a*
or^M of Col. McKenhey, We find him i*
his old beaten track. He attempts to ea*. .
were forced to yield, and consequently
their ancient territory has fallen into the
hands of strangers.
From among many similar instances we
will select one other. The Slate of Geor
gia, despairing of erer obtaining the Cher
okee country, by fair and peaceable means,
and being encouraged by a successful in
trigue towards the Creeks, hm laid claim
to a portion of our territory. Soon after
the claim originated, which wat in the le
gislature of the State, a surveyor was ap
pointed by the Governor, who, disregard
ing the protest of the United Stale** A gent,
run the line. How sincere the Govern
ment was in making the protest^ia not for
us to say. When it was known that the
line was run by order oi'tbe State, and
that the United States hid not used effi
cient measures to prevent it, aa ii duty
bound she ought to have done, our neigh
bors on the frontier began to flock in and
take the country. Hereupon our citizens
complained to the Agent, and demauled,
agreeably to a treaty stipulation and the
intercourse law, the immediate removal of
the intruders! The Agent at first retim
ed a favorable answer—-but that was all.
The Cherokeea, finding tfiat nothing was
done, and that the tardiness ofthe Governs
njent encouraged the intruders, and after
suffering repeated insults and oppression,
urged the complaint over and over again.
What has been the late answer, our read
ers are referred to the letter ofthe Secreta
ry of War to Col. H. Montgomery , late’n
published in the Phoenix. The Agent is
expressly ordered to use no harsh and rigid
measures against the intruders—Wliv?
Because the State of Georgia claims the
land. In what l'ght shall «ve view such
conduct as this? Is it not apparent that
the design of the Government is to create
difficulties for us on everv side? Are we
not likely to be treated as the Creeks were
in 1826? Since the order, above referred
to, has been received by the Agent, we un
derstand more intruders have been remov
ing into the country than were before.—
When the question isonee decided and set
tled, shall we he forced to cede and relin
quish the land because these intruders can
not be removed, and because of the deli-
icate situation of the Government? Such
i“ undoubtedly the policy. But, gentle
reader, we beseech you to reflect a moment
on the effects of such a policy. As the state
of Georgia has done, with equal propriety
may she, North Carolina, Tennessee and
Alabama severally do, in regard to the re
maining portion of our territory; and by
opening a door for their citizens to intrude
upon and insult us, (and withal the United
States countenancing such proceedings) we
shall soon be ousted out of land and home.
But all will he well, because it will be
done peaceably, without the shedding of
blood I
We now appeal to an enlightened, gen
erous and Christian public to say, whether
uch prevaricating conduct is worthy of a
great and magnanimous nation, and wheth
er such proceedings as are now emplm
to remove the poor Indians can be ca led
peaceable measures 7^ Be J( known, such
measures are as destructive to the Indians,
aa they are disgraceful to the Govern
ment.
Since writing the above we have re
vived a pamphlet containing the “Pro
ceedings of the Indian Board with Col.
M’Kennev’s address,** Among the docu-
monts published are the Indian Talk of Pit.
"ident lackson to the Creek Indians—.Let
ter of the Secretary of War to the Chero
kee Delegation—Col. M’Kenney’* letter
to Jeremiah Evarts, Esq. and the letter of
Mr. Eaton to the Rev. Eli Baldwin, Sec
retary of the Indian Board. From the
Constitution of the Board, we select the
ourth and fifth articles.
Art. it. This Board engages to
afford to the emigrant Indians, all the
nerrstfart inilruction in the aita of
J life, and in the 4ulfe*tf reljgioo-
quences to the tfidiont of a near connefitft^-l
with a white population.** “Nhis JxMitio*
will remain futile, as long as the improving
condition ofthe Cberokees and the Choe
taws triumphantly prove its weaknesd|
Besides, where Woiild Col. McKenne?
have th» Ind an* go to be out of the wav of
the whites? West .f the Mississippi?.*
There they would come in contact not onl/y
with whites, seven fold more wicked tha*
those bv whom they are now surrounde<%
but with roving savages, with whom pam
ticularly they would be in perpetual cofe
Lsion.
We believe the members of the India#
Board are actuated by pose motives, io s
taking this step to preserve the Iadiaof
from extinction. In our opinion, however^
they have mistaken their object—we can
sec no way whereiii^y cati\id the gov#
eminent, withoujgwpljr interfering wiik
ita concerns—let* it be remembered the
Government is venr sensitive in
such interference. I
generalTol
two bodies of
™-OUNCIL.
The two hoti&as of the General
Couuoil were organized on Monday.,
They adjourned to Tuesday after the
Committee appointed Edward Gouter
and Thomas Foreman, and the Conn*
oil, Archibald Campbell and Chari*#
Reece to wait on the principal Chief*,
to inform thenl that both house* wer#
organized, and were ready to re
ceive any communication they had to
. •
Tuesday. Both house* met and
formed a joint committee of the
^ l,e Me,,a R® ofthe Princi
pal Chiefs wo* read and interpreted
into the Cherokee language.
[The message will appear in ear
next.]
S#
The case of the Indians is stiracting genrf
eral attention throughout the country. The
great question is not confined to a parties
lar section of (he Union, but is made a sub*
iect of serious investigation in th« Eastern.
Middle and Western State*. The able
pieces of WUliam Penn,are copied into a
Urge number of papeR, the readers of
which probably amount}aecorcfi*g to- the
lowest supposition, to twt hundred thouuJ
and. We receive many mcouraging let*
ters from different parts kthe country.—
We present to our readeh the following
extracts from two, the fir* written by S
gentleman in Connecticut, and the other
by a gentleman in Ohio. Ed. Ph.
There is some appear&uee of I
brighter day approaching. The na
tion is beginning to awale and to loo1
to the wrongs of the Cherokeea.
long time appear* to be neresaary i
engage the feeling* of the great hot 1
of the people but when oice they a
made to underat&nd the merits
your eauae. they will say in tb
majesty, your rights shall bo reipf
ed. I have not yet so poor an o*
ion pfour countrymen S| to belt'
hat *hey will aq forget the resp
they owe to Ihemaelvea & to the we
aa to be wantonly guilty of dri
you from your lands into an inhost
ble wilderness, to he again dr
from that as soon as it shall pJ
your avaricious and unprior
neighbors to say, they need your
sessions, 4
_ *
I hope yeu will boldly, and fn
ly declare the truth respertiq
oppression, and injustice whicl
of the Indian Tribes may e'xpe
from any of the unprincipled f
eveo though it may be the phii
f iltrate of our nation and his c
Whatever may b* the feelings
people of Georgia and the »<
States; there are doubtless hi
of thousands, fn the Eastern. /
and Western States, who artn
wi(h you, and would much r<
have you driven from your post
or deprived of your rights, si
as citizens.
We have reason to rejr
Divine Providence, is raiii
. m
-v 'wm