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CHEHOKEK PHOENIX AND INDIANS’ ADVOCATE.
her citizens have already been sufk
eieutly excited. Me still howcvei
'cherishes a hope, that the public func
tionaries of Georgia will adhere to
their wonted magnanimity; that sensi
ble of the delicate questions and fear
ful responsibilities which seldom fail
to arise out of a conflict ol rival sove
reignty, and power, in relation to such
a subject, they will, under the gui-
dencc of an enlightened patriotism, do
all in their power to prevent them,
and at all times in cheerfulness unite
with the Federal government in a-
voidiug even an appearance of prac
ticed injustice towards the uncultivat
ed and unhappy children of the for
est.
To ascertain and determine all
matters in difference, General Cofieo
of Alabama, has been requested to
proceed to the Cherokee nation, to
arrange the testimony, and to present
for the considerat ion and decision 01
Ihe President every thing in reference
to the boundary. Such evidences as
can be produced, will lie examined
and it is desirable that any informa
tion, in possession, or reach of the
Executive of Georgia may be submit
ted to the commissioner on the part
of the government, to be reported
here. In the mean time, with a view
to tranquility, ,and in justice to the
*‘Iudlans who have been, and are in
possession, the Agent has been in
structed to give notice for all intru
ders on Indian lands to retire by the
l5lh of December, after which time
those who remain will be forcibly re
moved agreeably to the provisions ol
the act of 1802.
I have the honour to be with great
res,sect your ob’t Serv't
JNO IL EATON.
His Excellency
John Fousytii
Gov. of Georgia.
'CfHOCTAW COUNCIL OF CHIEFS.
The following papers, relating to a
Council held by the principal Chiefs
and head men of the Choctaw nation,
about the 17th to the 19th of Septem
ber have just been received by the
Editors of the New York Observer,
ifie™iiltYifgJ^ancI as they cannot ap
pear in that paper until Saturday,
they are in the mean time obligingly
furnished us for publication. If our
countrymen can resist the eloquent
appeals of these Indians in behalf of
themselves and their children, and
can still, by force, or a series of vex
ations which amount to the same
thing, persist in driving them from the
soil which God and natuie gave
tliem, \ve have yet to learn the
true character of the American peo
ple. Would to heaven that the same
Spirit of forbearance and kindness
which breathes through the addresses
of Col. Folsom, might actuate the
counsels of the national Government
and the individual States.
Y. Jour, of Com.
The Choctaws and Chickasaws pos
sess lands in the States of Mississippi
and Alabama, to .a large extent. 1
here in my hands a pamphlet, entitled
“A Message from the President of
the United States, transmitting sundry
documents in relation to the various
tribes of Indians within the United
Slat es ; and recommending a plan for
their future location and Government,
printed at Washington, Jan. 27,
1825.” By this pamphlet I learn,
that the Choctaws and Chtckasaws
claim lands in the State of Mississippi
to the amount, of—
17,705,0* acres.
The Choctaws claim in
Alabama 781,440 do.
The Chickasaws claim
in do. 495,536 do.
The Choctaws in Ark
ansas Territory,. 8,958,560 do.
Total amount in acres 27,840,636 do.
Here is the amount of land in acres,
to which two tribes have what is caII-
«d an “Indian Title.” Here is the
amount of interest at stake, so far as
acres of land are concerned. The
population of these two tribes, ac
cording to the same pamphlet, within
the limits of the two States, is 24,-
635. 1 have in my possession the 6-
riginal census of the District' in the
Choctaw Nation over which Col. Da
vid Folsom presides. It was taken
about a year since, There were then
30 captains, 5627 inhabitants. 3974
horses, 11,661 cattle, 22047 hogs,
530 spuming wheels, 124 looms, 360
ploughs, 22 white men with Choctaw
families, 1J2 oxen, 7 blacksmith’s
&Qp*i 32 wagons 2f coopers’ shops,
,97 negroes, 136 sheep, 1 cotton gin.
aud 5 schools. Here you see other
interests put at stake by the questions
which are now agitated respecting
the Indians. The census above given,
relates only to one District in a sin
gle tribe*
Last week this District, met to at
tend an annual Council. The Chief
of another District, Col. Garland am,
his head men, being invited, attended
the same Council. 1 made it an ob
ject to attend this Council night ami
day. The Agent of the United States
Government, Col. Ward, was presern
part of the time, with his interpreter.
After they had taken seats, at a suito
ble time, Col. David Folsom address
ed the Agent in the following manner,
as nearly as I can recollect:—
‘’Sir,—It has pleased the Great
Spirit, that the “beloved men” of two
Council Fires should meet and sit to
gether under this white house. We
salute Col. Ward, as the Messenger
of our Great Father. Our first Fa
ther, General Washington, loved all
his white children, and all his red
children. He always gave us good
counsel. We loved his words. Our
Great Fathers who succeeded him,
have given us good counsel. We
have loved their counsel and followed
it.. We have begun to increase a lit
tle in knowledge arid in industry. We
were always friends to the American
people. We have lived in peace
with them. Our chain of friendship
has never been broken, nor has it
grown rusty. When they told us that
they had an enemy, and wished, our
help, poor and week as we were, we
assembled our warriors and went forth
to the battle. When the Americans
shed the blood of their enemy, we
shed their blood too. And when the
Americans’ blood was shed, our blood
was shed also. We were true friends
to them. We have lived under the
wing of our Great Father. We still
wish to live there. We salute you in
a few words. We have not a long
talk to give you. If Col. Ward lias
a'ny thing which he wishes to say to
us, we will hear him. If he has not,
we will attend to our own business.—
We shall remain here under this
v/uuii*..it rroiise IWO 0” Ull’CC,flays.—
At any time when he wishes to talk
to us, we will listen to him. This is
all.
Col. Ward then rose up and address
ed the Chiefs and beloved men in a
kind manner. He then read a letter
addressed to himself, from the Secre
tary of War, which was interpreted
by the U. S. Interpreter: a copy of
which I send you;
Department of War, )
July 31st, 1829. $
‘•To Col. Wm. Ward, Agent, Sac.
“Sir,—1 have received your letter,
and approve the talk made by you to
the Indians. The President is fully
satisfied that the opposition produced
amongst the Indians, against emigra
tion, is ascribable mainly to the inter
ference and bad counsel of vicious
white men who gain a place in the
Nation. These have no business there.
None are to be permitted to remain
in the Nation, hut under a written
permit from the Agent; which permit
is to be revoked, when good behavior
is lost sight of, and not to be given ex
cept where the party is known to be
of good character. White men mar
ried to Indians, and who consequent
ly by their regulations arc entitled to
residence, a^e not to lie considered as
requiring permits froth you. But
even these, when found to he disor
ganizes and seeking to thwart the
policy and views of the Government,
must be reported to this Department,
With the circumstances of their con
duct, and an order will be forthwith
given to remove them from the Na
tion.
How can the Indians expect to re
main where they arc? They are
surrounded by the whites. They are
within the limifo.and jurisdiction of a
State, whose laws may at any time
be extended over them, nor can the
General Government here prevent it,
because they have not the Constitu
tional power to prevent it. But be
yond the Mississippi this Government
will possess the power, and can exor
cise it. It will be disposed, when
there settled, to molest or disturb
tlieth no more, hut leave them and
their children at peace, and irt repose
forever. They will be interrupted
by no one. The tribes that shall go
there and enter into peace and fellow
ship with us, truly and in sincerity,
will have none to disturb or make
them afraid) because their enemies
' would be our enemies. The U. States
would not look with indifference up
on any tribe making war upon anoth-
but viewing the quiet and happi
ness of the whole, would with pater
nal care consult and maintain the in
terest of the whole. It is desired and
directed that you constantly, in all
your intercourse with the Indians
urge upon them the utter inability of
their Great Father to prevent the
State of Mississippi from extending
their laws over their country, and ot
his earnest desire, as well for the in
terest and happiness of his red as
white children, that they shall make
up their minds to remove and become
settled in the west. You are re
quested to be vigilant and active in
enlightening the minds of the Choctaw
Indians upon this subject, that they
may understand the opinions of
their Great Father. lie wishes
them at some convenient and early
time to meet in Council, and he will,
on learning their wishes, send some
confidential friend amongst th6m, to
agree upon a treaty by which the
whole nation shall go off together,
except those who shall prefer to re
main and come under the laws of
the States.
The Seal of the Wav Department
is attached, that it may he known
that those remarks emanate from
their Great Father.
Very respectfully,
Jno. H. Eaton.”
After Col. Word sat down, Col.
Folsom requested him to leave the
paper with the Council, saying, that
red men never understand in a short
time.” The request was granted.
He then made two inquiries.
1. Did this letter come from our
Great Father himself?—Answer by
Col. Ward, It came from our Great
Father.
2. Some persons have said some
times, that the Chiefs who are 6ons
of white men. wish to sell their conn-'
try, and some have said that the
Christian people ill the Nation wish
for the same thing. Have they had
any thing to do in obtaining this let
ter?—Answer by Col. Ward. “No
thing that I know of. It expresses
the thoughts of the President him
self.”
Col. Folsom then said, “I asked
these questions, not because I thought
so, but to satisfy the minds of all the
people under this Council House.”
Col. Ward (hen mentioned that he
should be glad to receive an answer
in writing from the Council before
they should disperse. On Saturday
the 17th,Col.Folsom delivered to Col
Ward the following speech, in answer
to his comrauuication:-
‘•Two or three days since, a talk
which came from the white house,
was delivered to us. Wc sat and
heard it- It came from our Great
Father. He says that he has heal’d
that there arc had white men among
us, who prevent our moving to (he
West of the Mississippi, by their bad
counsel. We do not know that it is
so. There ore old men residing a-
mong us. who have married Choctaw
women. They take no part In our
Councils. They have no concern in
them. There are sofne white men
who sit near the edges of our country,
who steal our horses, cattle and hogs,
who lay whiskey therfe. These rob
us anti impoverish u». It may be
that they have said something to pre
vent our removing to the West, which
has been reported to our Great Fa
ther. We do not know. Some of
these men of ruin, sometimes come
into our country. Here sits Col.
W ard, the white man king. If he
discover them he will drive thorn out.
If he do not discover them, we. will
tell him; If lie need help, we the
chiefs, captains and warriors, will
help him to remove them. Concern
ing the good white men among us, for
whorti Col. Ward will make a letter,
we have nothing to soy. We feay
nothing from them. This Is under
stood by all the headmen and war
riors present, in this white house.
To thoso who are not here we will
give information. So that all shall
understand this Talk. This is all I
have to sayupon this subject.
We do not wish to sell our lands
and remove. This land our Great
Father above gave us. We stand on
it. We stood on it before the white
man came to the edge of the Ameri
can land. We sit on it still It be
longs to no one in any place but to
ourselves. Our land is not borrowed
land. White men came and sat down
here and there, aud are all around us.
When they have wished to buy land ol
us, we have had good councils to
gether. The white man always said,
“The land is yours; it is yours, it is
yours.” We have always been true
friends to the American people. We,
have lived in friendship. We have
not spoiled the least thing belonging
to an American. Although it lias been
thus, now a very different talk is sent
to ub. We arc told that the king of
Mississippi is about toextend his laws
over us. We are distressed. Wc
the chiefs and the beloved men of
this nation are distressed. Our hands
are not strong; we are a smallpeople,
wc do not know much; The king of
Mississippi has strong arms, many
warriors and much knowledge. He
is about to lay iiis laws upon us. We
are distressed.
Col. Ward knows that we have
just begun to build new bouses ahd
make new fields, and to purchase iron
and set up blacksmith shops with our
annuity. We have begun to make
axes, and ploughs. We h?ve some
schools. We have begun to learn,
and we have also begun to embrace
the Gospel. Wc are like an infant
so high, who has just begun to walk.
(Here the chief bowed and extended
his right hand down as low as his knee.)
So it is with us. We have just be
gun to rise and go. And our Great
Father who sits in the white house
looking this way, says to us: Unless
you go yonder (pointing to the west)
the white man will extend his laws
over you. We do not say that his
words are lies. We think they are
true; and we respect them as sacred.
But we are distressed. O that our
Great Father would love us!' 0 that
Col..Ward would love us! 0 that the
king of Mississippi would love us!
The American people say that they
love liberty. They talk much about
it. They boast of their liberty. Why
will (hey take it from the red man?
They say they will make none slaves.
We think our Great Father is true
and good; and will not himself lay laws
upon us. We think that the king of
Mississippi is true, and that his war
riors are true aud good. It may bo
they will not lay their laws upon us.
Here we have lived.&here we wish to
live. But whatever the white man
wishes to do us, ho will do. If he
shall will us to stay here, wc shall
stay. If he will us to go, we shall
go. Tins is all I can say now. We
cannot make a long talk. Our nation
are not all assembled in Council.
The chief of one district is not here.
If Col. Ward wishes to receive a talk
on paper, we can give him one in a-
bout a month. We wish to consult
together, and with Col. Leflore, the
other <liief. After this, we will give
CoL Ward a talk on paper. It will
be a short one. In talking to Col.
Ward, we consider him the messen
ger of our Great Father. W T e be
lieve his words. When we speak to
him, it is as though we spake to our
Great Father himself. This is all I
have to say.”
[This speech was delivered in Choc*
taw.]
From the Ne-tvYork Advertiser,
It will be recollected, that a socie
ty was formed in this city, some time
since, under the title of “t/ie Indian
Hoard, for Hit emigration, Preservation
and Improvement cf the Aborigines of
America.” Subsequent to its forma
tion, Col. ThomasTi. McKenney, of
the city of Washington, was here, and
by invitation, made an address to the
members, on the subject. Since
that time, we have seen a letter
from Col. McKenhey to a gefitleman
in Boston, on the general subject of re
moving the Indians, frarri which the
following passage is extracted.
“I notice much writing, and labor
ed essays to prove, from treaties, and
otherwise, the rights of the Indians,
and arguments strc.ously enforced
showing that our relations to these
people, as to their particular locations
ought not to he violated. So far as
these writings imply any intention in
the Executive to drive the Indians
off, by force; or even refuse (within
legal and constitutional limits) to
protect them, they are wholly without
application. This, I humbly con
ceive is not the question. It is one of
another sort—and embraces the simple
proposition, what is best to be done, all
things considered, for saving and bet
tering the condition of the Indians'I
As well might labored essays he writ
ten to prove llte right of a family of
children to a family mansion, which
had been secured to (Bern by inheii-
♦tfnoe, and by every other soft of bind
ing title, and such right brought to
hear upon the guardian of these chil-. I
ilrcn, as applicable, and conclusive
against his efforts to persuade such of
these children as might survive the
action upon their lives of some deadly
elements, originating in the very mans-
sion itself to leave it and go where they
would be free, in all the future, froox
their desolating effects. If the in
heritors of this mansion were not idi
ots, as well as children, they woul<>
go—especially when it should be de
monstrated to their very senses, that
nothing awaited therti in the mansion/
but extinction; and every thing pre
serving and beneficial awaited then* 1
on their removal from it. For my
own part, I look upon the Indians—
(with some few exceptions of course)
—to be nothing hut children, and an#
convinced that nothing would be scr
good for them as to treat them a».
such—provided the object of the treat*
ment was to iihprove their condition*
and those who undertook their guar*/*
dianship were qualified, hot' as ifc .
regards the power, and the will, to"
advance their happiness. Nobody
questions the kind designs of the goW*
eminent of this country towards these .
people; and it were time thrown a-
way to prove that it has, when the
Indians are upon lands belonging to*
the Federal Government, the power.”
Wc presume Col. McKenney, in*
writing this part of his letter, had im
mediate reference to the very ahlo
and unanswerable essays that wer»
orginally published in the National
Intelligencer at Washington, and have
since been do extensively republished
throughout a large portion of the Uni
ted States, under the signature of
“ William Penn.” The ■author of
those essays deserves the thanks of all
the friends of right, truth, and justice
—of the character of the government
and the reputation of this country.
He has espoused the cause of the In
dians with so much industry, zeal,
force, and ability, that the support
ers of the sentiments and policy of
those who would improve their condi
tion by removing them from their
property, possessions, and homes, in
to the wilderness, must resort to the
question of expediency! to vindicate a
single step iti the prosecution of their
objecti
Col. McKenney says, that so far a9'
the writings in the newspapers “im
ply any intention in the Executive to
drive the Indians off by force, or even
refuse (within legal or constitutional
limits) to protect them, they are whol
ly without foundation.” But with air
due deference to the superior under
standing and intelligence of this gen
tleman on this subject, we would re
mind him, that there are many ways of
accomplishing such an object as the
Executive, and Col. McKenney, and
the New York “Indian Board,” and
other “friends” of the Aborigines have,
in view, viz. “clearing them out”
from Georgia and Alabama and send
ing tlicin to the woods, besides driving
them at the point of the bayonet. A
treaty like multitudes of others that
have been made with different tribes,
under circumstances equally coercive
as if actual force had been used,
would answer the purpose. It is an
easy thing to bring Indians to tcifas,,
when they know before hand that'
they must in the end come to terms. ‘
They have discernment enough to see
through our plans and policy, though
they have not strength enough to re-'
sist them. “Nobody,” says &ol. Me-
Kenney, “questions the kind designs,
of the government towards these peo
ple.” We are sorry to be under the
necessity of contradicting this gentle-’
man, but we must say that we. be
lieve multitudes of people question
the fact and we know of a good irrtmy
that entertain a directly opposite opiiH
ion. When we hear it openly said,
and repeated, in public newspapers,
and elsewhere, by (hose who would
at least lay claim to respectability of
character, that Indian titles to lands
which they have possessed for un ,
known ages, are of no value;-that
treaties solemnly entered into with
them by our national government
are not constitutional, and of course
not obligatory even upon us; and when
we see the administration of the na
tional government putting forth ex
travagant, and prepqstcrous senti
ments on the general subject of In
dian lights, and ludian security; all
the professions of friendship they may
severally make of kindness, and friend
ship, to these feeble and defenceless
objects of personal speculation, ami
political hostility, will receive but\
little attention, or gain but little ere.-