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na , Messrs. John Ridge and David
'Va.; hut then they were urgently re
quested by the authority of that tribe, and
their compliance to serve the Creeks Cor a
while in the capacity of clerks was made
an objections gainst theni by many of their
own countrymerf. For our own part we
were glad these gentlemen acceded to the
sail of the Creeks, and that they were of
much service to them during a time of
‘£reat trouble and perplexity. The Cher-
okeeshave sent no emissary.
A portion of the common Indians
arc understood to be opposed to emi
gration.
Some time ago all the '‘common Indians”
were said to be unanimous in their wish to
remove—after awhile the “great mass”
# were favorable to emigration—and then
a majority—and now a portion are under
stood to be opposed. But what portion
the committee are not pleased to tell us
We believe finally truth will triumph, and
that it will be found and acknowledged by
'these advocates of emigration, that not on
ly a portion but. that the whole of
Cherokees are opposed. This varying in
their statements augurs well for truth
Many of* (hem have been taught to
entertain the most unnatural and im
probable fancies hi relation to the t»a
turn of the’country West of the Mis
sissippi, as well as the motives of
those who advise them to go there;
yet the influence which produced,
could no doubt, destroy, this repug
nancy to emigration.
Wp deny that an" “unnatural and im
probable fancifi''” exist among the Chrro
kpof in rega-d to lh^ nature of the western
country, but we do think that those who
.extol it are infected with such fancies, or
they sav what they do not believe. Il
happens that Hi" Cheroke’es are bet
ter.acquainted with the nature of the coun
try than their officious advisers. We
heed no advice on this subject. But that
the roa lej. inay not suppose that the' Ch".--
okeea receive their information from in
terested persons only, we h"re copy a let
ter from one oi the late om;g ar.ts, written
to his brother.
Fort Smith Sept. 13lh 1829.
Dr. vu BuoTnr.n,—I embrace this
000'vfunity to inform you that I and
nv family are all well, hoping these
lines may lind von and family enjoy
ing the same I can inform you that
I had,» tiresome journey. I was a
long time on the way. and now l have
got here I am very much dissatisfied,
f find no good land, bad wafer, very
littV good timber, and mv advice is
to you, stnv where you are. I find
the country sicklv and a number of
the people are dead that came with
file and « number more sick, and I do
no* know where f shall settle—I dont
thm’ I shall live on Arkansaw.
I am. dear brother, yours with
more than common respect.
JOHN WILSON.
George Wilson.
The above simple statement of facts is
corroborated by hundreds of other testi
monies. Major Long the authorized a-
gent of the General Government to ascer
tain the nature of the country must also
have entertained “the most unnatural and
ifnprobable i'ancies’Mn regard^o it, for h •
considers it “uninhabitableand stiles it
the “American desert.” The Cherokees
an- Creek’s are not the only on'\s of the
southern tribes who entertain such ; Vi"ios.
Whether ruled l>v the “emissaries" of •'
“new government pa t ” or not, tlm \
of the Choctaws and Chickasaws a'-e cer
tainly in unison with those of the two fir
mer. A gentleman writes as follow 0 from
the Chickasaw nation to the editor of the
Pittsburg Heraldr
Tlw joint dele ration of the two
tribes wlio in the fall of !8I9, visited
the count rieS beyond (lie river report
unfavorably to a removal They
state that tin; land is poor and badly
watered and timbered. T have e.m-
Ve-sod freely u ith numbers of the de
legation, and have heard them, and
oni’ most intelligent Indians who are
extensively acquainted with the views
of their tribe, declare that they did
rot believe a sitfglc Chickasaw was wil
ling to remove.
When they addressed a letter to
Government expressing a willingness
to exchange lands provided the land
beyond the river suited them it was
a distinct understanding among them-
s -Ives that no such lands could be
f'» ind. The principal Chickasaw
c'r »f (who was one of the delegation)
r marked to me—-“All mm love home
but when you are bevon 1 the rive -
and look in this di:ecfiou, vou seem
quite out of the way. We advised
vowed policy oi our National Excel,
live be pursued, the Indians must « ;
tlier remove, or sulfcr, in the home of
the Greeks lo* remain unlit cumpulieu
to remove.” • v .
We shall mike but one mire exlret,^
and that is hut an old story told over.
The middle class, who have prop
erty, as well as the more discerning
of the common Indians, do not appear
to have been so easily managed—I ~A”"'V M """
They have been controlled through | L»‘-« J'WMn treaties, passim—Umo
another medium, both among ihe < ; e ' lor prison s Hvpoits, Vol
Cherokees and Creeks. Besides the! AX — U - »• Court, Crunch
lion, but the resolution as amended f
embraced all the Indians in these-,
veral States. The Senator from!
their fathers, the most oppressive aim i Georgia prevailed, and the Secretary
ml nlnuolilii inixvit... .if \\' .... ..... si...— .. _ I .1 < * _ * i*
intolerable wrong.
7. That all tliis will be done by a
violation, oil the part of the Unilei
States, of the most sacred obligations
penaUies^aiid disabilities imposed by ;Ropm(s, v o!. yi.,aiul Wheaton’s R,-
tho laws iipon those who enrol (hem-
ports
This
Vol
is
VIII.
all!!
except that tin
selves for emigration, menaces ol pciv| .. :T;'~ i 'i i 't ,V ”' -'V ’
sonal violencel,avc not only been mn,l«, S““ ral f *S«*>"f <»'>•-
but in many instance, the} have bee,! to tlm U ? .
executed in the most barbarous man | " ° ,lld dostrucl,on.Jour.o//,„.
tier, either by those highest in author
ity, or by their pai'lizans; as will a|> 1
pear by the documents annexed t.i
this report. ! Senate.
Tlic documents referred to in the adore j nAY GM • :
extract, touching the Cliwokeos, ai' 1 whi| ! ’.tLORGIA AN !) J [JE UHERO
vve have already twice published, two lit- j
lers from Col. Montgomery to the S^ee-j
ta r v of War, and one from the “secret a-;
gent,” Captain Rogers, the Arkanas
Ch
upon
trouble the read’v w ill lurt her
It would lie impossible for the Committee,
or any other set of men
they have liei
kec chiefs,--impossible, because weal
not truth can never be proved. Now
what has been the effect of the repeat 'd
and unfounded charges and aspersion* ra*
COi\i u As deJ -. * •
h 3.
KEF S.
Mr. Forsyth mode the following
mo!ion, in doing which lie said that
lie considered the Documents therein
at,” captain lingers, urn V sistailCC 111 ctot iding tills issi
•mw.. 'V. liavo al-ady commend ZVL . “T !* ol' Now Vo,k, of Mass,
on these letters, and shall not there fire j lla 101 '', K ,|llos tun , ont # , I my .c 0| . ]^t !(l( j 0 | s |,. n) | or of any «t I
,„hte the rcad’r ,v ,!i fnrther te.r.aris.j ^Xltf j f ", — «•*
mpossible fov the Committee, # ? . with, or any rolnlici
. n t 'hat the remonstrance of the Slate ,■ c . • ,,
?et of men,\o prove, the charg-s.t . ., . . , ,. . the .Senate is callet
- < ,1 „ rimro ol Georgia against treaties previously M r ., , , c
re mad» agaim-t the Clie.o-) . i i „ it •• i u. . 1 -.i .1 J Mr. h . honed the Si-
... , , . lorincd by the United States with the I „ n1 , . ,, ,
■impossible, beeau-v- w.al ^ .. •; ... 1 lIie ^ the la
of War was thus asked to give infor
mation as to all the Indians within 111
United Slates. I have now wa le
seven weeks for this information, and
as f«r as I know, we are no nearer i
now than we were when the Resolu
tion passed. So it will be with this
resolution, il its objects are made ns
comprehensive as the gentleman’s
amendment proposes. Why branch
out Ibis resolution when the question
which we have to consider refers sim
ply to the right of Georgia to legislate
as she has done? Why embarrass it
with asking for the printing of all the
laws of the States relating to the In
dians, from the commencement of this
Government? My object is to bring
Ihe legislation of Georgia towards the
Cherokees. to the views of the Senate,
to enable me to deride the issue be
tween them. Will (he laws of other
Slates, Mr. F. asked, give us any os-
istancc in deciding this issue? The
ssachu setts,
ny other State,
u half ver
j with, or any relation to, the question
ailed upon to discuss.
*iale would keep
Georgia, and the United States. I
| think differently — I think it involves
j the ease of all the Indians residing in
1 ali the Stales, however small 01 hu-ge
their numbers may be. The gentle
man alludes to a,resolution he offered
some time ago, and to the decision of
the Senate on it, and cn the amend
ment I ottered to it. lie complains
that the information desired has not
been presented to us, ami has not fir-
rived in time to suil his purpose. ?•
Uns the. amendment 1 offered the
cause of this delay? The gentlendm
asked lor information respecting <ho
condition of ihe Cherokee Indiarsi
! W’I'O OI'O at least 600 miles diktanl
from us. Suppose the information hq
sought tor was not in the Department,
to which he applied, where could it bo
found but among the Cherokees?—
And f■ 0m whom eould it ho procured
unless from the Agents of 1 he Gov
ernment who reside amongst them?
Some time musN therefore, neeessa-,
rily he occupied in transmitting it to
us, and lie hoped the information would;
he laid in proper nme to enable us to
use it to the best, advanti
Af to
>IM» in iliat Slat,, dnCTin.tlltoi‘4;" “"‘V"/ '‘"j '•'•‘•f H«-'«vml
i„il,so law of 1796; ami the re-! . ,f '^ .‘'. os,,cJ l0 . !“ v0 "*»-
„r,i,, ii ,. „ , seperate Irom Ins proposition, which
' , i „7 S ,V nifT 1 ! 10..1.I 1)0 ,nccomplultol h, a week.
nl lht ' "til 1'oliniai)', u , hcl 'oas that of the gentleman from
ecfrgia would produce much de-
y*
lhe j elude also the laws of'Georgia,” re-1 M . p * Fo ™J ll h »n reply, stated that
west, St vve hope as long as misrr'pwsr'.nta-; ( . 01; ily -passed, extending juriscliction 1 l l’ c *! iSt tioft of the gentleman to
t-.ons and illiberal charges av en. Jo. „ V er tli" Cherokee Indians' finieiuiinent was, that, the postpone-
The Prcrht'cnl observed that lie was mc ' lU *' IC information which it
* formed by the Secretary that these ! " 0I1 ^ cause would lie so long as 10
were not on the files of the Se-! render it useless. lie supposes, said
j Mr. I 1 ., that it will he necessary to
rfetlinghitymi said he supposed ■ 1,11 extensive search, and to
the Secretary could obtain l )rint volume^ helotc the information
i can he laid before (lie Sennle. Tlnv-
• ■ of Georgia, of
upon the leading men of this nation? sue.li j he ,-intcd
ao effect a* those who made them did not j ^ frclinhuyscn moved an amend
anticipate—rt has checked emigration U oj ( j 10 object of which was to in
hear of no one enrolling and going to the jJ ado also the laws of Georgia, re-
remove them,
REMOVAL OF THE INDIANS.
I11 a s.iort debate that occurred n
the House of Representatives, a Ii iv ji )t
not n.
Mr
that
after a ihinulc exasnifiatioii, had c.sti
mated. It can ho had in proper time
also. But (he gentleman* says that
such information is not necessary, and
that the law s of Georgia only are re
'S'T'""* " IU , l ! i31,OS " 1 . 1 ' 1 ’ Mv. F,m:lk said Ik, had „o obloc oitcnlivoljr, I
a; , r ,”7'? ? lion lh.1 thelaw. of Georgia shoal'd he f™ “““ ral !'"' 'l;«;»r«waal.o» eaa
than Affairs, the feeling that has been - , . , 1 ..,. inili j lll , | lie procured without the delay lie an
excited in the public mind respecting ' ' I. , ’ . . j ticipates, and that tile printing of it
the removal of the Indians was said ^ „ 0 lhc , S . ta ‘ CS ha y‘«S relation ; , vil ( , |0l ’ occ niore <h J (| 90 *
lobe founded on misapprehension.— j - °|V J ’ ,‘'j S ° ° ,<3 ! ds a friend of his iii the other House,
Mr. Buchanan and others stated that V d * •, , n0uld ac r Ce l ,t
it was commonly believed that the In- 11’® ol thc Sffeman frpm
dianswereto lie removed from | ile Ncw . p 0 » a »iodll,cation of l„s
Southern States, lr/force. The pre-1 1T . S0,U l01 1 1 ’ ' f ^ ( %cts of it were
! valence of this belief vv; ) s 10 bc j ^‘laws of Ml th^Kiates'i n wWchTn* V 1C !‘ , ' vs 01 weo,, S ,a on| y “ re •’«*
evident from ihe Memorials tint had din|1B hnvo rf , sifIe(i ceneemitn their | | 1 u,r - (}d - ,iiC T^slion to
; been presented. L c ; n ,j ()ns 13 j l>e considered? The gentleman lias
! M’e must he permitted to doubt the ‘ ‘ said it w as as to the right of Georgia
coricclncss of these remarks of the I F'clinglniysen said that this ; <0 Lrgiglato, ill the exercise of <uns-
amendment vonhl use or, ,«„* de- | diction over the Indian/Frilies i esid-
. wait till (In . eciet,ny had j u1 o- willnn her limits; Are (lie laws
procured and ptinie. all tl,rsel.wvs i 6 f Georgia alone important to a due
would bo to wait ill the session of j consideration of this question? The
iboiigTcss had closed. Ihe only ten- gentleman talks of the policy, of (he
; humanity of these laws extending ju-
l he to defeat til (of,jr e, ,iean! ' ", w • risditlion over the Indians? VVerc
nor yet in our personal iiiipi'p.nni’eo, 'i appeared strange, tliat v.ien a
with individuals deeply
Ihe matter, have we ever
honorable gentleman. We have read
what the newspapers have said on the
subject with some, care, and have at
tentively examined the published ac
counts of the proceedings of “Indian
meetings;” and neither in these, nor
in the memorials that we have scon, j -
nor yet in our personal intercourse- a PP oarp d strange, tin
with individuals deeply interested ini f l ucs *' on ' s b<‘ discussea icntiou
■■ - 1 to Ihe law s of Georgia, the niateri
discovered
the least trace of Hie alledgcd misap-
prehension. For our own part, we have
published official documents disclaim
ing any such intention, and have more
than once stated editorially t!iatn 0 :
. such outrage was intended. Nay, we i! u ,
| have published an article from the pen 1 "jl s 1 'A 1 ?
i of a Cherokee.,shewing that even the j l1 'V
j Indians have no such apprcdiensions oft s!l )l1 'j s< tl . V a < ' ) v ° 1(1 i 11 ««i'c
! forciiilc measures, as Mr. Buchanan j h 1 ’’ ? n 1 l ‘ > I’a 1 o» Georgia to pasd pcdlcncy,
those laws. I low can we decide oil j | iUV s, and
ilu se questions to lie submitted to the
Senate when Hie light of the Slate to
legislate in this matter was admitted?
11 the fight is in Georgia lo pass these
laws, the manner of executing'(hem
is nbi to be discussed here. The Se
nate, the Congrr-ss of the United
n, i i • i i i I Stales, is not the place where the
„r G SI. lo Usislotc oo.lio St«,0 of Gi'nl'.sia is l„ |,„ „ rra : s ,„.,|
If II,..I quoslion » so Ilo,l, | for the oxcoiso ofh-r odimttol, inlits.
l,o nl »nond.lnit„nlillhalllj„,, if Ik, is l0 / eba .'
ted here as to (lie policy, (he cx-
wliich are deemed necessarv for that
discussion w ill not. he given to us. Il
cannot, said .Mr. F. he disguised, nor
denied, that (lie principal question we
i have to deride, is io relation to the
speaks of.
Iiandei
othmg more is appre
we presume, by llie
i ii
memori-
llieir
policy
lavs a
und the humanity of her
those laws are therefore lo
for, why not include also
of other Slates? Is any (
.or expediency, until | be called
, Mists generally, than what they linri. ,heS « bays are before us? Howare,, ho j aws „ H
; recommended or sanctioned by official S r '! ,is ' li4 ,lH ‘ ,SS1 ° between ; diiTerence to be made between Geo/-
! documents. They fear only, |Ab.sr I\aticn. and the State of Georgia . gi a mi * (1 Alabama-Georgin find Mis-
i; 1 - That the Indian territory will he ! "". !) ou( the !a.ws « sissippi-Georgia and Massachusetts
occupied by a military force. {See ! ?^‘'^8'Yvhieh; malcna'-v Mo;yg to j __ or nny other State? The right
0,1. M’Kenney’s Rcp.ut. in |.)oeu-l ,l? A!ui bow will that issue he tllus-
menfs •accompanying the Report of
the S“> , rct**.i , y of War, na»e !(15 1
it;
trated liy (he laws of Delaware,
Maine, N. 11 tin slii e, Pro; any other
2. That attempts will be made to ! ® ,3l . c? I <' gentlemen wish to have
?/,/, *i,« n,:.>rc o,.n <i,,.:.. i the laws of the < tlier States, he, Mr.
F.. !iad no olijection; but lie wanted (6
bribe, the Chiefs to sell their country
[S°c fnsnietions from the Secret ary
of War to S(Mierals Carroll and Cof-
i fee. il>. p. 178 1
see the laws of Georgia to assist him
in tho argument which this*inipor-
cxorcised by Georgia, we claim she
lias a power to exercise; and when a
question ns to this right is made, we
will appeal lo our sister States, and
demand to be judged by their acts.
And when the manner in w hich the
laws have been executed is questioned,
we will appeal to the same exam-
Flint (he Indians will he depciv-i ,aut V'™ i ( . ne ( cc l ssn ' c ,ly bn "^ PK «»d will sf.cw that we Inve-act
ed <>f»lie right of 6elf-govermh nt -- ; ° n ’ j 1 , , ‘ fsccretiitv | 0( l towards the Indians with more
[Sec I. uvnf G<‘on>i:i. of !)<;,. g 011 ‘ lle " " ^
1838 Sect, 8: ■,,! the Mc S ,c ? c of S “ mn j l ,'. ,n0 , „
the President of the U S. of Dee. S I ?
18" ? 9 J . Inrnish
, , — information to the Senate,
4 That thev will be deprived of all 1 ! , 1 ,e P r «grcss which certain In-
tlieir lands except those whio.i, they d,nn *'b p s had made in the nicehan-
l.ave already “improved l,y their--!"' art8 ’ U ' e "' advance to « state of
I™ 'E‘ , Hie Secret a, v | (? d towards the Indians will, more
® jo furmsh tliem.. | humanity, more justly, more kindly,
" n i'.*' 0 : ‘i Ir J' 1 ' n ' ) '. ( ' (1 a 'id more generously, than nny of them.
l , r„ S ‘: C . rC . , , a .7 U ar Mississippi has been more generous
Mississippi
than any of the States, for she lias ex
tended to the Indians all the lights of
citizenship. But, with this exccp-
itu * e <■ ■ i u.i'ijr mi in uviMi uv i nt: n* m-1 • ... . j Don, Georgia has been more just.
duslry.” [.See MeSssge as above.] V’’ J ! ! ,e J p "■ re- more humane, and generous, ’in her
5 'Flint the Indian^ will he disl’ran-
g’nrds agriculture, &e
man from Georgia
\ i»Hfy am* ,i;
ehised—iriflde suhjort (o the lows of moV( .j an imenclmont to the ’, Cn | ?. ll,tc . ol ‘j’ 0 ^ T 'iion, whether in the
xtetes.. in ,0,1-1, tl.ev tviH no, b« ZT•iSJ.'S7*1^5°, ti I ^ f”'" 1 ’’."'
mitted to the rights of citizenship.— i cn „ st . ;♦ in„de,l te ^t ■' . i i " s 1 n,n ' Vl * ,m g to gratify.
[See Law ofGeevjria, as aliofve, sec- 1 | la( j j n v ;„... r wanted inf ' J< 'c ! 1 l°u ? cnt,pmnri from fS'ew Jersey,
!»'ove^
rtf, Ml the ti-jpartictilarly ehtitmog J cJuiZ 'Jlte'cllerXc.'!
ON Thaty therefore’.
tho laws ol Georgia which are wanted,*
the only advantage they can bc of,
: will be, to aflord gentleman an op-
i porlumty to address themselves to
tbfc passions .and prejudices of , m-
j hers of the Senate, and of the People
j m,t ol it- 'Fliey can lie used with
I effect for such a purpose,'and this I.
anticipated wljen the subject was first
agitated. 'I’lierefore, I w isb to be put
in possession of materials to repel ;he
insinuations, should any bc made a-
gainst the conduct of the Side of
Georgia. The gentleman can liavo
the .law s of Georgia lor his ow n use
iwifliout- this resolution, but , if |,o
j wishes to he supplied with them in
| the more formal manner, I am per-
i lectly willing, provided they alone arc'
j not singled out for ‘theatliemc of hi?
I investigation. All we ask is a fair
i development of ihe subject, and a full
j examination of its details; and then
the decision of this brant Ii of Legis
lature and of the other will not fail" to'
bo satisfactory to the People of the'
U. as well as of the Stale of Geor-
S^-
.Mr. Frclingh.ryscn said, that, so far
as respects the anticipations of the
gentleman that the law s of Georgia
will be made a theme for enlisting the
prejudices or exciting the passions of
any one, lie hoped the gentleman woylil
he disappoint oil, and, (said’hc.) as to
*l o manner in which lie sup-pcses T
intended to use them, 1 know be will
.be disappointed. If the interests of 1
the Indian tribes aic not to bn protnef-
| ml but by the aid ol the prejudices
and | ass ons of the Senate, and' of Hie
people out of the Senate, I hope their
interests will foil. If nothing ad
dressed to the honest understate.!;,, jj
of the Senate and of the People • id
produce a conviction of (ho rh.li's of
the Indians in this question, I hope
1 beir rights will fail to be sustained.
I disclaim, said Mr. F. the aid o' all
such arguments, and I cannot but ,-sn
press my surprise at the anticipations
of the honorable Senator. 1 I u; 6
that the rights of tho Indians will J,c
fully and fearlessly examined on this
floor. I know they are but a poor
and feeble People, and tliat the State
I of Georgia is a great State. But
•poor and .f’eehl6 as they are, I w i!j
! raise my voice in support of whntev-
J or may appear to be their just rights..
J It is for the reasons I have stated lie-
fore, that I wish to have the laws of
|Georgia printed which have produced
Mhe excitement throughout tho c.oun-
j fry* Mid the discrepancies between the
j Departments of Government, of
| which we have had evidence. H is
j said, if Georgia possesses (he rigli: fo
j legislate on (his subject we have no
| occasion lo look at her laws. F, r'
aught, that appears, it may be. as Hie
gentleman maintains, that Georgia i s
afforded the Indians within her Ignito'
ry more protection than nr.y. otlieF
State. The gentleman says she I ;.g*
been more . bail humane hi her policy,
and c ore conciliating in her conduct
towards them than any of her sister
States. If so, let us, said Mr F:
have the proof. Let us see her law*8y :
and we will ho bettor enabled to
speak of her generosity.
Public rumor lias informed us that
Georgia has acted unkindly towards
the Indians, and it is said that the law
which has been passed concerning
them, and which laiv lias produced so
great an excitement, will go into ope-
mfion on the 1st . fi June, 1330. \\>
are called upon to decide the ri* Ii' of
Georgia to pass such a law. ltuntor,